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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2001

The Sitka Tribe of Alaska said it will ask Secretary of Interior Gale Norton to declare the marine waters around the Tongass National Forest as a subsistence area.

The tribe says the designation would protect their traditional fishing grounds. The Federal Subsistence Board did agree to exclude unqualified sport fishermen from a lake used by the tribe.

But a senior U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service official says the case on marine waters is hard to prove. Tom Boyd, assistant regional director for subsistence management, said it must be shown that the ocean activities are causing harm to federal waterways before Norton would take action.

Norton was paid by the Republican-controlled Alaska Legislature to fight the subsistence rights of Alaska Native elder Katie John. As a result, Norton has recused herself from those particular subsistence issues.

Get the Story:
Feds stop short of marine waters subsistence rule (The Anchorage Daily News 12/13)

Relevant Links:
Subsistence Amendment, Alaska Governor Tony Knowles - http://www.gov.state.ak.us/subsistence_amendment
Native subsistence rights, Native American Rights Fund - http://www.narf.org/pubs/justice/1999SPRING/spring1999.htm
Alaska Federation of Natives - http://www.akfednatives.org
Katie John et al. v. State of Alaska - http://www.mountainstateslegal.org/legal_cases.cfm?legalcaseid=64

Related Stories:
Subsistence approved on Alaska river (12/12)
Separate appeal of Katie John denied (11/27)
Knowles sets Native priorities (11/14)
Native subsistence proposal advanced (11/7)
Alaska losing subsistence game (11/5)
Subsistence amendment seeing delay (10/30)
Questions raised on subsistence (10/29)
AFN honors Elder of the Year (10/29)
AFN kicks off, Katie John revered (10/26)
Health issues talk of AFN (10/26)
Alaska Natives testify on racism (10/26)
Native dance event at AFN (10/24)
Alaska Native conference kicks off (10/23)
Alaska Native convention to meet (10/22)
Subsistence hearing scheduled (10/19)
Alaska lawmakers miss Katie John appea (10/15)
Subsistence amendment drafted (10/12)
Lawmakers want to appeal Katie John (10/5)
Alaska subsistence panel meets (9/25)
Poll: Alaskans want subsistence vote (9/17)
Group wants Katie John appealed (9/14)
Alaska subsistence panel to meet (9/11)
Knowles criticized for Katie John decision (8/29)
Alaska won't appeal Native rights case (8/28)
Subsistence summit changes little (8/27)
March held for Native subsistence (8/22)
Subsistence summit calls for changes (8/17)
Subsistence summit begins in Alaska (8/16)

More on Katie John:
Katie John case having effects (5/11)
Alaska Native subsistence case upheld (5/8)
Norton cutting old associations (1/25)
Norton's legal work criticized (1/12)
Alaska Native elder dies (12/4)