The head of the National Black Chamber of Commerce is telling lawmakers to "lay off" Alaska Native corporations, The Anchorage Daily News reports.

Harry Alford was a leading critic of ANCs. He said they were overtaking the minority government contracting industry by cutting out African-American businesses.

But Alford changed his tune after learning about the potential for ANCs and Black businesses to work together. He brought 20 Black business leaders to Anchorage to improve relations with their Native counterparts.

"I found out that you aren't bad," Alford said at a minority contracting conference, the Daily News reports.

Some member of Congress -- mainly Democrats -- have been concerned about Alaska Native contracting. Already, federal agencies have cut back on no-bid contracts, the Native American Contractors Association said.

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Black businesses mend fences with Native corporations (The Anchorage Daily News 5/29)
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