"Participation in the 8(a) program is important to Alaska Natives and the future of our Native communities. Alaska Natives have found a way to help each other, build capacity, and build their people through the 8(a) program that helps Native corporations, tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations capture federal contracts. These Native companies’ combined contract is less than 1.3 percent of the total federal contracting while the vast majority of the contracting pie goes to huge government contract companies, many through sole source.

For example, in Missouri in 2008, $140,202,348,193 in federal contracts was sole sourced. The top 10 sole source contractors were Lockheed Martin, Boeing Company, Northrop Grumman Corporation, BAE Systems, Raytheon Company, General Electric, United Technologies Corp., General Dynamics, MacAndrews and Forbes Holdings Inc., and Bell Boeing Joint Program. Do you read any articles in the Washington Post chastising them?

No? Why not? Well, these are not Alaska Natives. I’m not saying those contracts were not good or not in the best interest of America, but who knows? If I subscribe to Sen. Claire McCaskill’s logic, any sole-source is a bad deal for America and should be stopped. Sen. McCaskill, who has never been to Alaska, attacks us every chance she gets, and introduces bills to eliminate Native participation in the SBA 8(a) program. Yet she refuses to visit our lands and meet our people. Why?

In today’s economy, why would anyone attack those that are trying? The Alaska Native companies aren’t moving jobs overseas. We pay taxes at all levels. In today’s stressed economy, 8(a) is one of the few programs that is helping build jobs and economic stability. Throughout Alaska, we need economic support.

In 2009, Alaska produced about 236 million barrels, or about 14 percent of total U.S. oil production. Yet a gallon of gasoline in Bethel, Alaska is $5.66 and a gallon of milk is more than $9 in Barrow. A kilowatt of electricity costs 1,116 percent more in Kake, a southeast Alaska Native village, than in St. Louis, Mo."

Get the Story:
Myrna Gardner: ANCs helping, not hurting, national economy (Indian Country Today 12/21)