Alaska tribes turn to banishment to protect small communities

Monday, May 19, 2014  

It's not common but Alaska tribes are exercising their power to banish people from their villages.

The most recent example involves the Tanana Village Council. The tribe is planning to banish two men, one of whom faces murder charges for the deaths of two state troopers.

“This is the only way we have to remove individuals who are — how do we say it? — who are dangerous to members of the community,” Chairman Curtis Sommer told the Associated Press.

The village of Sand Point banished a man last August for suspected drug smuggling. Last April, Akiak banned a man who was suspected of bootlegging and dealing drugs.

“It seems to me like a reasonable approach to avoid violent situations, especially when you have no law enforcement providers within a community,” Heather Kendall-Miller of the Native American Rights Fund told the AP.

Get the Story:
In Alaska village, banishment helps keep peace (AP 5/19)

Alaska Native man pleads not guilty for deaths of two troopers (5/14)
Alaska Native man faces charges for deaths of 2 state troopers (05/02)