Saint Paul Island in Alaska. Photo: Bill Briggs
The Aleut Community of St. Paul Island is one of six tribal governments suing the Trump administration in order to prevent for-profit corporations from cashing in on an $8 billion coronavirus relief fund.
President Amos T. Philemonoff, Sr. explains his tribe’s decision to join the lawsuit — which was submitted to federal court on the evening of April 16, 2020 — in a letter to the members of Alaska’s all-Republican Congressional delegation. He said his people had no choice because the executive branch is not living up to the government’s trust responsibilities.
“We joined the Complaint late last night only after fully participating in the Department of Interior and Department of Treasury consultation process over the past week and seeing no changes to the interpretation of ‘tribal government,” Philemonoff tells Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Sen. Dan Sullivan and Rep. Don Young.
Philemonoff praised the delegation for a letter sent to both departments earlier this week. In the April 14 document, the lawmakers suggested that tribes be able to designate regional organizations, or other regional entities, as the recipients of shares of the $8 billion fund.
“We have regularly supported this practice, have utilized this when needed, and find this method to properly allow for the recognition of tribal sovereignty while providing flexibility for Alaska’s tribes and tribal organizations to cooperatively work together to ensure the maximum utilization of limited resources,” Philemonoff states.
Aleut Community of St. Paul Island: https://www.facebook.com/St.PaulIsland/