Alaska’s current congressman has received an endorsement from the state’s largest regional native corporation. KDLG’s Chase Cavanaugh has more.
The Sealaska Corporation recently announced its endorsement of Alaska Congressman Don Young in the upcoming election. Sealaska is the largest of 13 regional corporations created under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act and its shareholders predominantly consist of those living in the state’s southeast. When asked about what led to the endorsement, Chairman of the Board Joseph Nelson said part of it was the corporation’s efforts at encouraging its shareholders to be politically active. The choice of Don Young was due to his work on a specific issue.
“Sealaska has for many years working hard to finalize our land entitlement. We’ve come close a number of times and we’re right at the doorstep, but Congress and the folks in DC just have not been hugely productive, as most of us know. But our delegation from DC has been with us and in the House side, Congressman Young has been a prime sponsor of our bill to finalize our land entitlement and it’s just crucial for Sealaska’s success moving forward.”
According to Nelson, the package consists of about 75,000 acres and is meant to rectify issues present during the ANCSA process.
“Southeast was treated uniquely in ANCSA through the process in that a number of boxes were put around our communities and it limited our selection hugely. We had a smaller selection because we had a prior settlement, and then we were just limited in where we could select. That really just hasn’t been workable, so for a number of years, we’ve been working on a package that would allow us to finish the selections and allow us to go in a few areas outside those small boxes around each of our communities.”
Nelson also notes the bill has significant conservation packages.
Matt Shuckerow, spokesman for Congressman Young, said Sealaska’s endorsement reflects support not only among the Southeast, but natives around the state.
“Sealaska Corporation is made up of 26,000 shareholders, and while the majority do live in Southeast Alaska, these people leave across the state. Sealaska isn’t just confined to one region of the state. It’s spread across. I think the overall message that we received from Sealaska is that the Congressman is focusing on Alaska Native issues, and these are issues that span across many of the communities and many of the Alaska Native Regional Corporations.”
Young is set to face fellow Republicans John R. Cox, David Dohner, and David Seaward in the Alaska primary election, which takes place on August 19th.