ALASKA NATIVES COMMISSION
JOINT FEDERAL-STATE COMMISSION
ON
POLICIES AND PROGRAMS AFFECTING
ALASKA NATIVES
4000 Old Seward Highway, Suite 100
Anchorage,
Alaska 99503
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Witness List | PDF
Version
PROCEEDINGS
(On record at 8 o'clock a.m.)
COMMISSIONER SEBESTA: (Began speaking before
recorder was turned on.) . . . Commission
hearing to
order. My name is Father James Sebesta; and
the
Commission members who will be with me today are Father Norman
Elliott -- and John Schaeffer will be here a little bit later
-- and Ed Boyko will be at the Commission table, and Martin Moore,
who just stepped out for a moment.
We're members of the special Task Forces on Health and -- Health
Issues and Cultural/Social issues. But I'd like to give you just
a little bit of background of the Commission and how it was formed,
and what we see as our responsibilities, and really why we're
here today.
The Joint Federal/State Commission on Policies and Programs Affecting
Alaska Natives was asked to be convened by the Alaska -- by AFN;
and particularly because of the problems which AFN saw among
Native people of Alaska -- what they faced. And in the original
session when we were convened in Washington, there was an address
given to us, outlining particularly issues of the high suicide
rate, the high incidence of teenage pregnancy, the incidence
of violence in families, and alcoholism. And these particular
issues were outlined to be really critical.
In our review, we find that these issues, of course, affect practically
every aspect of life of the Native people, and so we have selected
five different areas of special concern. And those areas are
health; the social and cultural issues, which are very much challenged
these days, and how they fit into the solutions; education certainly
is a very prominent area that needs to be addressed; and, certainly,
the economic issues, especially employment and things of this
sort; and, of course, the overall governance of people themselves.
And so, we have been asked then, by AFN and by this -- by the
law which instituted this Commission, to conduct hearings and
to try to get, from the people themselves, solutions to the problems
that AFN has focused upon as very critical.
So far we've conducted hearings in Fairbanks, in Bethel, and
in Nome, and have received very interesting testimony. We are
taking advantage of many people coming in for the -- for AFN,
and conducting hearings, so that all during -- for the next three
days, we will be available for people to voice their comments,
and particularly address what might be effective solutions for
these difficult times that we face.
And so I would like those people who are testifying -- we've
tried to set up the tables in such a way that, not only that
can they testify to the panel here, but they can be also viewed
by those of you who are waiting for testimony. I would ask that
of those people that corns forward, if they would introduce themselves,
where they come from, what their particular interest is; and,
if they have any written testimony, that they would leave a copy
of that testimony with our recorder.
We do have a list of people who have pre-registered for testimony
this morning; and I would ask maybe the first three of these
people to come forward, if they would take the seats opposite
us, and that's Charmaine Ramos, if she's here, and Commissioner
Ted Mala, and Caroline Atuk.
(Pause.)
Charmaine, welcome. Thank you very much. I'm happy to invite
you to the Commission, and would you like to begin your statements?
(TESTIMONY OF CHARMAINE RAMOS ATTACHED AS EXHIBIT
#1)
COMMISSIONER SEBESTA: Okay, thank you very much, Charmaine, I'd
like to open it up to the members of this Commission to question
you, if they have any questions on this -- on your testimony.
I appreciate it very much. It's very well organized, and I'm
glad to see the sincere interest in addressing the problems of
urban Native people, because I know that they are, you know,
very serious as they are in the villages.
One area that I have been thinking very much about myself, and
I see that you have it in here, particularly -- let's see, it
was family involvement; and in this Urban Native Center that
you're trying to bring into existence, one of the aims of it
is to address family issues? Bring people together to maybe,
let's say, address the cultural and social aspects of family
life?
MS. RAMOS: Yes, that is true. The reason why Phase I ha -- where
is it? -- Phase I will be targeting the Native families and teenagers,
because I just attended the State's Conference on Runaways and
Homeless Youth; and 30 percent of the runaways are Alaska Native
youth. And so there's a target to start trying to get the kids
off the street, and/or prevent them from being on the street,
and that will take Native family involvement, yes.
COMMISSIONER SEBESTA: And the more, let's say, awareness there
is on the part of, let's say, families and their responsibilities
to each other as a family, that is the hope that that will go
out to reach out to other families? To --
MS. RAMOS: Yes.
COMMISSIONER SEBESTA: -- other people? Yeah.
MS. RAMOS: Yes, yes.
COMMISSIONER SEBESTA: Okay. Martin?
COMMISSIONER MOORE: I'm happy to learn that something is being
considered. I realize how important the Native culture, the Native
way of life -- how important it is for people. It's so very important
that we must not forget our culture. Our culture is a - - a very
rich culture. For some of these people that forget how important
it is, they need a guidance, and they have -- by your efforts
like this, to get the communication going again, that somebody
cares for them; that somebody wants to listen to them.
I, you know -- I've learned so much about our culture just by
listening to people's concerns, and this is one very important
project you're working on. I appreciate it.
MS. RAMOS: Thank you very much.
COMMISSIONER ELLIOTT: I greatly appreciate your report --
MS. RAMOS: Thank you.
COMMISSIONER ELLIOTT: -- and I noticed that -- as you stated,
that one of your priorities is the establishment of a community
center. Have you reached that point in your discussion as to
where that might be located? And I ask that, knowing the resistance
of many Anchorage areas to the establishment of centers.
MS. RAMOS: Yes, there has been discussion around it. The only
solid thing is that we have, in the committee's mind, is one
that it will not be on Fourth Avenue.
There has been many areas discussed and saying:
"Well, let's look at this. Let's look
at that."
But there's been no really brainstorming on -- and full-blown
discussion on where it will be located, no.
COMMISSIONER ELLIOTT: Well, I thank you for that; and also, I
know there is also a Spirit Camp -- in addition to Fort Yukon,
at least one other at Minto under Luke Titus.
MS. RAMOS: That is correct.
COMMISSIONER ELLIOTT: And would your Spirit Camp also be located
at the community center? Is that a part of its function, or would
it be somewhere more distant, as it is in Fort Yukon and Minto?
MS. RAMOS: Mr. Chairman, there has been discussion with the Municipality.
They own Clitheroe Center land out there at Point Woronzoff.
That is an option.
Tyonek has come to start discussion with us. They say that they
have land and that they even have buildings that's out of town
that they're willing to -- for us to negotiate with them to look
at for a Spirit Camp. Matter of fact, they are part of the --
as you will notice, they have representation on this Anchorage
committee, because of the urban Spirit Camp concept.
From the very beginning, that was one of the goals to look at,
to developing some sort of model that would work here in Anchorage;
and Tyonek has been very interested. And so, from the very beginning,
they have been involved with the committee.
COMMISSIONER ELLIOTT: And concerning runaways, have you made
any -- well, I say, connection with Covenant House here in Anchorage?
MR. RAMOS: Mr. Chairman. I m in a new unit established with the
Municipality, and that's with Betsy Kanago in the homeless unit.
Discussion with them hasn't been a priority, 'cause, basically,
what we're trying to do is just find space for these people,
such as the Native women who are -- last year slept in Bean's
Cafe. So the priority is just to find the shelter and the funding
for it. Discussion with individual agencies concerning the die
-- individual clients, or the clients themselves, has not yet
begun. Just trying to figure out funding and shelter is --
COMMISSIONER SEBESTA: Yeah.
MS. RAMOS: -- has been a high priority, and has been for over
a year now.
COMMISSIONER ELLIOTT: I ask that because Covenant House, of course,
has been established here, and I didn't know if you were using
that.
MS. RAMOS: That is correct, and we have to work with all the
different emergency shelters to look at the number of rooms;
the beds that we have per night. But discussion of the clients
and the services to them has not been done yet.
COMMISSIONER ELLIOTT: Thank you very much.
MS. RAMOS: Thank you.
COMMISSIONER SEBESTA: Thank you very much.
DR. MALA: I wonder if I might have permission?
COMMISSIONER SEBESTA: Oh, yes.
DR. MALA: When I was a Health Officer at Gallup (ph.) Indian
Medical Center, it was interesting to me that Native healers
were permitted -- not only permitted, but encouraged, to come
into the hospital to work with patients. And I'm wondering now
that the Alaska Native Medical Center has received funding and
is planning to move to a new location, if there have been any
discussions with the people from Public Health Service to establish
this center, perhaps on those grounds, or in cooperation with
the hospital, to work co integrate Native concerns, spirituality,
and culture into the system through that means?
MR. RAMOS: Mr. Chairman, the committee has discussed it. We have
not approached Alaska Native Medical Center.
I have just started discussion with them, as a matter of fact
yesterday, on the homeless and runaway youth issue, and not that
we may be located there for a community center or anything like
that, because we haven't decided what our criteria is yet.
As a matter of fact, one of the options we may look at is neighborhood
centers, as well as one central community center. So we're not
quite well established yet, in order to start discussion with
different agencies.
COMMISSIONER SEBESTA: Well, I think it's a very credible thing
that you're -- you've started this concern and are getting other
agencies and doing the planning, because there's obviously a
lot of consideration that has to go into the location of such
a center. I appreciate very much your testimony.
MS. RAMOS: Thank you
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attempt to keep the online document the same as the original,
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