Photo by Mike Williams
U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski, Dan Sullivan, and Congressman Don Young, all R-Alaska, welcomed Attorney General William Barr to Alaska, May 30th, along with tribal leaders and community members in Bethel and Napaskiak.
Attorney General Barr’s itinerary includes a series of meetings at the federal, tribal, state and local level with a focus on law enforcement and public safety issues, particularly in rural Alaska.
“Public safety and lack of law enforcement are both serious challenges across the state, particularly in Alaska Native communities that are disproportionately impacted by sexual assault and domestic violence cases. We are encouraged to know that the Attorney General is investing the time to meet face-to-face with Alaska tribal officials, elders, and youth to help address these pressing issues,” said the Alaska Congressional Delegation. “As a delegation we have long been committed to ensuring communities, both urban and rural, are safe and secure. We look forward to building on those efforts alongside Attorney General Barr.”
Attorney General Barr spent time in the village of Napaskiak where he toured the local store, the public safety building where he saw the jail cells, the Russian Orthodox Church, the school where the Napaskiak Eskimo Dancers performed for him, and he also visited the home of Tribal Administrator Sharon Williams.
Tribal Administrator Williams presented AG Barr with an emergency resolution to address public safety, effects of alcohol and drugs, and call to action.
In Bethel Barr visited the Tundra Women’s Coalition shelter and the Association of Village Council Presidents where he met with local advocates and tribal leaders.
