I took this photo in 2014. It was a time in my life that didn’t feel very significant but shaped who I am today.
I lived in the rural village of Bethel, Alaska that was only accessible by plane and where the damage done by religious colonialism was palpable.
This Yupik woman, the most joyous woman I’ve ever met who lit up every room she walked into, was just sitting on the edge of the Kuskokwim River with her string & hook (I assume was just a hook) casually chatting with us while she pulled in a Lush.
The river had just broken up after a long and cold Bethel winter, and there was a big celebration to mark the occasion.
After we walked away, someone in my group mentioned that the Yupik people have a special connection with the land there. It seems so obvious to me now, but at the time it sounded like he was speaking some woo-woo language I would never understand.
Over the years though, it’s come together so painfully clear that I don’t understand how things could possibly still be backwards
We’re taught to believe that our white civilized ways are THEE right ways and everyone else should emulate them when in actuality … the indigenous folk who live in harmony and connection to the earth are the ones we should be learning from when it comes to farming, fishing and living in connection with Mother Earth instead of taking, taking and taking.
So on this #earthday2021, I’m acknowledging all of the indigenous people whose land, cultures, livelihoods, languages, food sources, and ways of life have been stolen by a system of destruction and greed. I’m also acknowledging that the current US farming trends are destroying our land and we all have A LOT to learn about sustainability if we want to have a healthy planet.
Nothing can change the past, but we all have the choice to make it our individual responsibility to change the future through education and action.
Happy Earth Day.
Adrianna Zathan
Former Bethel Resident
Federal Land Allotment delay is slap in the face to Alaska Native Vietnam Veterans and their Families
They have waited long enough—and they are dying.
It is no secret that throughout Alaska’s history, the federal government has gone to great lengths to lock up huge swathes of Alaska land. In a deeply troubling move last Friday, the Biden administration announced under Public Land Order 7899, that it has delayed a program that gives qualified Alaska Native Vietnam veterans the opportunity to select a plot of federal land in Alaska. After a 50-year wait, these lands were supposed to be released in February of this year, only to be delayed another two years.
A Brief History
Under the Alaska Native Allotment Act of 1906, land transfers between 2.5 and 160 acres of “vacant, unappropriated, and unreserved non-mineral” land was first authorized for individual Alaska Natives who could prove “continuous use and occupancy” of the land for five years.
The program existed for 65 years before it was repealed in 1971 with the passage of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA). ANCSA granted large land allotments to newly formed Native Corporations who then assumed the responsibility of granting land allocations to their individual members as the organizations saw fit.
It would take another ten years to settle all the pending land claims made prior to ANCSA, but the federal application period for individual Alaska Natives to apply ended in December 1971 with ANCSA’s passage.
How does this affect Alaska Native Veterans?
During the Vietnam War, 2,800 Alaska Natives served in the military—a higher rate per capita than any other group. Since the conflict did not end until 1973, both voluntary and conscripted service members were unable to apply for land before the deadline.
After years of advocacy, these Alaska Native Veterans were finally given that opportunity once again under the 1998 Alaska Native Vietnam Veterans Allotment Act, which authorized a new 18-month filing period for qualifying Alaska Native Veterans to apply for up to 160 acres of Alaska land.
But 20 more years of delay ensued. Eligible veterans began passing away. In response, the Alaska Congressional delegation worked to include within the President Trump-signed John D. Dingell Jr. Act of 2019 provisions to extend eligibility to qualified veterans and their heirs. These provisions also removed a five-year occupancy requirement—freeing applicants to apply for available lands anywhere in the state.
These lands all over the state would have been made available for selection on February 19th—just a few months shy of fifty years after the passage of ANCSA, which initially closed the application period. But, once again, the service of these men and women is being “rewarded” by the Biden administration with an additional two-year halt to the program.
A Trail of Broken Promises
Alaska has contributed over 60 percent of its lands to the federal government for conservation purposes. And yet, after 60 years, the federal government continues to break the promises it made to Alaskans in exchange for that land. The Biden administration reneging the commitment of past administrations to Alaska Native Veterans is just the most recent instance in a long history of broken promises—and at the worst possible time with record unemployment, a state budget crisis, and a global pandemic.
As a veteran, I deeply appreciate the sacrifices and dedication required to serve our nation—all the more present in those who served during the Vietnam Era. The continued disrespect that is being shown to those who served honorably makes my heart ache.
How is it fair to now tell these Alaskan Native Veterans to ‘pound sand’ after decades of waiting? Why must they pay for someone else’s campaign promises?
As Alaskans and Americans, we owe these veterans far more than a debt of gratitude for the blood, sweat and tears they’ve given to this country. We owe them the land that was promised. And while we may not be able to turn back the clock and make these veterans whole, in the immortal words of Dr. King, “the time is always right to do what’s right.”
Do what is right, Mr. President.
Hyperlink: “Public Land Order 7899” www.federalregister.gov/d/2021-07794
Senator Josh Revak & Senator Click Bishop
Alaska State Legislature
