My generation does always benefit from these native entities. We are not supported or employed by our native corporations. If we chose to speak up, speak out, or challenge the cultural problems of our society, we can easily be black balled from our own tribe, village, and regional entities. Our greatest enemy is not always white society,but our own native leaders. I have learned from history that they are called the STATUS QUO. Within this room today, I can see a few of the STATUS QUO. I hope you can see them too. They are no different from FERDIDNAN and IMEDA MARCOS. They play on the sympathy of the Federal Government and the American Taxpayer. They benefit from the poor and disadvantaged. They are known as the PRE-A.N.C.S.A. GENERATION. They have benefitted from the renumeration, corporate status, and title as a Native Leader. The time has now come for their responsibility and accountability. There is a definite line between Pre-A.N.C.S.A. and Post-A.N.C.S.A. We do not need two more years of study, but we need two years of action. I am submitting my efforts to help the Special Committee on Indian Affairs. I am a creative and progressive worker. I have great respect for my culture and heritage, as well as, respect for all of Alaska Natives. I am proud to take this risk to speak out. "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country."(by President John F. Kennedy.) Thank you for your time. Sincerely, Juliet Hartwick Juliet Hartwick (P.S. Senator Inouye, The reason why some villages can not control or vote out their school board officals is that when a school district moves into a native village, The teachers, administrators, and their families become the MAJORITY BLOCK VOTE(RS). It is not a very different story than REPRESENTITAVE DAVID DUKE, the former Grand Wizard of the Klu Klux Klan (K.K.K.). It was the people who voted for him. And we can not stop the teachers, administrators, and their families from voting. They have the right to vote.) "...In the discretion of..." -Entirely too much like a blank check. "...generally comparable..." -Define what is generally comparable to what. "...responsibility of such enterprise..." "...Extraordinary circumstances..." -The only extraordinary circumstances we are aware of is an act of God or an act of Congress. We need a definition here. "...maximum consistnacy..." -Set guidelines for what constitutes maximum consistancy. "...maximum participation..." -Be consistant when you are setting your guidelines for what constitutes maximum participation. "...greatest extent feasible..." -Whose definition of greatest extent feasible? We need definitive parameters whereby agencies can set guidelines and regulations to implement the true integrity of the buy Indian Act of 1910 and these Buy Indian Act Ammendments of 1989. The above 'escape clauses' that we have identified are simply intolerable. They are the very reason that agencies and contracting officers are getting away with non-compliance. " We agree with the premise put forth in S.B. 321 regarding "...companies and individuals that seek to take improper advantage of Indian preference opportunities. however, this statement does not go far enough. These individuals and companies do not only not contribute to the Indian economic Development and damage the credibility of Indian preference programs, but they devastate the very Indian people that Indian Preference was created to help. Indian fronts' hurt those of us who are legitimate. All the fronts' and abuses that exist make congress and the affected federal agencies more leary of Indian preference programs and more prone to eliminate the programs. Eliminating the abuses in the program and the fronts that make it difficult for us to conduct our business is one of the major goals of the Association of Alaska Native Contractors. Unfortunately, this bill also seeks to eliminate Joint Venture associations with Indian Contractors. The Bureau of Indian Affairs mission is predicated on promoting and supporting the overall socio-economic development projects of Native Americans with particular emphasis on private sector projects that will lead to improving Native economies and standards of living. The beauty and attraction of a joint venture is that it allows the Indian owned business the opportunity to utilize the financial resources and bonding leverage of it's partner. If you are going to seriously consider totally eliminating joint ventures in Construction with Indian Contractors, you need to seriously consider another program to fill the void left when these Indian owned companies can no longer bid on federal projects due to the lack of bonding. This needs to be explored more because it is a difficult question. We would like to offer the following possibilities for solutions: This bill also recommends that there only be Indian Construction enterprises if they are 100% owned by Indians. In 1988, the Bureau of Indian affairs eliminated this category from their certification classifications, because it was extremely difficult to find enough of these 100% certified firms to provide a competitive bid process on any given procurement. This would also eliminate: a) partnerships (where one partner was not Indian), b) non-Indian spouses from being involved in an Indian enterprise, c) Stockholders in a corporation whose involvement in the Indian enterprise is strictly that of a Corporate and d) legitimate joint ventures. In short, this Act should not dilineate between Indian contractors and other Indian owned businesses. All Indian owned Businesses should be required to be at least 51% Indian owned and controlled.' financier, We strongly endorse the creation of an "Advisory Committee on Indian Preference." The concept of one member from each of the federal agencies that are typically involved in Buy Indian Act solicitations is extremely benificial. Hopefully, by this we -3 |