taught, and how Native Americans—as well as other minorities— were treated.

Many American citizens, particularly in recent decades, have begun to seriously question that assumption. Native Americans have begun to seriously challenge it. One result of the challenge is the passage of Public Law 93-638. The Indian Self-Determination Act has been the official policy of the United States Government for over a decade. Yet, in Alaska implementation of the policy is continuously hampered because some people believe that there are not seif-governing Native tribes here. That belief is obviously inaccurate. It is simply not based in fact. Yet it is a belief that is held by many powerful people and it is an ever-present roadblock to the exercise of self-determination in our tribal villages.

The deterioration of the traditional social structures in our villages is a direct and tangible cause of the social dysfunction reported by AFN. A most important component in any society is the effectiveness of its leadership in enforcing community values. In the case of Native Americans, the first post-contact event was inevitably the emasculation of the authority of the leadership. Treaties were made then broken, and the Indians were powerless to enforce them.

In Alaska, the emasculation of village leadership was more subtle and perhaps more destructive. No treaties were made, so none could be broken. Village authority was simply ignored. Lands were used at will by the majority culture without even a token acknowledgement of Native ownership until 1972, when big oil and big government wanted a pipeline. In all the years of the Alaska Native Land Claims debate, the village governments-as the official and legally responsible representatives of their people-continued to be ignored. Even though some of the Native people involved were in fact village government officials, the process was not a government-to-government settlement.

It was not until the mid-70's that the existence of the village governments was even noticed by the majority culture. The Self-Determination Act provided a vehicle through which the villages began to make their voices heard. Unfortunately, what the majority culture heard was not to its liking. And so in recent years it has set about to destroy what is left of village society by declaring that village government decisions are unenforceable and that Federal Indian law does not apply in Alaska-village adoptions are not recognized by the State, village jurisdiction over Indian child welfare matters is not recognized, the tax exempt status of village-owned enterprises and property is challenged, as is village authority to enforce local taxes and other community ordinances.

The Department of the Interior, which is the primary Executive Branch responsible for effectuating the United States Government's trust relationship with the Native American tribes, has utterly failed to defend the right of the Alaska Native villages to selfgovernment. We hope that the new Secretary will be willing to take a fresh look at the legal quagmire that Alaska's tribal villages find themselves in. But the issue is so politically charged that we are concerned that even a new Administration may not be willing

to touch it.

Senator Inouye, you have evidenced great sensitivity to the situation of Alaska Natives, including the tribal government issues in our villages. It is with a great sense of urgency that we ask you to champion our case for recognition of the authority and legitimacy of our Native village governments. America's trust responsibility to us, the "First Americans," ultimately rests in the Congress of the United States. We know that you have taken upon yourself to examine our history and we trust you to have a hand in writing the next chapter.

Now, I regret that I must also address the issue of the inadequate response of the Federal Government to the impacts of the oil spill in our villages and communities.

On page 32 of Secretary Skinner's and Secretary Reilly's report to the President on the Exxon-Valdez oil spill, the President was advised that "no single mechanism is in place at this time through which Alaska Natives can provide inputs on their particular concerns, or receive assistance for their claims and subsistence needs." The "single mechanism" for human and cultural concerns should have been the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The North Pacific Rim went first to the Bureau for assistance. We appreciate the recent Bureau activity, it should be noted that as early as April 11, just a few weeks after the spill, our Natural Resources Department had submitted a full proposal to the Bureau for an interdisciplinary team to address the social, cultural, as well as the environmental and the biological impacts. Two days later, our Employment and Training Director requested funds to meet spill-related needs. Then on April 20, still less than 1 month after the spill, three full-fledged proposals in the area of tribal government assistance, social services, and natural resources were personally presented to Secretary Lujan during his visit here.

On May 15, Secretary Lujan directed his Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs to undertake the necessary inventories and evaluations to determine what might be done to assess, and to facilitate the mitigation of the cultural, social, and economical impacts. The Secretary noted that "the Bureau of Indian Affairs may need to obtain additional funds to perform this work by either reprogramming or from other sources," and he asked to be advised of funding needs.

While we welcome the Secretary's support, as of Wednesday, May 24, exactly 2 months after the spill, none of the North Pacific Rim's requests have been answered. We need expedited consideration and immediate approval to meet our needs. We need an

answer.

In the meantime, the Rim's village employees as well as village government volunteers and paid staff are faced with the dilemma of continuing to serve their communities at no pay or at TNPR's wages, or to go to work for VECO, the Exxon clean-up subcontractor, at nearly $17 an hour. All village staff have been seriously affected by the VECO conflict. One village Chief has exclaimed in frustration, "I don't know who I work for now because VECO is paying me but I'm still the Chief of my village." Most of the leaders have to wear two hats-one VECO employee hat, one village leader hat. The resulting conflict has had a terrible toll on morale and effective functioning.

These impacts are long term. Thousands and thousands of cash dollars are falling into the hands of a subsistence oriented people. The value conflicts alone may take a generation to sort out. In the meantime, VECO will eventually leave the villages, the money pump to the individuals will be disconnected, and the wreckage of traditions and heritage and lifestyle will have to be faced.

The time to start preparing for these social impacts was on March 25. Today is May 27. Relief is still not in sight and we are concerned that when it comes it may be too little, too late.

The Rim was the only organization which had well-developed communications systems in place to receive impact information from all of the villages, to act as a central repository of information and coordination, and to provide requested assistance. Our strategic relationship with the whole impacted region caused our workload to quadruple within days of the spill, and the pressure continues. I cannot underestimate the urgency of the needed assistance. Senator, we hope you can help us by expediting the bureaucratic processes.

In closing, I would like to thank the Senator for choosing two of those communities which have been impacted by the oil for your visit tomorrow. We hope to make your visit a very welcome one, Senator.

Thank you.

The CHAIRMAN. As you know, we will be visiting the Native villages of Tatitlek and Chenega. I am looking forward to your guidance because I gather you will be hosting our visit there.

Mr. TABIOS. Yes, sir; I will be.

The CHAIRMAN. At that time, we will have another opportunity to hear from you and village leaders and the people. We will listen to their concerns. Your voice will be heard.

Our next witness is Mr. Nick Peterson, mayor of the city of Akhiok. I understand that the Mayor is not here. So we will move ahead to Ms. Nina Olsen.

STATEMENT OF NINA OLSEN, KODIAK AREA NATIVE

ASSOCIATION

Ms. OLSEN. I am from Kodiak and I'm representing the Kodiak Area Native Association.

First of all, Nick Peterson could not make it because of the storm. He had fully intended to come and he requests that he be able to submit a written testimony.

The CHAIRMAN. The file and the record will be kept open for 2 weeks. If any of you would like to submit supplemental material or new material, please feel free to do so.

Ms. OLSON. Thank you.

I work as an elder. My husband retired and I went to work two years ago. The organization was looking for elders to take part and so they came to me and I like what I'm doing. I am in the alcohol and other drug abuse department and have had training and plan to take some more training.

I would like to share more positive things that are taking place in our community and our villages. There are things happening in our area—and I'm sure in other parts of Alaska-good things hap

pening in my community, which is Kodiak. Working in that department, I do work on intervention and prevention and also some counselling. I find that our people are responding more. I don't know if it is because I am an elder or because I am a Native, but I find great response. I have a daughter who is also an alcohol counsellor and she has seen good response as well. So we've been thinking and trying different ways to present sobriety to our people. We will continue to do so. One thing I would like to mention is that we started a Native group which we call Natives for Sobriety. People have really responded to this. We have our meetings on Monday nights and our Native people come out. This is older people and youth together and we sense that they feel very safe when they come to this particular group, not that we don't encourage other groups, but we saw a need there and so we started this and I'm glad to report that it is taking off. Good things are happening through this.

I also visit a treatment center and visit the Native people. I have group time with them and they respond real well. In fact, one fellow said, "You know, I haven't talked to anybody else as much as I have with you." So I feel there is a real need for Native providers and counsellors along that line. There seems to be real good response in that way.

In my community, we are networking with other providers— mental health, crisis center, and we've asked the school to joinand we meet once a week. This way we know what is going on. The right hand knows what the left hand is doing. This is working out real well.

Also we have an adolescent treatment center which is called The Wings. This has been effective. There again, we, as Natives, are involved in that with other providers, which are professionals. I visit and talk with the Native youth that come there.

Another thing that's been happening is the youth and elder conferences. This has gone very well. I am really proud of our youth that are doing things and thinking up things for themselves. They're the ones that run the conferences. There is guidance by an adult, but the youth really run it. Every village has had a conference this past year and they have gone very well. I am very happy to see these things happening in my community.

I do, however, have some concerns. There is a need to emphasize more training in the area of cross cultural issues amongst the care providers across the State. One would be amazed at how little information is geared towards this issue. By this, I mean to include teachers, the medical providers, as well as the clergy. The videos being produced these days are geared for urban living, not for rural settings where they are being used.

My other concern is the changing role of the regional health corporations in light of the shift towards funding service programs directly with tribal councils in rural villages. As more villages write their own grants for providing alcohol treatment, suicide prevention, youth alternative activities, ICU, and so forth, how do the regional health corporation shift their focus?

I thank you for being here in Alaska. [Applause.]

The CHAIRMAN. Mrs. Olsen, I am pleased that you spent time telling us of successful results in your program. It is gratifying to

know that. It also gives us some sense of hope that all is not lost. I believe we met last November, didn't we?

Ms. OLSEN. Yes; I was there. I am also involved in the Blue Ribbon Commission of AFN. This is what we're doing is celebrating sobriety and the good, positive things that are happening.

The CHAIRMAN. Keep it up.

Our next witness is Mary Ann Mills of the Sovereign Indigenous Women of the Arctic.

STATEMENT OF MARY ANN MILLS, SOVEREIGN INDIGENOUS WOMEN OF THE ARCTIC, STERLING, AK

Ms. MILLS. Honorable Senator Daniel Inouye, members of the Select Committee on Indian Affairs, and staff, thank you for being here and listening to our concerns. My name is Mary Ann Mills and I am a Dena'ina Indian and representing the Sovereign Indigenous Women of the Arctic.

I would like to draw your attention to the findings and recommendations within the United States Arctic Research Plan that was done by the Interagency Research Policy Committee, released July 1987. These findings were monitored by the National Science Foundation and further reviewed independently by the Federation of American Scientists. The political bias of the various agencies has been effectively neutralized and these determinations carry the highest degree of institutional integrity and should be relied upon by your committee to solve the many problems that have led to the genocidal elimination of the Indigenous tribal people of Alaska.

I would like to draw your attention to this statement in the Arctic Research Plan,

Considerable research has already been conducted in the Arctic. People living there, particularly Native people, express concerns that they are 'over studied', that they are treated only as subjects of experiments and not as collaborators in the research, that they are often not fully apprised of the research being carried out or the results at the conclusion of the studies, and finally that the sensitive nature of the results is often not fully appreciated and dealt with appropriately.

Many of us are concerned over the mass hepatitis B immunization program that was imposed upon the Alaska Natives, especially when the November 14, 1987 Lancet report showed that the hepatitis B virus was on a sharp decline when the mass immunization program was introduced. We feel that the Indian Health Service, the governments, and the health corporations were not forthright with us in that they did not inform us of any controversy over the hepatitis B vaccine or of any of its potential risks. We are concerned for all Alaskan people because presently the State of Alaska has a mandatory immunization law, and who is to say who will be next. We have enclosed the shocking information that we received from doctors, scientists, medical writers, and concerned human beings from the United States and from around the world.

We have been told "trust me, trust me" by the Federal Government, by the State Government, and their corporate instruments, so many agencies and bureaucracies, and for so many years. It seems only reasonable that with all of these health programs, educational programs, social programs, etc., that we should be fit as a fiddle. Something is very wrong with their system and we find under all of this "trust responsibility" of the occupying govern