[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 118 (Thursday, August 5, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6897-S6898]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. BEGICH:
  S. 3740. A bill to supplement State jurisdiction in Alaska Native 
villages with Federal and tribal resources to improve the quality of 
life in rural Alaska while reducing domestic violence against Native 
women and children and to reduce alcohol and drug abuse and for other 
purposes; to the Committee on Indian Affairs.
  Mr. BEGICH. Mr. President, today I introduce legislation to address 
issues of great concern to me and to all who care about public safety 
in Alaska Native villages. Last week President Obama signed the Tribal 
Law and Order bill into law. That legislation passed because Congress 
recognized the great need to provide more support for the criminal 
justice system and communities in Indian Country. While this law has 
some important provisions that will benefit Alaska Native communities, 
I believe the remoteness and other unique conditions of many Native 
villages in my State compel us to do more. That is why I am introducing 
the Alaska Safe Families and Villages Act of 2010.
  My bill will establish a demonstration project for Alaska Native 
tribes to allow tribes in Alaska to set up tribal courts, establish 
tribal ordinances, and to impose sanctions on those people who violate 
the ordinances. It would enhance current tribal authority, while 
maintaining the State's primary role and responsibility in criminal 
matters. Additionally, those communities selected to be part of the 
demonstration project would be eligible for an Alaska Village Peace 
Officer grant to serve those communities in a holistic manner.
  Unfortunately, because of the vastness of Alaska, too many of our 
Alaska Native villages lack any law enforcement. Too often, minor cases 
involving alcohol and domestic abuse go unreported because the nearest 
State Trooper resides in a hub community, located a long and expensive 
airplane ride away. Frequently, harsh weather prevents the Troopers 
from flying into a community even when the most heinous acts have 
occurred. Approximately 71 villages have a sole unarmed Village Patrol 
Safety officer, VPSO, who must be on duty 24 hours a day and 7 days a 
week. These hard-working

[[Page S6898]]

VPSOs are underpaid, and while communities try to provide some housing 
and heating assistance, in places where fuel oil can cost as much as $8 
a gallon, it can be difficult to sustain the funding for these public 
servants.
  As one who believes strongly in community involvement, I strongly 
believe tribes in Alaska should have a role in their law enforcement 
needs. This local control not only provides security for the 
communities, but also encourages local acceptance of the judicial 
system as a whole. With the changes in place that my bill would 
require, residents of Alaska Native villages will see a system that 
does more than just fly in after a tragedy has occurred.
  Just recently communities in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta have 
experienced an alarming suicide cluster. Unfortunately Alaska Native 
communities have grown accustomed to alarming suicide rates, but in the 
past two months there have been at least nine self-inflicted deaths in 
these villages. Nick Tucker, an elder in Emmonak, recently wrote a 
letter to the State of Alaska's rural affairs director to try to bring 
attention to the issue. Part of his letter begged for the Governor to 
call the legislature in session and said it is no longer acceptable for 
them to wait for the Troopers because ``in the villages, they take 
forever.'' Part of this continuing suicide cycle is the presence of 
drugs and alcohol. Predators do not fear police action when they 
bootleg alcohol or sell drugs in villages, because there is no police 
presence. One can walk into a village, speak with an elder and that 
person will tell you who is bootlegging alcohol.
  These communities are full of rich heritage and culture, however many 
have high unemployment due to the remoteness and lack of opportunity in 
the village. Most economic development in Alaska happens in either the 
metropolitan areas, or in very remote areas for resource extraction. 
Many of the villages have unemployment rates above 20 percent. Alaska 
Natives survival is highly dependent on the land. They subsist on game, 
berries, and fish. However, as hunting and fishing stocks dwindle many 
people are feeling disconnected from their heritage and have turned to 
drugs and alcohol. Too many people in the villages feel isolated and 
lack a connection, both figuratively and literally. Though educational 
attainment in the last 40 years has increased dramatically, the dropout 
rate in Alaska still hovers at 40 percent. Too many of our young men 
and women have lost hope and are losing a sense of community.
  We must give our communities the tools necessary to protect 
themselves. Too often, we pour resources into urban areas, but become 
stuck when we try to work toward solutions for our most remote 
communities. We should no longer allow the answer from anyone to be 
``we don't have the resources.'' Alaska Native villages are vibrant, 
strong communities and we should do everything in our power to work 
with these communities and answer their calls for help.
  I encourage my colleagues to join me on this legislation, and ask for 
the full Senate to consider and pass it to provide help to some of the 
places in our country most in need.
                                 ______