[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 4879]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  INTRODUCTION OF THE ALASKA NATIVE VETERANS LAND ALLOTMENT EQUITY ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. DON YOUNG

                               of alaska

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 26, 2003

  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, in the last Congress, I introduced 
a bill to set right an unfair situation dealt to Alaska Native Vietnam 
Veterans who were unaware that their rights to apply for their Native 
allotment were expiring while they were off in a foreign land fighting 
for our country. By far, American Indians and Alaska Natives have the 
highest percentage of answering their call to duty when there is a 
conflict of war.
  My bill would amend the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) 
to provide equitable treatment of Alaska Native Vietnam Veterans in 
their acquisition of land under the Native Allotment Act. This solution 
has been a long time in coming and my goal is to have Congress rectify 
this inequity.
  Approximately 2,800 Alaska Natives served in the military during the 
Vietnam conflict and did not have an opportunity to apply for their 
native allotment. Even though a prior ANCSA amendment gave Alaska 
Native Vietnam Veterans an opportunity to obtain their allotment, the 
Amendment contained three major obstacles providing a roadblock to 
actually obtaining it.
  First, Alaska Native Vietnam Veterans could only apply for land that 
was vacant and unreserved when their use first began. My bill will 
increase the available land by authorizing these veterans to apply for 
land that is federally owned and vacant. This is necessary because most 
land in Alaska is not available for Alaska Native Vietnam Veterans 
veteran allotment application under existing law. For example, there is 
no land available in southeast Alaska because it either is within the 
Tongass National Forest or has been selected or conveyed to the State 
of Alaska or ANCSA Corporations.
  Second, Alaska Native Vietnam Veterans could only apply if they 
served in active military duty from January 1, 1969 to December 31, 
1971. My bill will expand the military service dates to August 5, 1964 
through May 7, 1975, the dates of the entire Vietnam conflict.
  Third, Alaska Native Vietnam Veterans had to prove they used the 
desired allotment land in a continuous and independent manner for five 
or more years. My bill will replace existing use and occupancy 
requirements with legislative approval of allotment applications. Many 
Alaska Native Vietnam Veterans could not meet use and occupancy 
requirements as a result of military service. This bill changes that so 
that a deserving Alaska Native Vietnam veteran would not be rejected if 
that veteran were unable to complete the five years of use of the 
claimed land, before or after the war.
  This is an issue of fairness which is long overdue for my Alaska 
Native Vietnam Veterans. Never before has the federal government given 
partial benefits to only \1/4\ or \1/2\ of any veteran of any war. 
Fulfill our promise to all Alaska Native Vietnam Veterans and allow 
them to obtain their Native Allotment under the Native Allotment Act.

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