WASHINGTON NEWS-LETTER
By MARY LEE COUNCIL
Secretary to E. L. (Bob) Bartlett, Alaska’s Delegate to Congress
Settlement of Native Land Claims
A bill establishing machinery
for settlement of native land
claims in Alaska was introduced
in the House this week by Dele
gate Bartlett.
The legislation, designed to rec
oncile the long-standing contro
versy relative to aboriginal and
possessory ownership of land in
Alaska, would create an Alaska
panel within the existing Indian
Claims Commission to hear and
determine claims of individuals
and communities of natives and
to award lands and money judg
ments.
When determination would be
made in favor of a claimant the
Commission would enter an in
terlocutory decree to be certified
to the Secretary of the Interior
as a basis for negotiation of an
agreement with the claimant. If
an agreement is reached the Sec
retary would notify the Commis
sion and a final judgment would
be entered. If the negotiation
failed to result in an agreement
with the claimant, the Commis
sion would enter a final agree
ment in accordance with the
terms of the interlocutory decree,
awarding to the claimant the
lands to which the claimant has
a valid and allowable claim and
a money judgment against the
United States for the value of the
lands to which the claimant has
a valid claim but which may not
be awarded to him. The judgment
would be paid for lands found to
be the claimant’s but which pre
viously had been acquired by oth
er persons under mining or pub
lic land laws. No exclusive rights
would be awarded to a claimant
in coastal waters beyond the low
water mark.
The terms of the bill provide
that the government or the claim
ant may appeal to the Court of
Claims from any part of the de
termination awarding a money
judgment against the United
States, and the claimant may ap
peal to the Court of Claims from
any part of a ruling denying a
land claim.
The agreement negotiated be
tween the claimant and the Sec
retary of the Interior after an in
terlocutory decree has been en
tered by the Commission may
provide for an award of all the
land, part of the land, in lieu se
lection of public domain land and
payment for land not awarded or
made subject to lieu awards.
Provision is made that if the
interlocutory decree determines
the claimant to have valid claim
to lands within the exterior
boundaries of the national forests
of Alaska and the claimant re
fuses to accept an award of other
lands in lieu thereof, the Secre
tary of Agriculture would nego
tiate with the claimant.
Unrestricted patents in fee
would be issued to the community
of natives or the individual claim
ant unless the Secretary of the
Interior determines some protec
tion by or assistance from the
United States is necessary in
which case trust patents would
be issued.
Money accruing under existing
law from the sale of timber in the
Tongass National Forest would
be distributed if the area involved
is found to be within land award
ed.
In addition, a revolving fund of
$40 million would be authorized
for loans to individual natives
and communities of natives for
repayment in 40 years.
“No matter how anyone feels
on the question of native claims
to land in Alaska, I am sure there
will be agreement that no further
time should be lost in providing
the means for a long-awaited de
termination”, Delegate Bartlett
stated when introducing the bill.
“I believe this bill provides those
means to determine the answer to
a problem which has concerned
so many of us. The settlement of
that problem cannot help but be
rewarding to the general welfare
and development of all Alaska, j
I know there will be widespread
interest throughout the Territory
in this legislation and any ahd all
comments will be welcomed”. ,
Taylor Highway
The road between Tok Junction
and Eagle has been officially des
ignated as the Taylor Highway!
through action taken this week!
by Secretary of the Interior
Chapman.
The road is named after Ike P.
Taylor, recently retired, who for
many years served as chief en
gineer of the Alaska Road Com
mission. i
Canadian Shipping
With the House and Senate ac
tion anticipated shortly, it is ex
pected that Congress will meet
the deadline of June 30 to allow
Canadian vessels to carry passen
gers between certain Alaska!
ports.
Similar bills, sponsored by Del-!
egate Bartlett on the House side
and Senator Magnuson of Wash
ington on the Senate side, would
extend until June 30, 1952, pres
ent law permitting the carriage
of passengers between Skagway
and Haines and other Alaska
ports and freight and passengers
between Hyder and other places
in Alaska and the States. Delegate
Bartlett’s bill is scheduled for
House action the week of June
18, and Senator Magnuson’s bill
was reported favorably this week
to the Senate by the Senate Inter
state and Foreign Commerce
Committee.
Post Offices
Delegate Bartlett recommended
to the Post Office Department
this week that two post offices in
Alaska be established, that a third
be reopened and that two other
postmasters be named to fill ex
isting vacancies.
One new office would be 5t
Broad Pass, nine miles south of
Summit on the Alaska Railroad,
with Mrs. Mae H. Kotila as post
master, and the other new offic
would be at Togiak, 85 miles west
(Continued on Page 4)
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When the proposed sales tax is adopt
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All the Above Companies Pay 6 to 10 Percent
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FIRST ANCHORAGE C0RP.
WIRE SERVICE TO PRINCIPAL MARKETS
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Your REA Electric Co-Op in Palmer
"Serving the Valley Since 1942"
PALMER. ALASKA
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