Inter-Tribal Council of the Five Tribes issues statement on CARES Act funding for ANCs

“State-chartered, for-profit Alaska Native Corporations are poised to receive billions in governmental relief funds—funds that Congress clearly intended to go to the tribal governments that are working day in and day out to care for their citizens and help mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Allowing for-profit corporations to access these governmental relief funds would damage tribal nations across the country and limit their ability to respond to this crisis,” Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr, president of the InterTribal Council of the Five Tribes.”

“The Five Tribes and our 790,000 tribal citizens strongly believe any inclusion of Alaska Native Corporations would be at odds with both the letter and spirit of Title V of the CARES Act, and thus firmly ask the Administration to reconsider its stance on this matter. We call upon Secretary Mnuchin to follow both the spirit and the letter of the law passed by Congress and send these dollars to tribal governments.”

“It is breathtaking that at no time during these tribal consultations, the BIA mentioned or acknowledged the Alaska Native Corporations will receive part of this $8 billion set aside for tribes. If they had, there would have been a harsh reaction by tribal leaders. The BIA’s failure to mention or acknowledge this is a travesty. Had this process been transparent, tribal leaders would’ve reacted earlier.”

Chuck Hoskin Jr., Principal Chief

Cherokee Nation

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Bill Anoatubby, Governor

The Chickasaw Nation

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Gary Batton, Chief

Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma

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Greg Chilcoat, Chief

Seminole Nation of Oklahoma

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David Hill, Principal Chief

Muscogee (Creek) Nation

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