Villages embraced the words of Alaska’s new senator

STEVE CONN

December 04, 2008 at 9:21AM AKST

During his campaign for the US Senate, Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich co-wrote a letter to Governor Sarah Palin, widely circulated by his campaign, that decried the lack of governmental response to the crises then confronting Native residents of Alaska villages. He called for formation of an emergency task force with local, state and federal officials to deal with the forced out-migration from the villages to cities like his own. These Alaska natives were being driven out, he determined, by the high cost of fuel and food, lack of economic opportunities, public health and safety concerns. He cited dramatic drops in school enrollments in Nome and in the Bristol Bay School Districts. High fuel prices made travel for subsistence activities prohibitive and forced families to buy expensive commercial substitutes.

Begich (and his co-author, Anchorage school superintendent, Carol S. Comeau) pointed to recommendations by a recent Bethel hearing of the US Senate Indian Affairs Committee chaired by US Senator Lisa Murkowski and suggested these would be a good starting point. These included new bond financing, expanding Alaska’s refining capacity, increasing funding for the Power Cost Equalization (PCE) program and expanding PCE eligibility to cover schools, clinics and businesses to meet immediate energy needs.

“Power Cost Equalization” might be Greek to many outside Alaska and to urban Alaskans who recently arrived, but Alaska Natives have longer memories. Back when Alaska’s funds were limited, and state capital investment was substantial in the Railbelt between Fairbanks and Anchorage to lower energy costs, a political commitment was made to rural Alaska to offset their higher energy costs in the future.

That treaty between urban and rural Alaskans was broken by urban Alaska.

Alaska Natives throughout Alaska listened to Begich, trusted him and gave him their votes. Despite Senator Ted Stevens’ past record of accomplishment for rural Alaska, a record described in detail by Senator Lisa Murkowski, as she and other Senators bade Stevens a final farewell, every rural election precinct came through for Begich. Bethel gave Begich 3,069, or 65 percent of its votes. Nome gave him 2,911, or 57.9 percent. Kotzebue-Barrow came through with 3,186, or 50.5 percent, and Kodiak 3,186, or 50.5 percent. Even urban Natives in Muldoon favored Begich with 3,704, or 51.8 percent of their votes.

Alaska Natives’ decision to back Begich gave him his narrow victory. These were not votes won away from Stevens by Bob Bird of the Alaska Independence Party. These were votes handed to Begich in exchange for his commitment to deal with a crisis of equal magnitude to the Great Influenza Epidemic, “The Great Sickness,” of 1900 that wiped entire villages off the map. Begich should consider his open letter of September 29 to Governor Palin, a commitment to act in exchange for the Alaska Native support he needed to win.  Now the ball is in his court.
 
Steve Conn is a retired professor of the University of Alaska.

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