A legal fight over whether Alaska Native corporations qualify for pandemic relief funds is drawing attention to the complex structure of tribal governance in the state.
The U.S. Supreme Court is slated to hear arguments on Monday over whether the for-profit, state-chartered corporations can get a cut of the $8 billion allocated for tribal governments. The issue pits Alaska Native corporations (ANCs) and federally-recognized tribal governments against each other in vying for the limited funds, and a broad ruling against the ANCs might jeopardize their access to other federal programs and services.
The ...