Formal Apology Presented to Alaska Native Peoples by Federal & State AgenciesAgencies acknowledged harmful impacts of past bird harvest prohibitions
September 26, 2018
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game formally apologized to Alaska Native peoples Thursday, September 13, 2018. The apology recognized hardships Alaska Native families experienced from implementation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in the 1960s and 70s. "This moment ... can bring healing, and healing is what needs to happen for Natives throughout the State," said Gayla Hoseth, AMBCC Native Caucus Co-Chair and Bristol Bay Regional Advisory Committee Representative. The Alaska Migratory Bird Co-Management Council (AMBCC) was formed in 2000 and consists of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the Alaska Department of Fish & Game, and representatives of Alaska's Native population. Council members honored many Alaska Native leaders who worked to change the Act during the ceremony. The apology was presented at the Alaska Migratory Bird Co-Management Council at their fall meeting by USFWS Regional Director Greg Siekaniec and Alaska Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Sam Cotten.
In the apology letter to Indigenous Peoples of Alaska, Siekaniec and Cotten wrote, "On behalf of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, please accept our sincere apology for any harm that past harvest regulations has caused to you and your families. Our predecessors’ regulations were shortsighted in that they caused long term and unnecessary pain. We ask for your forgiveness as we continue our journey for healing together. Learning from past mistakes, we look forward to continuing to work together with Alaska Native peoples for the conservation of the bird resources that are dear to all of us and to support traditional subsistence cultures and ways of life." The apology was issued to recognize hardships Alaska Native families experienced from implementation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) in the 1960s and 70s. Under the Act, the migratory bird harvest was prohibited between Mar. 10th and Sept. 1st throughout the United States, including Alaska. By outlawing the spring-summer harvest of migratory birds and their eggs, Alaska Natives lost an important subsistence food source - and in many cases were forced to hunt illegally to feed their families. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) was signed into law in 1918 to protect migratory bird populations which were severely depleted by commercial hunting. The act was amended in 1997 to allow for the spring-summer subsistence harvest by rural Alaska residents in an effort led by Alaska Native leaders. The first legal spring-summer migratory bird hunt was held in 2003. The amended Act also directed that a co-equal partnership of federal, state, and Alaska Native representatives be established to manage the subsistence migratory bird hunts. The Alaska Migratory Bird Co-Management Council (AMBCC) was established in 2003. ADF&G and the USFWS both hold seats on the AMBCC. |
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