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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2001

A poll conducted by an Alaska Native corporation shows that three out of four Alaskans want to be able to vote on a constutional amendment guaranteeing a rural subsistence priority.

Of poll respondents, slightly over half said they would support the amendment. The poll was commissioned by Cook Inlet Region Inc.

Gov. Tony Knowles has convened a panel to discuss an amendment. He decided to push one after dropping an appeal of the Katie John case to the Supreme Court.

John, an Athabaskan elder, fought to have her subsistence rights recognized. She won in various federal courts but the state kept challenging the decision.

Some lawmakers and sport fisherman oppose the amendment. The state's constitution currently forbids a priority to any resident.

Get the Story:
Alaskans want vote on rural priority (The Anchorage Daily News 9/16)

Relevant Links:
Subsistence Amendment, Alaska Governor Tony Knowles - http://www.gov.state.ak.us/subsistence_amendment
Native subsistence rights, Native American Rights Fund - http://www.narf.org/pubs/justice/1999SPRING/spring1999.htm
Alaska Federation of Natives - http://www.akfednatives.org
Katie John et al. v. State of Alaska - http://www.mountainstateslegal.org/legal_cases.cfm?legalcaseid=64 Alaska Native Knowledge Network - http://www.ankn.uaf.edu/subsistence.html

Related Stories:
Group wants Katie John appealed (9/14)
Alaska subsistence panel to meet (9/11)
Knowles criticized for Katie John decision (8/29)
Alaska won't appeal Native rights case (8/28)
Subsistence summit changes little (8/27)
March held for Native subsistence (8/22)
Subsistence summit calls for changes (8/17)
Subsistence summit begins in Alaska (8/16)

More on Katie John:
Katie John case having effects (5/11)
Alaska Native subsistence case upheld (5/8)
Norton cutting old associations (1/25)
Norton's legal work criticized (1/12)
Alaska Native elder dies (12/4)