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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2001

The Supreme Court on Monday turned down a Republican-led effort to appeal the landmark Katie John subsistence rights case.

The Alaska State Legislature had asked to intervene in the case after Gov. Tony Knowles, a Democrat, stopped all appeals. The Republican-controlled Legislature said there is still a conflict between federal and state law.

Federal trust responsibilities require a Native priority on fishing and hunting rights. The state's constitution prohibits any sort of preference.

Knowles is finalizing an amendment to change the constitution as a result.

The case is named after Athabaskan elder Katie John, who fought the state's initial subsistence fishing camp more than a decade ago. She was recently honored as the Citizen of the Millennium by the Alaska Federation of Natives.

Get the Story:
High court refuses appeal to John case (AP 11/27)

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

Related Stories:
Knowles sets Native priorities (11/14)
Native subsistence proposal advanced (11/7)
Alaska losing subsistence game (11/5)
Subsistence amendment seeing delay (10/30)
Questions raised on subsistence (10/29)
AFN honors Elder of the Year (10/29)
AFN kicks off, Katie John revered (10/26)
Health issues talk of AFN (10/26)
Alaska Natives testify on racism (10/26)
Native dance event at AFN (10/24)
Alaska Native conference kicks off (10/23)
Alaska Native convention to meet (10/22)
Subsistence hearing scheduled (10/19)
Alaska lawmakers miss Katie John appea (10/15)
Subsistence amendment drafted (10/12)
Lawmakers want to appeal Katie John (10/5)
Alaska subsistence panel meets (9/25)
Poll: Alaskans want subsistence vote (9/17)
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)