Good-bye and good riddance to Palin

Alaska Natives prepare for Palin’s exit

Some welcome her resignation

By Rob CapricciosoPalin’s stances on Alaska Native issues became well-known in Indian country after Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., selected her to be his running mate during Election 2008.

Of substantial concern to critics was that Palin, as governor, became the de facto head of several state lawsuits that Natives argue have hurt their fishing and hunting subsistence rights, and have harmed tribal sovereignty and language preservation efforts.

Still, Palin forged ahead with the suits that many viewed as detrimental to tribes.And:Heather Kendall-Miller, an Athabascan lawyer with the Native American Rights Fund who is based in Alaska, said Palin’s positions on Native issues actually became worse after she and McCain lost the presidential election.

“When her attorney general stepped down after tiring of defending her against the onslaught of ethics complaints that were filed after the election, she attempted to replace him with an attorney that has a notorious reputation of opposing subsistence rights,” Kendall-Miller said.

“The Alaska Native community had to fight hard to keep him from being confirmed. The fact that she would even consider an anti-subsistence proponent for the state’s most important legal position suggests that she has no interest in understanding the importance of subsistence to Alaska Native people.”Comment:  For more on the subject, see The 2008 Presidential Campaign.