Title
A RESOLUTION OPPOSING THE INCLUSION OF ALASKA NATIVE CORPORATIONS IN THE CORONAVIRUS RELIEF FUND
Body
WHEREAS, the Cherokee Nation since time immemorial has exercised the sovereign rights of self-government on behalf of the Cherokee people; and
WHEREAS, the Cherokee Nation is a federally recognized Indian Nation with a historic and continual government to government relationship with the United States of America; and
WHEREAS, the Cherokee Nation is maintaining essential services for our citizens while responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and incurring additional expenses for relief activities; and
WHEREAS, Cherokee Nation hospitality and retail business operations have been suspended since March 16, 2020 to protect the health and safety of employees and the public; and
WHEREAS, the Cherokee Nation government and businesses have continued to pay employee salaries and benefits during these closures; and
WHEREAS, the revenues generated by these businesses provide Cherokee Nation with critical funding to support services and programs; and
WHEREAS, Congress passed the Coronavirus, Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the bill was signed into law on March 27, 2020; and
WHEREAS, Title V of the CARES Act created the Coronavirus Relief Fund to help state, local, and tribal governments mitigate the economic impact of COVID-19, and set aside $8 billion to support tribal governments and tribally-owned entities in covering increased expenditures due to the public health emergency; and
WHEREAS, Congress made clear that the intent of the fund, which is a governmental relief fund, is to address COVID’s impact to tribal governments and tribal governmental budgets;
WHEREAS, Alaska Native Corporations are comprised of more than 200 village and 13 regional corporations that are state-chartered, for-profit, and individually-owned entities that do not provide government services or have a government-to-government relationship with the United States; and
WHEREAS, Alaska Native Tribal Villages are federally recognized tribes and are rightfully eligible to receive an allocation of the fund; and
WHEREAS, including Alaska Native Corporations would allow for double or even triple-dipping into the fund, improperly providing an outsized chunk of the fund to these businesses and treating them on par with federally recognized Indian tribes; and
WHEREAS, bi-partisan congressional intent of the Coronavirus Relief Fund for tribes was made clear through multiple official congressional communications during the discussion of the CARES Act and in subsequent letters since the act’s passage; and
NOW THERFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the Cherokee Nation opposes the inclusion of Alaska Native Corporations as recipients of the $8 billion set-aside for tribal governments in the Coronavirus Relief Fund created by the CARES Act; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Cherokee Nation fully supports the letter to the Department of Treasury from the Inter-Tribal Council of the Five Civilized Tribes addressing this issue dated April 13, 2020.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Cherokee Nation requests the Department of Treasury to expeditiously distribute the Coronavirus Relief Funds to federally recognized tribal governments only and publish a list of every recipient and the amount they received immediately upon disbursement.