Alaska Natives & Rural Alaska
Senator Lisa Murkowski has long advocated for the betterment of Alaska Natives, American Indians, and Native Hawaiian people on a variety of issues. She was the first member of the Alaska Congressional Delegation to receive the National Congress of American Indians’ coveted Congressional Leadership Award and the National Indian Health Board’s Jake White Crow Award for Lifetime Achievement.
Senator Murkowski is the Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and the Ranking Member on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, which funds the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), and the Indian Health Service (IHS). In Senator Murkowski’s tenure on the Indian Affairs Committee, she shepherded the first reauthorization of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act in more than a decade, as well as the landmark Tribal Law and Order Act through the Senate. Through Murkowski’s leadership on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee she oversaw implementation of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act and the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, including its crucial subsistence provisions.
For years Senator Murkowski has worked to help raise awareness, educate her colleagues, and develop lasting legislation to address the public safety crisis in Alaska. In October 2020, Savanna’s Act and Not Invisible Act, two bills introduced by Senator Murkowski aimed at addressing the crisis of missing, murdered, and trafficked Indigenous people were signed into law. Both bills aim to combat the epidemic by improving the federal government’s response through increased coordination, development of best practices, and creation of an advisory committee on violent crime. She has successfully included funding in appropriations bills for the BIA and IHS to take a comprehensive look at the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women, which includes funding for cold case work, background checks, equipment needs, and forensic training.
Securing a promising future for Native youth is one of Senator Murkowski's highest priorities. Senator Murkowski was a founding director of the Center for Native American Youth at the Aspen Institute, a program dedicated to improving the health, safety, and overall well-being of Native youth. Senator Murkowski takes great pride in her 2006 legislation which made it possible for more Alaska Native Corporations to make stock available to Native youth born after 1971. Senator Murkowski leverages her seat on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee to advocate for Alaska Native education and Native language preservation. These efforts include the creation of the Commission on Native Children to identify the complex challenges facing Native children in Alaska and across the country, made possible through her legislation, the Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children Act.
Senator Murkowski is a long-standing proponent of meaningful and in-depth consultation between federal and tribal governments. In response to complaints from Alaska tribal governments that the BIA denied them access to tribal court funds, Senator Murkowski appropriated funds to enable tribes in PL 280 states to support their tribal courts. And the Fish and Wildlife Service agreed to re-designate Saxman as a rural community for subsistence purposes after Senator Murkowski filed legislation to end a decade of impasse.
Senator Murkowski works with Alaska Native communities and residents in rural Alaska on a wide range of issues including energy, infrastructure, health care, rural broadband, public safety, and food security.
Latest
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05.24.23
Murkowski Joins 26 Senators to Reintroduce Bill Seeking Healing for Stolen Native Children and their Communities
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03.21.23
Schatz, Murkowski: More Than $3 Million In New Tourism Grants For Native Communities
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01.09.23
Anchorage Daily News: Federal spending bill includes $3M for rural Alaska trooper housing and other facilities
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12.20.22
Murkowski Leads Senate Passage Of Land Transfer Legislation To Improve Alaska Native Health Care Access
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12.20.22
Schatz, Murkowski: Tribal Land Transfer Bills Set To Become Law
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12.02.22
Murkowski Applauds Senate Passage Of The Stop Act
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11.18.22
Schatz, Murkowski Lead Bipartisan National Native American Heritage Month Resolution
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10.21.22
SPEECH: Alaska Federation of Natives Annual Convention
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09.22.22
ALASKA NATIVE LEADERS APPOINTED TO NEW TRIBAL ADVISORY COUNCIL
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08.31.22
Murkowski Announces Savanna’s Act Guidelines for State of Alaska
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08.18.22
Vice Chairman Murkowski to Hold Media Availability Following SCIA Field Hearing
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05.04.22
Tribal Broadband Funding Secured by Murkowski Heading to Alaska
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03.28.22
Vice Chairman Murkowski: It Is Time HHS Take Action to Ensure Tribal Health Data Access
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03.16.22
Delegation Welcomes Court Ruling Reinstating King Cove Land Exchange Agreement
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03.16.22
Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Signed into Law
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03.11.22
Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Passes Congress, Heads to President’s Desk
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02.17.22
Vice Chairman Murkowski Delivers Floor Speech on Alaska Native Civil Rights Leader
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02.10.22
Murkowski and Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Reauthorize Violence Against Women Act
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11.16.21
Senator Murkowski Joins Indian Boarding Schools Commission Legislation
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11.06.21
Vice Chairman Murkowski: Historic Infrastructure Package Heading to President's Desk
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11.03.21
Schatz, Murkowski Lead Bipartisan National Native American Heritage Month Resolution
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11.01.21
Vice Chairman Murkowski Welcomes November as National Native American Heritage Month
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10.29.21
Vice Chairman Examines Barriers to Voting for Native People
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10.21.21
Murkowski, Sullivan Secure Extension on COVID Relief Dollars for Alaska Natives
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10.20.21
Senate Passes One Year Extension for Tribal Governments to Utilize COVID Relief
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09.30.21
Cortez Masto, Murkowski Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Address Shortage of Health Care Providers in Native American Communities
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09.29.21
Murkowski’s Legislation Extending Native Children’s Commission Signed Into Law
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08.30.21
Vice Chairman Murkowski Announces New Committee Staff
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08.23.21
Murkowski, Young Applaud Native Children’s Commission Extension Bill Heading to President’s Desk
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08.10.21
Vice Chairman Murkowski Secures Significant Investments in Native Communities
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08.05.21
Vice Chairman Murkowski Votes to Advance Native Language Bills
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07.29.21
Alaska Congressional Delegation Introduces Legislation to Bring Economic Development and Growth to Alaska Native Communities
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06.26.21
VICE CHAIRMAN MURKOWSKI CONTINUES DIALOGUE ON KEY NATIVE INFRASTRUCTURE POLICIES
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06.08.21
Murkowski, Sullivan Introduce Bill to Support Alaska Native Vietnam Veterans
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06.08.21
ICYMI: Vice Chairman Murkowski Secures Senate Passage of Four Bills to Improve Alaska Native Communities
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05.14.21
Vice Chairman Murkowski Emphasizes Importance of the Tourism Industry to Alaska Native Communities
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04.23.21
Cortez Masto, Murkowski Hail Interior & DOJ Announcement on Their Bipartisan Law to Curb Epidemic of Missing, Murdered and Trafficked Native Women
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04.12.21
Senators Murkowski, Manchin, Burr, Murray, Sinema Send Letter to Education Secretary Cardona on Homeless Youth and Children Funding
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04.02.21
Murkowski Applauds Efforts to Seek Justice for Missing, Murdered Indigenous People
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03.30.21
HUD Announces $64 Million In Critical Housing Funding Going To Alaska Native Communities
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03.25.21
Vice Chairman Murkowski: Indian Affairs Committee Holds Hearing on Water Infrastructure
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02.26.21
Murkowski Questions Interior Secretary Nominee Haaland on Alaska Priorities
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02.11.21
SCHATZ, MURKOWSKI ELECTED CHAIRMAN, VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON INDIAN AFFAIRS
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01.12.21
ICYMI: U.S. Supreme Court Grants Review in Alaska Native Corporations CARES Act Cases
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12.28.20
Year-End Omnibus Appropriations Package Signed Into Law
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12.22.20
Murkowski Applauds Senate Passage of Interior Appropriations Bill
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11.23.20
ICYMI: Murkowski, Cortez Masto Op-Ed on Fight Against MMIW Crisis
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11.20.20
OP-ED: A pathway toward ending the legacy of violence against Native women
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11.19.20
Alaska Congressional Delegation Files Amicus Brief in Support of Alaska Native Corporations
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11.18.20
Murkowski Highlights Need for University Land Grant, ANCSA Fulfillment Act at Legislative Hearing
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11.17.20
Murkowski, Hassan Push Legislation to Extend Deadline For Communities to Spend CARES Act Funding through September 2021
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11.10.20
Delegation’s Landless Legislation Rectifies 50-Year Injustice
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11.10.20
Murkowski Unveils Interior-Environment Bill
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11.02.20
Language Magazine: New Bipartisan Native American Language Bill - Language Magazine
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10.15.20
SPEECH: Remarks at the 2020 AFN Convention
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10.15.20
KOTZ Radio: Pandemic dominates discussions as AFN convention goes virtual
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10.13.20
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner: Native leaders praise bills addressing missing, murdered Indigenous women
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10.10.20
Murkowski’s Bipartisan Legislation Addressing Crisis of Missing, Murdered, and Trafficked Indigenous Women Signed into Law
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09.30.20
National Indigenous Times: US Government passes Bill to address missing or murdered Indigenous women
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09.25.20
Alaska Delegation Criticizes Circuit Court Ruling Against Native Corporations
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09.25.20
The Hill: Two bills are passed to address missing and murdered Native American women
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09.22.20
Murkowski’s Legislation Addressing Crisis of Missing, Murdered, and Trafficked Indigenous People Advance
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09.22.20
Murkowski, Cortez Masto Legislation Addressing Crisis of Missing, Murdered, and Trafficked Indigenous People Advances
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09.22.20
Cordova Times: Bill would strengthen data access between tribes, government entities
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09.21.20
HuffPost: Congress Finally Passes Bill To Address Missing And Murdered Indigenous Women
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09.15.20
Associated Press: Senators push for extra census time, as court prods deadline
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09.11.20
U.S. Senators Smith, Murkowski Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Help Tribes Combat COVID-19, Other Public Health Crises
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09.01.20
Alaska Delegation Urges Alaskans to Participate in the Census
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08.28.20
Alaska Delegation Applauds Opening of Cold Case Office in Anchorage
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08.28.20
Schatz, Murkowski, Spanberger, Wagner To Defense Secretary: Fight Online Child Sexual Exploitation, Protect Vulnerable Children, Punish Offenders
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08.28.20
KTVA: Cold Case Office in Alaska will investigate cases of missing and murdered Indigenous people