Native groups make case for state support

Gloria O'Niell

Supporting their pending requests for more than $1 million in state assistance, representatives of two of the largest Native social service organizations in the Anchorage area discussed their efforts in health improvement and the sensitive areas of child abuse, neglect and sexual assault at the second Bush Caucus presentation of the legislative session.

Leaders of the Cook Inlet Tribal Council Inc. and the Southcentral Foundation said falling federal support and changing Native demographics in Alaska will require new and different efforts if progress in advancement of the Native community is to continue.

"For 10 years we've been working on creating an approach that we feel has a reasonable chance at addressing the blight of child abuse, sexual assault and child neglect," said Charles Clement, vice-president and chief operating officer of the Southcentral Foundation.

Besides its direct program work, the foundation also managers the Alaska Native Medical Center. With a $180-million operating budget and 1,400 employees, the foundation is the nonprofit arm of Cook Inlet Region Inc. and one of 13 Native health care organizations operating in Alaska.

The central focus of Cook Inlet Tribal Council Inc. is education and human development, but its alcohol treatment program and child and family service work also touches the same areas.

Also a CIRI subsidiary, CITC serves about 13,000 Alaskan Natives and American Indians living in the state.

"What we're all about is growing people, connecting people to their potential and the only way we do that is through partnerships," said Gloria O'Neill, CITC president and CEO.

Good timing

Clements emphasized that Gov. Sean Parnell's campaign against child abuse is well timed to support both organizations' work and the financial problems they are already facing from shortfalls in federal funding.

"With reductions in federal funds, what does the future look like for the foundation? How will you guys deal with that?" asked Rep. Woodie Salmon, D-Beaver.

Clement said federal funding shortfalls are already "something we live with over our head every year." He said actual cash the foundation receives has always been less than published amounts and even below legal mandates, but warned that in the current economic climate reductions in service are likely.

"We will cut back to provide that level of service we are contractually obligated. If the money dries up, there are certain things we have to do," he said, adding that programs to fight child abuse are not among them.

The foundation's million-dollar request to the Legislature would allow it to continue its programs against child abuse in the Anchorage Bowl and expand them to other regions.

Moving target

O'Neill presented the results of recent demographic research that documented the exodus of Alaska Natives from their traditional homes.

"I actually think that in 2010 we may see, for the first time in the history of Alaska, that over 50 percent of Alaska Native people live in urban areas. We also think that migration is accelerating," O'Neill said with reference to the recently begun U.S. census.

In 1986, 26 percent of Alaska Natives lived in urban areas. By 2005, 46 percent had left the Bush. Although CITC program participants come from all over the state, O'Neill also emphasized that some 50 percent of them have lived in the Anchorage area for less than five years.

She also noted that 50 percent are under 30 years old and that a "youth bubble" is expected by 2030.

With that future, CITC is also searching for ways to support the program expansion that will be needed.

"We do not believe we will actually be able to contract with the government to receive the necessary dollars for our expanded population to provide the services," O'Neill said.