A U.S. House committee held a hearing Wednesday on legislation that would transfer federal lands in Tanana and Dillingham to tribal entities for health care facilities. HR 4289 would convey 11 acres in Tanana to the Tanana Tribal Council. Council Secretary Dorothy Jordan testified before the House Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs subcommittee in support of transfer of the former Indian Health Service hospital site.
”The land transfer is essential to facilitating the future construction of a new community wellness clinic,” Jordan said.
Jordan pointed to pressing issues the wellness clinic will address, including substance abuse and suicide prevention. She said having the property will help the tribe apply for grants to fund it. The other land transfer in the bill is for 1 point 4 acres of land in Dillingham. Bristol Bay Area Health Corporation chief operations officer Lecia Scotford said a dental clinic is already being constructed on the land under an encumbered deed transferred by the IHS last year.
”In order to start construction, Bristol Bay reluctantly accepted a quick claim deed to the 1.4 acres from the Indian Health Service that is contrary to our rights as self governance compactor,” Scotford said.
Scotford says getting clear title to the land would free the tribe from IHS oversight of the dental clinic project, and liability for historic contamination on the land. The House Resolution supports granting clear title to both properties to the tribes via warranty deed. Bill sponsor sub-committee chair Representative Don Young said he’d push to move the bill as soon as possible. Companion legislation, introduced by Senator Lisa Murkowski, was approved in the Senate Indian Affairs Committee last month.
Dan Bross is a reporter at KUAC in Fairbanks.
