With Election Day coming up on Tuesday, Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola sat down with KYUK over the weekend to discuss her reelection campaign and issues impacting her home region – the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.
Peltola’s top challenger, Republican Nick Begich III of Chugiak, has not responded to KYUK’s request for an interview. Also on the ballot are John Wayne Howe of the Alaskan Independence Party and Eric Hafner, a Democrat who is incarcerated in New York and has never lived in Alaska.
Listen:
Read a transcript of the Saturday conversation below. It has been lightly edited for clarity and flow, but may contain transcription errors.
KYUK (Sage Smiley): Thank you so much for being here at KYUK today, Representative Peltola. We really appreciate you taking some time to talk to us.
Rep. Mary Peltola: It’s always good to come back.
KYUK: So first of all, we’re near the end of a campaign. How’s that been? It seems like it’s been a lot.
Peltola: It feels never-ending, and it’s really nice to see the light at the end of the tunnel and single digit days ’til the finish here. And you know, I think it’s – just for anybody, when you have $9 million of attack ads, it starts to wear on you after a while, and it starts to wear on your loved ones.
KYUK: So that is something I do want to ask about. You are an at-large representative, representing the entire state. And when I was going around soliciting questions from people, we had someone just be like, “Well, how does she approach representing a state with such political diversity?” How does that impact your campaigning? How do you think about that when you’re doing a campaign like this?
Peltola: Well, we try to make sure we have spaces where neutral spaces, where people from all different backgrounds feel comfortable going. Unfortunately, a lot of those spaces are, like, brew pubs and things like that, you know, in Kodiak and and in Anchorage. But they are family friendly, and we just really work hard to make sure that we’re doing meet and greets that and we’re spreading the word far enough to different universes of people. That’s what they call it in the political world, different universes of people. And we’ve had a really good showing in the Mat-Su Valley. We’ve made a number of appearances out there. We’ve had a number of meet and greets in both Wasilla and Palmer, and just had a great event at the Bear Paw in Wasilla and Jenny Dale came – every time there are people from Bethel or, you know, people from rural Alaska, and that’s always heartwarming. But it’s not easy. It’s not easy representing six, arguably 12, distinct regions where, you know, people in our region aren’t necessarily impressed with infrastructure brought to Southeast or the North Slope or Southcentral. We are really invested in our own regions throughout the state. It’s our identity. It’s our unique economy. So it’s been two years of getting to know the different regions, getting to know the different people within the regions, developing, building those relationships, and trying to build relationships in different sectors. I don’t have a strong background in tourism. I don’t have a strong background in timber, you know, some of the other fields that Alaska needs to represent. But I think being a representative and trying to walk the line between leading and following, listening, and walking a fine line between the different groups that have different interests. And Alaskans are not shy. That is one great thing about Alaskans is they really – if they know you’re in town, they will find you. They have a lot they want to get off their chest, they have a lot of things they want to share, and it’s never enough time. But it’s been really fascinating and interesting getting to know all the other regions of the state, and just really been a learning year.
KYUK: If you could have the campaign focus on some specific things – obviously, campaigns end up focusing on lots of things – but if you could have it focus on specific things in these final days, what would that be?
Peltola: Outmigration. I think outmigration is something that plagues every region of our state and the state as a whole. Our region, the Y-K Delta region is one of the only regions, especially in rural Alaska, that’s growing because we are so, you know, there’s status in being a parent, there’s status in becoming a grandparent. And you have more status the more kids and grandkids you have. And that’s not necessarily the way people see it in other places. I’m really lucky to be from here and have that viewpoint that everybody is a blessing. But we are seeing this negative trend of our young people leaving and people not moving to Alaska. That’s a huge concern for me. I think that we really need to be talking more and finding more solutions on food security, on shipping costs, on energy costs. I pay $1,000 a month for my heating bill in Bethel, and that is not something that is affordable. I think all of us across the state, we don’t have money that isn’t spoken for anymore. Whatever our paycheck is, every penny of that is due on bills, and often we don’t have enough to meet our monthly expenses. These are the things that I want to talk about. These are the things that I think are most important to Alaskans, making sure we have doctors, and nurses, and teachers, and police officers. Every sector of our economy is short on people, even Subway Sandwiches. I met a woman at a tourism conference who represents Subway Sandwiches. They needed 40 J-1 visas because they don’t have enough people to make Subway sandwiches across Alaska. I think that that is really reflective across every single field. I mean I’m sure, here even at KYUK, you need people.
KYUK: Definitely, yeah. So where do you see Alaska’s congressional representative being able to help with those issues then? Talking about outmigration and talking about finding people for these jobs that are needed and necessary in Alaska –
Peltola: I think number one is talking about the problem, looking at it, admitting that this is a concern. When I meet young people your age, I say, “Thank you for staying in Alaska. Please find more young people to move here. Please stay here and raise your family here. We need you.” That’s not really a message that everybody hears very often. So that’s one thing. I think it’s a long game. We had – I hosted an outmigration summit, my official office did, and we partnered with Alaska Federation of Natives, First Alaskans, and Alaska Institute of Social and Economic Research at UAA. They refer to it as ISER. And it was a two-day conference. It was amazingly well-attended, and people stayed for both days. The second day, we had breakout groups where they were broken out by subject. I sat with the education crew. And we certainly need to rework our retirement system in the state, these jobs need to be attractive to young people. They need to be careers. We need to fix GPO/WEP. There’s this discrepancy where a small number of states, if you are part of your state’s pension, you don’t qualify for all of the money that you put into Social Security – or your spouse. It’s a huge penalty just by being part of the state retirement system. And that’s not every state that’s singular to a handful of states, and it just seems illegal. And so that is one of the bills I have, I’m a co-sponsor.
And unfortunately, this has been the most do-nothing Congress since the Civil War. We have passed fewer bills than any Congress in modern history. We have not even been successful getting the Farm Bill, you know, things that we’re obligated to do every three years. And another good example is right now we’re on a continuing resolution til’ December. We’re in limbo, not knowing what our budget situation is going to be. We are in an overtime situation on our last [continuing resolution] and they had a temporary fix. But I think this is reflective of this Congress. I’m very hopeful that the next Congress is much more productive. I hope that there’s enough of a majority where we don’t have a few rock throwers that are just holding up. The Freedom Caucus has really been a stick in the spoke of the wheel. It’s been a terrible burden, and they’re really just wrecking balls. And unfortunately, my opponent has been endorsed by the Freedom Caucus. The people that he idolizes politically are members of the Freedom Caucus. Jim Jordan has never voted for the Farm Bill. I don’t know how you can be in Congress for multiple terms – it just seems un-American to never vote for the Farm Bill. But this Freedom Caucus has been a real problem and Alaska is right now has the opportunity to elect somebody who will be part of a group of people whose main objective is to shut down government, to shut down the federal government. Alaskans can’t afford any kind of federal shutdowns. The times that we’ve had federal shutdowns, there are dire consequences. If the [Federal Aviation Administration] isn’t up and running, if [the Transportation Security Administration] isn’t up and running, if our mail carriers, these small airlines out here aren’t being paid to deliver mail, that affects people’s prescriptions and medical appointments and benefits and on down the line, and as Alaskans, we just cannot afford that. And so this election is really important. I do believe in good government. I do believe in working with people and finding Alaskan solutions to Alaskan challenges. And I’m willing to work with anyone, regardless of party or where they’re from, or any kind of affiliation they have, if they are here to solve problems, I want to work with that person.
KYUK: So at [the Alaska Federation of Natives convention], your speech to the Alaska Federation of Natives really focused pretty heavily on traditional uses and on subsistence. And I’m wondering what ways you can see for the federal government specifically, because you’re a federal representative, where the federal government can do better in terms of promoting more equitable subsistence use of resources in Alaska?
Peltola: Well, I think the Federal Subsistence Board has an opportunity to be a board that understands subsistence even better than it does right now. The makeup of the federal subsistence board right now is the five Department of Interior agencies and three public members. These five agency representatives are the heads of Bureau of Indian Affairs, Forest Service, [Bureau of Land Management], Fish and Wildlife Service, and Park Service. Now, each of the heads of those organizations, they all could have moved to Alaska last week, and they would be they would have those positions, and each of them has two or three staff, a number of staff supporting that person. The public members, they need to prove that they do year-round subsistence, that they know traditional knowledge, that they’re passing on traditional knowledge, and they have no support staff. So what happens is a decision is made, often with the state of Alaska, in cooperation with the state’s Department of Fish and Game, that they’re going to move forward in the way that state Fish and Game wants. And then they have the meeting, and the three public members are brought in, and all of this has already been pre-arranged by the folks who are not living in Alaska, who [don’t] have all this deep experience. So right now, there’s, I think, a very good chance that the board composition will be different, so that it’s an odd number and more has more weight on the traditional knowledge actually practicing subsistence side, my hope is that they also have the kind of staff that the agencies are provided and are in the pre-meetings as well as the meetings, so they’re not kind of ambushed during the meetings, or it can feel like that sometimes.
There is a myth. Right now, there is a myth among states’-rights folks and people who are threatened by federal management, they are saying that Alaskan management decisions will be made in Washington D.C. There is no scenario where Washington D.C. with a four-hour time difference is going to be involved in in-season management in Alaska that or or even pre-season or postseason. There is no one in Washington D.C. who has the expertise or know how or willingness or desire to participate in that way, to have that kind of a role. The role would be delegated to, as an example, the refuge manager here in the Y-K Delta, if it relates to the Kuskokwim River. And then that refuge manager is expected to manage with the local people here. So it’s completely the opposite of Washington D.C., and it’s the opposite of Juneau or Anchorage. It’s people within the regions who are living next to the resource.
And the other thing I want to mention is federal management only kicks in if there is a scarcity of the species. We don’t ever want scarcity of any species. We want abundant species. Across the board, all of us want state management because that means there’s abundance. Federal management only kicks in if there isn’t enough for the local people and people from outside urban areas or some other region of the state, and then you have to fight tooth and nail to get federal management. And then it’s supposed to be done in collaboration with local people. So there are ways to improve it, but I am also, I do want to say I’m really proud of the Federal Subsistence Board, because there are no industry seats. If you look at Board of Game and Board of Fish and North Pacific Fisheries Management Council, those are heavily influenced by industry seats, even if it’s, you know, Board of Fish and Board of Game are not entirely industry, but they very much are influenced by industry, both of those. And for the Federal Subsistence Board, it is not weighted towards any kind of money-making enterprise, and I think that that’s something that we should be looking at transporting to some of these other management boards that really are, one could argue, very heavily influenced and suggestible from industry.
KYUK: So last year, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium released a report that says that more than 140 communities in Alaska need to partially or fully relocate because of climate change, whether that’s erosion or permafrost degradation or some other climate impact. And this fall Newtok, which is arguably the first tribal relocation ever, is finalizing their relocation [to Mertarvik]. It’s taken 30 years. I’m wondering if you have any ideas for how the federal government could better support communities in need of climate relocations.
Peltola: Well, this is a real partner – this demands partnership, and it demands a local government that has capacity. And one of the sad things that we saw in Newtok was a complete change in governance in the middle of it, and I think that slowed things down, probably by 10 years. And I think that at the local level, there has to be just a tremendous – and I think this, it is true, because it has to be – but there needs to be so much local responsibility and ownership and bird-dogging things, and that’s a lot to ask of a small community. I think it’s in many ways unreasonable, but unless you have, you know one person dedicated to trying to organize. I mean, it’s basically air traffic control, and it’s these huge agencies, and there’s a lot of agency turnover. This is never going to be easy, because the federal government is such a morass, it’s really hard to plow through. And there’s turnover every four years, it seems, and more turnover on top of that, and this is just something we’re gonna keep failing forward on. We’re gonna get better at this, but it isn’t gonna be quickly, and there’s just a lot of growing pains.
And this I think, I think Elders could recognize, because in my lifetime, I look at how much the Kuskokwim River has changed in my lifetime, and the landscape is going to change. Mother Nature is more powerful than we are or ever will be, and these were not, you know, designed as permanent establishments by Native people. There’s a broad recognition that we fit into the environment more than we can form the environment to fit us here, in this location. So it’s just going to be a long, hard process, and I’m willing to roll up my sleeves and help communities in the ways that they need help. One of the best things that Don Young did for Alaskans was they would let him know what agency was dragging their feet or where their file had been lost, and he or his staff would call the IRS or whoever, and there is a responsiveness when a congressional office calls. So we’re happy to do that work. But every community in [coastal] Alaska, all 200 plus of us have either river erosion or coastal erosion, because we all live on the water. That’s our highway, and water has a mind of its own. Rivers have a mind of their own. The weather has, you know, there’s just been a lot of storms, and again, Elders predicted this.
KYUK: Yeah, absolutely. Another question we get a lot of is about Donlin Mine, the mine project. It’s in court, in multiple court cases right now, I’m wondering if you’d be willing to speak to how you think of it, as a representative of the whole state of Alaska, but also coming from this region.
Peltola: Well, this is a project that is really challenging. I’ve worked for this project for six years. I worked really hard to explain all of the different features, the impact in terms of barging, the impact in terms of needing to build a pipeline from Cook Inlet, the impact in terms of the kind of mine, its possible risks, acid rock leaching, the different structures that are planned. And this is a project that the Calista Corporation is advancing. This is on their land. They chose this land for its mineral potential. When [the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act] was agreed to – [the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act] was not something that Native people feel is perfect, or ever was perfect. There was broad recognition this was not perfect. And it’s worth reminding people that when [the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act] was enacted, we were still in a phase of the federal government where they were terminating tribes. It was still the termination era. The Menominee had been terminated. A number of other federally-recognized tribes had lost their tribal recognition, and there was not an appetite to get into any more treaties or be dealing with tribes, and so as a workaround, they said, “Okay, you are going to now be corporate people, and you’re going to have corporations, and you’re going to select land based on its earning power and economic development potential.” So that’s what our leaders did. We were playing by the rules. We’re playing within the system. And Calista has not had an opportunity to really excel the same way some of the other regional corporations have. So this is Calista’s opportunity. This is Calista’s oil field. This is Calista’s old-growth forest that, you know, the same way that other regional corporations were allowed and continue to be allowed to develop their resources, Calista isn’t there yet. But as the federal representative who is now on the hook too, you know, in obligation of [the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act]. It now feels like many corporations, whether they’re regional or village corporations, there’s now this different attitude like, “Well, we really don’t want you to develop those resources. Well, other places have been overdeveloped, so we don’t want you to do anything there.” There is that feeling nationally and within the state, and it feels like a bait and switch for the corporations who came into this with all the best intentions, you know, just living within the system, operating within the system that that we were kind of born into or or find ourselves in. So there’s just so much tension. And this is a big region. There’s 30,000 people in our region. We have 33 communities that live along this river. The project is in the middle Kuskokwim, which, if you’re from as far down as Bethel, it feels like way upriver. But the people who live in Crooked Creek, Sleetmute, those villages, they feel like they’re middle Kuskokwim, even though we think they’re way upriver. But anyway, there’s a lot of downriver communities, and there would be a lot of barge traffic. So, you know, we have concerns, and we want to make sure that – the people of this region want to make sure that we’re not going to be limited to 40% shareholder hire during the operation of the mine life. We want 80%, 90% shareholder hire. And I think if people knew what jobs were in line, we could work harder at making sure that people from our region were credentialed for those jobs. But there are just a lot of layers to this. And at the end of the day, none of us know if this project is going to go forward, and the House of Representatives isn’t the entity that is doing the green light or red light. It’s in the President’s administration and those agencies, and right now it’s in the court system. So it’s basically these agencies, everybody but Congress. And so it also feels kind of like a trick question when you belong to the body that is not making decisions on this.
KYUK: Thank you. Is there anything else you’d want to add or touch on as we wrap up this interview? We’re so close to the end of this campaign —
Peltola: It’s just wonderful to be home. It’s always great to be home. We’re really close to the end here where, you know Halloween is coming up. I hope everybody stays safe out there during Halloween. I always feel like Halloween is the coldest day of the year, even though it’s not. It just feels like that. But Election Day is coming. It’s really important that everybody get out to vote. We say this a lot, but I would love to have the region with the best voter turnout. We have been slipping in our voters. You know, I was laughing to myself – we should all be super voters. I strive to be a super voter. But, you know, you think about our region, we’re super generous, we’re super fun loving, we’re super, you know, everything – we should be super voters.
KYUK: Where will you be spending Election Day?
Peltola: I think I’m going to be in Anchorage on election day. We are renting out the 49th State Brewing Company. They have a really big venue, and so we’re going to be there watching the results come in. Who knows if we’ll have to wait until practically Thanksgiving to find out what those tabulations are, but it’ll be nice to be with folks. So if you know anybody from our region is in Anchorage on election night, Nov. 5, that’s a Tuesday, please come over to 49th State Brewing. It’s on Fourth Avenue there. And, boy, that sounds bad (laughs) you know, if you’re an old-timer like me, talking about meeting up with people on Fourth Ave is probably not what I should be saying on the radio (laughs). But I am looking forward to Election Day. I really am hoping for good voter turnout. Please vote early, because you never know what chaos is going to happen on Election Day.
And if you are in a community that does not have an open polling location on voting day, please reach out to the [Alaska] Division of Elections or reach out to my campaign. The earlier in the day we know this, the sooner we can fix it. We saw that during the primary election, but I’m really hoping for very high voter turnout, and just looking forward to this election being over and the attack ads being over, that’s what I’m really looking forward to.
KYUK: Definitely. Thank you again for your time.
Peltola: Okay, thanks, Sage.
Stay tuned to KYUK 640 AM and online at KYUK.org for interviews with other candidates running to represent the lower Kuskokwim in the state House, and running to represent Alaska in Congress. That coverage can all be found under the “Elections 2024” here.
In Bethel, early voting is open until Election Day at the ONC building from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Anyone who has received a mail-in ballot must have it postmarked on or before Nov. 5. Mail-in ballots also need to have a voter signature, a witness signature, and a voter identifier like a driver’s-license number or the last four digits of a social security number.
