September 18, 1989 - Statement by the Irvin Brink of the Yupic Traditional Councils

PRESS RELEASE:

HONOLULU HAWAII, IOLANI PALACE
BY THE
YUPIC TRADITIONAL COUNCILS
9/18/89

        The Governor of the State of Alaska and their representatives, do not represent in any form, the legitimate Sovereign Indigenous Jurisdiction of the Yupik Tribes.

        Formal resolutions have been submitted to the Office of the President of the United States, and into the 'oversight hearings recently conducted in Washington D.C. and in Alaska. these resolutions have called for the convening of a Compact of Free association for the territories of Alaska.

        There has already been the full recognition by the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Indian Affairs, via Sen. Daniel Inouye, of the full jurisdiction and Sovereign Authority of the Yupik Tribes.

        The scheduling of this conference on "insular policy", was done without the inclusion of the Yupik Tribes. This exclusion from participation is in direct violation of the letter and the intent of U.S. Public Law 99-239, Compact of Free Association Act of 1985, and the U.S. commitments to foster decolonization and sacred trust obligations to accommodate "full self-determination and complete sovereignty" for all the NON-SELF GOVERNING TERRITORIES in the Pacific Region.

        The Sovereign Authority of the Yupik Tribes are here to illuminate these violations and clarify the letter and the intent of the Congressional enactment of (P.L. 99-239), and request of the Secretary of the Interior to conform to the integrity of the Legitimate Sovereign involved.

        Furthermore these proceedings, if conducted without the participation of the Yupic Tribes, will constitute violations of U.S. P.L. 100-606, The Proxmire Act,the Genocide Act which implements the provisions of the United Nations Covenants on the Prevention and the Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, to which the U.S. is a signatory.

        Irvin Brink, United Yupik Tribes of Alaska