Gov. Frank Murkowski at the beginning of the 2005 legislative session plans to introduce a bill to make permanent a program allowing Alaska Native nonprofit organizations to continue overseeing their regions' temporary assistance programs.
The state Legislature in 2000 authorized a pilot program, called the Native Family Assistance Program, that adds state money to federal funds so that regional nonprofit organizations can operate the welfare-to-work and welfare cash benefits programs under the state Department of Health and Social Service's Division of Public Assistance.
The pilot program is due to end June 30 unless the Legislature agrees to make it permanent and to continue to authorize the funds to support it.
"The best project is one that is run locally in the place where people know the issues," said Katherine Farnham, director of the public assistance division. "This program has shown strong results, particularly in light of they are trying to get employment for clients where there is a small economic base."
Three regional nonprofits currently operate the public assistance programs. The state's portion to support those programs is about $8.7 million a year.
The tribes serve about 970 families.
Program's roots stem from Clinton era
President Bill Clinton in 1996 signed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, commonly called the welfare-to-work program. The act sets up a cap on the funding for public assistance and limits the time a family can receive cash benefits to a total of 60 months in a lifetime. (Because of their remoteness and the lack of economies, several areas in rural Alaska were exempt from the time limit.)
And for the first time ever, American Indians and Alaska Natives were authorized by the federal government to run a major welfare program through their tribal organizations. When approved to run the programs the organizations then have access to federal funds.
"Programs run locally by Native organizations are more culturally relevant, better attuned to local economic circumstances and better coordinated with other social services provided by Native organizations," states a report by the Alaska public assistance division that the governor plans to submit to the Legislature.
Nationwide, 37 tribal temporary assistance programs currently operate on behalf of 175 tribes and serve more than 8,400 families, according to the.
In Alaska, the 12 regional nonprofit Alaska Native corporations and the Metlakatla Indian Community of the Annette Island Reserve are eligible to participate.
Three tribal temporary assistance programs currently operate in Alaska, including the Tanana Chiefs Conference in the Interior's Doyon region, and the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Southeast Alaska.
The third is operated by the Association of Village Council Presidents. The association serves both Alaska Native and non-Native families on temporary assistance. The association serves about 20 percent of all families receiving assistance in the state, according to the legislative report.
The Metlakatla region was approved to participate in the program, but has not yet done so.
Since the first three tribal programs began, the number of clients receiving welfare benefits has dropped by more than 33 percent, the report said.
Three additional Native nonprofits have plans to serve clients in their regions if the program is made permanent. Kotzebue-area's Maniilaq Association would serve about 145 families in the Northwest Arctic Borough and Point Hope.
The Bristol Bay Native Association is an alliance of 30 tribal councils of the villages in the Southwest. It would serve about 125 families.
Cook Inlet Tribal Council, serving Southcentral Alaska, has already gone through much of the preparation processes and is ready to begin serving between 700 and 800 families as early as July.
"We already provide about 65 percent of what the (state) program provides now," said M.J. Longley, the council's chief operating officer.
One of the main challenges the council will face if the bill is passed is to help the migrant population of Alaska Natives who have moved from villages to Anchorage in search of jobs.
"It's a huge transition from a subsistence life to a job setting," said Molly Merritt-Duren, director of employment and training services for CITC. "A lot of people who come here have great skills, but they need someone to help them transition from those subsistence skills to urban work skills."
To gain approval, tribal organizations must submit a Tribal Family Assistance Plan to the secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The plan must outline the approach to providing welfare-related services, which agency will be providing those services, identify employment opportunities and give assurances that the tribe won't duplicate efforts already available in its area.
Tribal providers contract with the state to provide eligibility services, case management, cash benefits and other welfare-to-work services. Federal law allows tribes to design their programs in a way that fits their region's needs.
Traditional tribal activities, such as subsistence hunting and fishing, as well as traditional craftworks are viewed as legitimate work participation under tribal-run programs. While these activities may not garner cash flow, they are viewed as a critical aspect in developing employment skills, the report said.
Challenges
While the programs seem to have been successful, there are still many social and economic issues to overcome, said James Sipary, program director for the temporary assistance program with Association of Village Council Presidents.
Many villages in Alaska, particularly in the Yukon-Kuskokwim area, have little or no economic base. The vast majority of the jobs are government-based agencies that provide social services. Other employers of notable size include school districts and local clinics, which are generally run by the tribal organization.
There is little privately owned commerce.
"Jobs in the villages are so scarce," he said. "A lot of people migrate to urban areas where there are jobs, or to major hubs like Bethel or St. Marys."
Sipary said several temporary assistance recipients go to the hubs or cities to get training, but can't find a job when they return to their villages. If they go to Bethel, they can often find work, but have difficulty finding a place to live.
"That's the No. 1 reason people come back to the village," he said. "That's the hard thing about Bethel; real estate is in high demand."