The Shoonaq' Tribe is Omitted From the List of Federally Recognized Tribes
On December 29, 1988, the Department of the Interior (DOI) issued a list of tribal entities in the United States eligible for services from the Department, and acknowledged those listed tribes as having “all the immunities and privileges available to other federally acknowledged Indian tribes by virtue of their government-to-government relationship with the United States as well as the responsibilities, powers, limitations and obligations of such tribes.”
The Kodiak Tribal Council, Shoonaq' Tribe of Kodiak was not included on this list. From this point on, Shoonaq' Tribe of Kodiak vigorously pursued gaining federal recognition from the U.S. government in order to retain the benefits of a government-to-government relationship.
Information sources: Kodiak Tribal Council Resolution 89-04, and University of Alaska Fairbanks course materials from the class TM112 titledFederal Indian Law for Alaska Tribes
