Rep. Mary Sattler Peltola issued a statement on Friday after the Biden administration announced the U.S. Department of Defense shot down an unidentified object--termed a "high-altitude object"--over the Arctic Circle in Alaska around 9:45 - Alaskan time (1:45 p.m. - EST). Peltola, who is the first Alaska Native to serve in Congress, is the at-large member of the House of Representatives.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said from the White House on Friday said the object was flying at 40,000 feet that posed a reasonable threat to the safety of civilian flight. Upon the reommendation by the Pentagon, President Biden approved the shooting down. The object was estimated to be the size of a small automobile.
The object was first spotted on Thursday night. The military became aware of the object's usage of ground-based radar. The military then sent a F-35 jet to observe it and determined the object was not manned.
Rep. Peltola's congressional office was briefed by the Dept. of Defense on Friday morning, according to a statement.
"I commend our military for their swift and skillful operation to track, study, and eliminate this object after confirming that it was a potential threat operating in civilian airspace," Peltola said in the statement.
Peltola's office said: "This incident reinforces Alaska’s strategic importance and the necessity of investing in our Arctic defenses. Our incredible pilots at Elmendorf and Eilson AFBs are vital links in the protection of Alaska and the United States, and they proved that today."
"I join my fellow delegation members in expecting answers from our military leaders for how unidentified objects have been able to infiltrate our airspace in recent weeks. We need to be aware of any other such objects over Alaska. The Defense Department must thoroughly investigate and close this gap in our domain awareness. Continued violations of sovereign American airspace cannot be allowed," Peltola said.
Friday's shoot down of the object came less than a week after the military shot down a Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina over the Atlantic Ocean.
More Stories Like This
Native News Weekly (March 26, 2023): D.C. BriefsState-Funded Charter School Says Native 1st-Grader's Traditional Hair Violates Dress Code
Rep. Peltola, Sen. Mullin Introduce Legislation to Protect 2nd Amendment Rights of Native Americans
Navajo Nation Mourns Loss of Former President Ben Shelly
Native American Church Chapter Sues Bank for Racial and Religious Discrimination
12 years of Native News
This month, we celebrate our 12th year of delivering Native News to readers throughout Indian Country and beyond. For the past dozen years, we’ve covered the most important news stories that are usually overlooked by other media. From the protests at Standing Rock and the rise of the American Indian Movement (AIM), to the ongoing epidemic of Murdered and Missing Indigenous People (MMIP) and the past-due reckoning related to assimilation, cultural genocide and Indian Boarding Schools.
Our news is free for everyone to read, but it is not free to produce. That’s why we’re asking you to make a donation this month to help support our efforts. Any contribution — big or small — helps. If you’re in a position to do so, we ask you to consider making a recurring donation of $12 per month to help us remain a force for change in Indian Country and to tell the stories that are so often ignored, erased or overlooked.
Donate to Native News Online today and support independent Indigenous journalism. Thank you.