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- By Kaili Berg
As Indian Country contends with slashed funding from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an Alaska Native tribe is defending claims that its food assistance program is wasteful spending.
The Sitka Tribe of Alaska (STA) was awarded $2.4 million from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service Local Food Purchase Assistance Program (LFPA Plus) in 2023, to be administered over a two-year period.
The program is designed to support Indigenous communities in accessing traditional, local foods while supporting small-scale fishermen and strengthening the local economy.
“Tribal citizens don’t always have the means to get fish, whether that’s due to financial constraints, lack of access to a boat, or fishing knowledge. This program ensures that our community members receive high-quality seafood free of charge, which they may not otherwise be able to obtain,” Anne Davis, Chief Operating Officer for STA, told Native News Online.
Recent reporting characterized STA as using $2.4 million in federal funds to purchase expensive seafood for select individuals. Jessica Perkins, Chief Legal Officer for STA, told Native News online that the grant is strictly used to buy local seafood at fair market prices. The program provides food for tribal citizens while also supporting small fishing operations.
“They misstated, represented that we were selling red king crab and misappropriating funding, selling it to our tribal citizens and pocketing the money. That’s simply not true,” Perkins said. “We followed the grant as outlined, ensured that the program is operating correctly, and have been fully transparent with our allocations.”
Since launching the program, STA has spent $256,444.84 of the grant funds on locally harvested seafood. The program supports 14 contracted fishermen, of which seven are tribal citizens or contribute to a tribal household.
The seafood, including king salmon, coho salmon, halibut, rockfish, black cod, and Dungeness crab, has been distributed to more than 1,200 tribal households, providing thousands of pounds of locally sourced food.
Across the United States, Indigenous communities have long advocated for self-determined food systems, which include access to traditional foods that have sustained them for generations.
A 2019 report from the Native Farm Bill Coalition found that more than 25% of Native American households experience food insecurity, compared to the national average of 10.5%.
In Sitka, food prices are approximately 38% higher than the national average due to geographic isolation and high transportation costs, according to the USDA. Currently, approximately 95% of the food Alaskans purchase is imported, and Alaska is at the end of the supply chain for goods and food coming from the West Coast.
“It’s not that incomes are increasing, it’s that costs are increasing,” Davis said.
“This program helps fill that gap for tribal citizens by providing them fresh, local seafood, supplementing their grocery needs as the cost of living continues to rise.”
The seafood industry in Alaska is valued at around $5.7 billion annually and supports more than 62,000 jobs. However, economic challenges have intensified since 2015, when global seafood prices began to decline due to factors such as changing international demand and increased competition from aquaculture.
Because of this, small-scale fishermen have been hit hard. Many fishermen participating in the STA program operate small, family-run businesses.
“We have 14 fishermen participating in this program, and many of them are looking forward to this as a source of income for the year,” Davis said. “It’s not just about food security for tribal members, it’s about ensuring that our local fishing families are also able to sustain their livelihoods.”
Perkins said sourcing from family-run fishing businesses means the funds stay in the Sitka community, benefiting both tribal and non-tribal citizens in strengthening the economy.
“We are working directly with small businesses, one boat, one family-type operation, which means that every dollar spent through this program is directly benefiting Sitka’s fishing community,” Perkins said.
Davis said STA would like to expand the program beyond the two-year grant period.
“If funding is available, we would absolutely continue this program,” Davis said. “We hear from elders and families all the time that they struggle to afford groceries. This isn’t just a short-term initiative, we want to continue looking for ways to provide fresh seafood and support our tribal citizens for the long term.”
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