Has anyone ever sued the Gov over the Marine Mammal Protection act for racism on subsistance?

Seems like instead of donating money to Safari Club to fight for the right to bring in Wood Bison, Polar Bears and Walrus we should be spending that money to be able to manage our own marine mammals.

As in "bring them in from Canada".

I just came back from the Nome area. First time in my life I ever felt like a second-class citizen.

Lots of laws there seem to favor the Native Americans.

Wow,

You haven't travelled much. I can think of hundreds of places in the lesser 48 that whites get treated worse.

New Mexico's Rio Grande Valley, Washington DC, South Florida, pretty easy.

I remember some places in the AK bush that the word was you don't want to land. The natives in some places have a real and obvious disdain for whites. Even heard of real violence being used to keep whites out.

Completely different cultures, I can't say I am real fond of that many natives. Most of the ones I got along with, had a "Russian in the woodpile" within a few previous generations.

I don't think anyone have ever sued the Federal Government over the Marine Mammal Protection Act. If you consider it, it will cost you a fortune.

Like most things in life, all it takes is time and money.

I seemed to get along with all the people I met - it was just the laws that made me feel second-class. They have lots of game and land rights that are denied non-Natives.

Don

Don,

Kind of, most of the issues are based on where you live.

If you live in Fairbanks, Anchorage/Mat-Su, Valdez or someplaces in SE you can not subsistance hunt on National Park Service lands.

This is a local residents issue not a native issue. As in a white man living in Tok could hunt sheep in the near by National Park where an Eskimo living in Fairbanks could not, as it is not his subsistance area.

The natives own quite a bit of Alaska, and do not always allow hunting on it (for the most part).

If you truly want to get treated like a 2nd class citizen go to the Australian outback to one of the Aborigine villages. They will rob you blind and probably kill you and rape your wife.

The ignorance displayed on this thread is impressive.

MOA if I haven't been clear previously, let me now take this time to make it crystally clear to you that you are not welcome in Dillingham as far as I'm concerned. Frankly, I'm sorry your interested in returning to a state you previously lived for months in and I sincerely hope you're miserable while here and leave ASAP.

Gentlemen,

The Marine Mammal Protection Act as well as migratory bird treaties are designed to protect and manage species not exclusive to one state or nation. Its foolish beyond belief to expect Alaska to be able to manage marine mammals of any variety to its own exclusion when in fact the species travel internationally. Of course its a flawed system but it cannot and will not be administered by a single selfish entity for very long.

Like it or not, in all cases, whether it be in Alaska or any other United State, private property is in fact privately owned and administered and just like the little abode you and I call home, the private property owners, (the mentioned native properties,) can regulate trespass as they see fit. It is literally their dirt. I have not experienced significant prohibitions regarding tresspass rights and the thread I posted regarding Nushagak king fishing occured on native corporation property. Alaska native properties actually do not enjoy the same soverign status alloted to more understood Reservations in the Lower 48 and therefore are more accessable to us poor white boys. As an aside, theres quite a bit more state of Alaska owned and United States gov owned real estate in AK, so if you find yourselves locked off native property you've plenty of opportunities elsewhere.

MOA you've Wyoming available to you for example.

I've visited in Kaktovik, Kotlik, Juneau and Holy Cross. I've been to Homer and Fairbanks, McGrath and Talkeetna and have never felt in danger or even slighted by an unwelcoming resident. Grow up. Everyone that doesn't mirror your image is not a threat to you. Ispent two hours this evening towing two stranded Texans down the lake to the dock. They didn't seem intimidated in the slightest by me.

Finally, generally speaking the State of Alaskas Constitution generally prohibits favoritism based on either race or AK zip code and of course the US's prohibits favoritism based on race so in the case of state subsistence activities, it's open to all Alaska residents and in the case of US susbsistence activities its open to all residents of that locale regardless ethinticity. What that means is for the two weeks the kings are running up the Nushagak I am allowed to gill net them for my freezer but LowTech is not. Thanks be to God! For the two weeks the ducks are migrating thru Dillingham I am allowed to hunt them for the freezer and MOA is not. Bless us Lord!

Like each and every single adult living in rural Alaska y'all have a choice to make regarding where you call home and they and I choose to make it here where there are commodities available to us different than what is available to you.

Scott if you like me or not, I am not going to lose any sleep over it. But I think you should not like me for the right reasons.

First off I don't have a problem with anyone living in rural Alaska having "local favoritism" (that's not the correct word, but I don't know what else to call it). In several rural areas of Alaska the residents basically have the logistical advantage with longer seasons, the ability to hunt in National Parks, or other "advantages" that folks driving out from Fairbanks, Valdez or Anchorage do not have. I see no problem with that, but I do know that those that live in the municipalities don't like that rule very much, and I can't blame them. From 9000 miles away it doesn't affect me very much.

As for the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), I think limited sport hunting of Marine Mammals by everyone would help enhance marine mammals by increasing the finances available to manage them. My only question was weather or not anyone had ever challenged the MMPA using the racial arguement. I wouldn't mind at all if it was changed to allow limited sales of sport hunts for polar bear and walrus even with a native guide requirement like in the North West Territory and Nunavut. By Managing Marine Mammals I don't mean Alaska specifically. I think the Marine Mammal redundancies are stupid in light of the fact that the Endangered Species Act does the same thing.

We don't have separate wildlife laws for ESA and any other group of animals do we? If we do I don't know about it, but then again Wildlife Law, or law in general are not my specialties.

If you didn't like the comment on the Aboriginal people of Australia, well I am guessing that it didn't happen to you and your family while you were driving your wife and new born baby to Ayres rock. We said enough of this BS and headed back home. This was in a small truck stop in an Aborigine town in western New South Wales. Pulled in for gas, and got death and rape threats, never had that happen to me before.

Another Aborigine Village in Australia killed all their cops a few years ago, they burned down the police station with the cops in it. Here's the rap sheet for aboriginal violence in Australia. http://indigenousviolence.org/dnn/ Read a few of them, lots of people go missing in the outback, and are never recovered. Tons of stabbings, and people beaten to death, child rape, old people rape. Tough place. Makes Barrow look like some place Saint's live.

In Alaska I have never felt like a 2nd Class citizen either. In Barrow some natives were nice, and some were not. Isn't really any different than life in General anywhere else. I will say this Alaska natives are fiercely loyal once they know you.

I am retiring from the military, no one owes me anything, not the military, not anyone else, and not Alaska. I got really lucky in life and have got to see a lot of the world, made a lot of deployments, been deployed to the war zone 10 times in 20 years. Never been in combat, and as a aircraft maintainer I haven't flown above it either. Just did my job and now I am headed home, and to say the least I am pretty excited about it.

I just want to finish my college up, teach special education someplace on the road system, and hunt and fish when I can.

Not 100% sure what your beef is with me. I don't want to move to Dillingham anyway. Moisture and arthritis are not good bed fellows.

Grumpy Old Rascal!