Following a federal judge’s issue of a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction barring Treasury from disbursing any COVID-19 relief funds designated for Tribal governments to Alaska Native Corporations (ANC), Ahtna, Inc. is stepping in.  

Ahtna argues neither the government nor plaintiffs in Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation v. Mnuchin currently provide fair representation of Ahtna, in its motion to intervene filed late Thursday, April 30th. The 15-page document states: “Ahtna intends to use any money it receives from the Corona Virus Relief Fund directly for the benefit of our tribes. This money will be used to enhance services we currently provide to our tribes and help supplement protective measures they have already put in place. …In short, if Plaintiffs prevail, Ahtna will be denied the critical funds necessary to help Alaska Natives effectively respond to this pandemic.” 

The original CARES legislation signed into law on March 27 chose to use the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA) definition of “Indian Tribes,” which includes ANCs. Many Tribal leaders maintain that for-profit ANCs are not governments, and that Alaskan communities that have governments alongside ANCs could be able to double- or even triple-dip from CARES funding. ANCs contend otherwise: Through the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, they are responsible for providing programs and services to their shareholders, Alaska Natives — much in the same manner as Tribal governments.

Ahtna’s motion identifies ways the ANC is currently mobilizing resources to help the Ahtna people confront these challenging times. “It has, for example, issued a special dividend to its shareholders to offset the loss of income and supplied its communities with 5,000 hand sanitizer units.” Shareholders, including those unsure of how they were going to pay rent, have hailed the support as a “life-saver” and said it “lifted a huge burden,” the motion explains. “Working in coordination with its tribes, Ahtna plans to do much more to help the Ahtna people,” the ANC adds.

Meanwhile, Judge Amit Mehta’s 34-page decision issued Monday April 27 favored the Plaintiff’s specifically because of their “clear showing that they are likely to suffer irreparable harm in the absence of preliminary relief.” 

Ahtna supports and represents more than 2,000 shareholders, who are primarily Ahtna Athabascans. In 2018, the for-profit company had revenues of over $284 million. Ahtna is currently helmed by President Michelle Anderson, an Ahtna shareholder who was raised in the Ahtna region. 

Ahtna Netiye’, LLC, the business holding company of Ahtna, manages and oversees the business operations of 13 subsidiary companies in federal contracting, civil and vertical construction, facilities management and support services, and oil and gas pipeline maintenance and construction. Ahtna subsidiaries currently operate in nearly all 50 states.