Alaska Native Organizational Influence on Alaska's U.S. Senate 2010 Midterm Election

Abstract

The senior thesis is concerned with the Alaska Native organizational inuence on the2010 U.S. Senate Midterm Election in Alaska. Incumbent Senator Lisa Murkowskilost the primary to Tea Party candidate Joe Miller. Through persuasion by AlaskaNative organizations and leaders from the AFN and various ANCSA Regional Corporationsshe initiated a write-in campaign. This study assesses the impact of ACNSA Regional Corporation and AFN inuence on the election after reviewing literatureon American Indian and Alaska Native enfranchisement and Federal Indian Law.In addition, a review historical impacts from Russian and American colonial periodshow how important ANCSA was to Alaska Native political participation by increasingaccess to corporate institutions that lead to increases in capital, both humanand monetary, that funded Alaskans Standing Together{the important independentexpenditure committee supporting Senator Murkowski through the campaign. A tensionexists between tribes and corporations in Alaska and this study seeks to furtherunderstand the historical impacts this has for further cooperation.