Assessments of Rural Tribal Courts to be Conducted

Mitch Borden/KMXT

The Bureau of Indian Affairs recently awarded a contract to the company Kadiak. The agreement is to provide assessments of tribal courts in rural Alaskan communities.

Kadiak is a subsidiary of Kodiak’s regional Native Corporation, Koniag. According to Gordon Pullar Jr, Kadiak’s President, for the first year of their contract Kadiak will serve 15 communities across Alaska such as the Native Village of Barrow and Eklutna.

Pullar says their assessments will work to identify the needs of a community and help them gain access to funds for tribal courts.

“Some are going to be a lot more robust than others. For example, I understand that the native village of Barrow has a one of the largest tribal courts in the state. Um while some of the tribes in the interior of Alaska have very small or nonexistent tribal courts.”

Kadiak isn’t the only company doing these kinds of assessments in the state, but Pullar thinks there is something that sets the company apart from the rest.

“ We are the first Alaskan Native owned…company. Owned and managed by Alaskan Natives to be awarded this type of contract from the BIA in Alaska. And we’re really excited to be working in Alaska and serving native people.”

This contract is Kadiak’s first and only one since it was established in 2016. It will be up for renewal by the BIA at the end of their first year assessing tribal courts.