n/t

Whenever you hear the words culture or subsistence from Alaska Natives (Eskimos and Indians) understand that those words are Eskimo for “the bidding may now begin.” The North Slope and Northwest Arctic Boroughs are majority Inupiat Eskimo and both are very, very wealthy. The North Slope Borough lives off revenue from the Prudhoe Bay oil fields and the Northwest Arctic Borough has the huge Red Dog Mine complex as well as a very profitable ANCSA Native Corporation.

The Eskimo people have a right to take whales and commonly take a few each year. The basis of the right is both the food value of the whales and the cultural significance of whaling. Don’t worry, none of us Alaskan honky dogs can take whales and Sarah Palin is not known to have killed one on the sly. There are plenty of whales, so any danger to them from oil development is purely theoretical, but it makes a good story to ignorant and superstitious people like greenies. Likewise, the Eskimo people would not go hungry without the whale meat; they take their food mostly from the grocery store just like the rest of us, but that myth plays well to ignorant and superstitious people like liberals.

The real issue for the NSB and NAB is how much of the oil revenue they’ll get. This is a fight between them and both the US and the State of Alaska. All of this development is offshore and under federal control on federal lands. Under the Statehood Act, Alaska should get 90% of the revenue, but the US has NEVER abided by the Statehood Act, a fact which gives rise to things like the Alaska Independence Party of recent notoriety. So, the fist step will be some resolution between the US and Alaska on State share and the second will be a resolution between Alaska and the two Boroughs on how much of the State’s take they’ll get.

My take is that none of this is going to much matter. The USSC will probably overturn the 9th Soviet; they usually do. Then the Greenies will just sue on some other basis and stop it all again, and again, and again. The Majors give every appearance of having given up on Alaska as an oil province – it is just too much hassle. BHO will have no choice but to go along with the Greenies on AGW Psychosis and threats to the polar bear and other superstitions. BHO will also stupidly go along with various “tribal” sovereignty claims so, USSC decisions notwithstanding, a lot of Alaska will become “Indian Country.” Alaska just lost 50% of its ability to oppose these assaults against its sovereignty in the US Senate, Begich will mouth sweet nothings but go along with the feds as did his mentor and predecessor, Tony Knowles.

So, Alaska will probably get a pyhrric victory in the USSC, some lawyers will make a lot of money, but nothing will come of it and American dependence on foreign oil will become greater.

They may rather take their chances with Nigerian tribesmen toting AK-47s than with a bunch of American trial lawyers.

The key question is, will the Feds give them their lease money back?

Those leases could not have been offered in the first place without an environmental impact statement.

One of the thing not mentioned so far is that the Ninth is also the most overturned court in the country. The are usually chosen by the lunatic fringe elements of the democratic party and then I assume become true believer or are given suffienctly enjoyable gifts to allow them to rule in the proper manner.

Some mentioned getting a agreement with the enviromental groups to proceed, from personnel experience do not do that. What you understand and is written into the agreement is not what the radical greens understand. They break agreements without fear, because no court would do more than slap there wrists or they would arrange for the media to give the PC clowns bad publicity.

Never trust a Enironmental Group