Alaska Region

Alaska Regional Office

Niles Cesar, Regional Director

Charles Bunch, Deputy Regional Director - Trust Services

The Alaska Region encompasses a dynamic and diverse mix of Tribes, Tribal organizations and natural features. With the exception of the Annette Island Reserve, which falls under the Northwest Region, the entire state of Alaska falls under the jurisdiction of the Alaska Region. The nearly 80,000 Tribal members that make up the 229 Tribes under the Alaska Region jurisdiction stretch from Ketchikan in the Southeast Panhandle to Barrow on the Arctic Ocean and from Eagle on the Yukon Territory border to Atka in the Aleutian Chain.

Within that area the Alaska Regional Office Headquarters is located in Juneau, Alaska with Trust, Transportation and Environmental offices located in Anchorage as is the West Central Alaska Agency. The other agency in ARO can be found in Fairbanks, Alaska. This agency provides services to the villages within the Interior and the North Slope of Alaska. The hours of operation for all locations are 8:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. Please note that the Federal offices in Fairbanks do not open when the temperature is -50 degree's and colder.

The Alaska Region is under the direction of the Regional Director, who is responsible to the Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, through the Deputy Bureau Director, Field Operations. The Regional Director represents the Alaska Region in dealing with other Federal Agencies and tribal governments and organizations. The Regional Director serves as the official with the delegated authority to work to strengthen tribal government and self-determination of all 229 Federally recognized tribes under the jurisdiction of the Alaska Regional Office. The Alaska Region has two (2) Deputy Regional Directors and an Environmental Scientist, who work directly under the Regional Director.

The Deputy Regional Director for Trust Services serves as the designated official for maintaining and discharging the Trust responsibility of the Secretary of the Interior for all individually allotted lands issued under the 1906 Native Allotment Act and the 1926 Native Townsite Act. The position works closely with the Fiduciary Trust Officer (FTO) from the Office of Special Trustee (OST) to administer trust asset management activities within the region. The position is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Trust offices, to include Realty, Rights Protection, Probate, LTRO, Natural Resources and Subsistence. Provides long-range program planning, budgeting, management and technical and administrative supervision of Trust offices. The Deputy Regional Director for Trust Services works closely with tribal governments, tribal organizations, and individual beneficiaries.

The Deputy Regional Director for Indian Services serves as the designated official for maintaining and discharging the duties and obligations of the Secretary of the Interior through public law and policy concerning community services, such as tribal government, human services, housing, and transportation. Additionally, the position is responsible for the Alaska Resupply Center located in Seattle, Washington. It is responsible for the purchasing, warehousing, and shipment of commodities and fuels to certain Alaska villages, schools, cooperatives, and individuals where alternate freight services are not available.

The Environmental Scientist is the official responsible for providing staff assistance and expert advice, guidance and service to Field staff and Public Law 93-638 tribal contractors and organizations in Bureau programs involving environmental statutes. The position serves as the technical expert in dealing with other Federal and State agencies, Tribes and tribal organizations on all environmental concerns that arise on restricted lands in the Alaska Region. Provides programmatic assistance and managerial oversight to the Archeology Section and the ANCSA (Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act) Office.