Senate Indian Affairs Committee Hearing Planned in Bethel
April 3, 2026
(Anchorage, Alaska) – Calista Corporation issued the following statement upon Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s announcement that she plans to chair a Senate Committee on Indian Affairs hearing in Bethel in May.
“On behalf of those impacted by the October 2025 storms, Calista Corporation greatly appreciates the attention and focus of Senator Lisa Murkowski by bringing the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs to Bethel,” said Calista President/CEO Andrew Guy.
Guy continued, “While natural disaster recovery in the contiguous United States is supported by interstate highways and multiple large airport options, the Yukon-Kuskokwim Region of southwest Alaska is connected by only one regional hub airport and barges that require days of ice-free travel.”
Two rural communities experienced near complete destruction, multiple communities were impacted, and hundreds of families were displaced. Recovery is anticipated to require extensive resources and be completed through years of work. There are no highways or rail that connect the Y-K Region to the rest of Alaska.
Sen. Murkowski’s attention to rural Alaska through the planned hearing in Bethel is mirrored by past field hearings held in the Y-K Region and throughout Alaska.