Alaska Native corporations (ANCs) are not entitled to shares of the $8 billion coronavirus relief fund, a federal appeals court ruled on Friday.In a unanimous decision, a three-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals said the for-profit corporations are not “recognized” tribes. As such, they do not qualify for the funds provided by Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, also known as the CARES Act.“We hold that Alaska Native corporations are not eligible for funding under Title V of the CARES Act,” Judge Gregory Katsas wrote for the court.The 24-page ruling, accompanied by a two-page concurrence, comes just two weeks after the D.C. Circuit heard arguments in the closely-watched case. It marks a major victory for tribal nations in one of the most bitter Indian policy and legal disputes in recent history.
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