Judge says troopers can evict ex-tribal leaders in Newtok

A federal judge on Tuesday allowed police to use force if needed to remove former officials of an Alaska tribal village who have refused to leave the offices of the community in a long-running leadership dispute.

The new sanctioned tribal leaders of the Yup'ik Eskimo community of Newtok asked U.S. District Judge Ralph Beistline to enforce a Nov. 4 ruling that ordered the former leaders to stop presenting themselves as the village's governing body.

The flood-prone village is among Alaska's most eroded communities, located 480 miles west of Anchorage. The power dispute, which began in 2012, stalled millions of dollars in government funds for efforts to physically move the village to higher ground 9 miles away.

http://www.adn.com/article/20160112/judge-says-troopers-can-evict-ex-tribal-leaders-newtok