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Bill named for Archie Kavanaugh aims to protect Alaska Native art from MBTA prosecutions

Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries · February 5, 2026

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Summary

HR 6021 would clarify that the Migratory Bird Treaty Act does not prohibit sale or shipment of authentic Alaska Native handicrafts containing non‑edible bird parts when not taken wastefully or illegally, supporters said, while members emphasized co‑management and the need for international coordination.

Rep. Don Young’s legislative successor and other supporters framed HR 6021, the Archie Kavanaugh Migratory Bird Treaty Amendment Act, as a corrective measure for longstanding harms to Alaska Native artists. Sponsor Rep. Begich told the subcommittee the original MBTA’s application criminalized cultural practices and cited Archie Kavanaugh’s 2012 prosecution as a driving example.

Chief Megan Anders of the King Island Native Community, who testified in support, said the bill would protect the sale and shipment of authentic Alaska Native handicrafts that incorporate non‑edible bird parts so long as those parts were not taken wastefully or illegally. Anders described how subsistence and traditional arts underpin remote economies—citing heating bills that can reach $1,000 a month and an estimated $340 million annual value for the Alaska Native subsistence economy—and stressed co‑management with federal and state partners.

Anders emphasized that the bill is one step in a longer process. She noted that HR 6021 directs the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of State to pursue bilateral negotiations (for example, with Japan) for species covered by international agreements and that federal funding for co‑management councils is essential to preserve cultural practices.

The subcommittee heard no formal opposition testimony during the session. The chair and members asked witnesses about conservation protections and whether the bill would undermine species management; Chief Anders and Rep. Begich said the bill would not harm migratory‑bird conservation and instead would provide certainty for Alaska Native artists.