Frederick Paul papers, 1933-1989

Frederick Paul was a Seattle attorney and the son of William Lewis Paul, attorney and native American activist.

The papers in this accession document the work of Frederick Paul on behalf of the Arctic Slope Native Association. In January 1966 the Inupiat Eskimos of the Brooks Range of Alaska approached Paul to provide them with legal assistance in protecting their land rights. This small group of about 4000 Eskimos lived by subsistence off their lands, with no monetary income. At this time rumors of oil deposits had led to oil explorations in the territory which they claimed by aboriginal possession.

Paul went to work on behalf of the ASNA immediately, despite the fact that that federal regulation requiring that attorney's contracts with Native Americans be approved by the Secretary of the Interior, a process that took two years in this instance. In September 1966 the Secretary of the Interior offered mineral leasehold rights to the public for 4.5 million acres of land located in the Western portion of the North Slope, within the area claimed by Paul's clients. Congress had deferred the question of Native land claims since the purchase of the Alaska Territory. Paul protested the action of the Secretary in offering leasehold rights to the public without a resolution of the rights of his clients. On the basis of Paul's protest, the Secretary froze all land transactions until Congress legislated on the rights of indigenous people to lands in their possession or claimed by them.

For three years Paul fought for the rights of his clients alone. Eventually the Seattle law firm of Davis, Wright, Todd, Riese and Jones joined him. The Arctic Slope Native Association cooperated with the Alaska Federation of Natives in the fight for land claims, but withdrew from the AFN in October 1970 because of a difference in philosophy. Finally, in 1971 the efforts of Paul and others led to passage in Congress of the Alaska Native Settlement Act, which set aside 44 million acres of land and a fund of $962 million to settle Alaskan Native claims. The Inupiat received $50 million and 5 million acres. Frederick Paul was also instrumental in the creation of the North Slope Borough which comprises the entire North Slope and provides school and other public services to the Eskimos.

When ANCSA was enacted, the Congress limited attorney's fees, so Frederick Paul sued his clients and The Native Community of Alaska for an adequate fee. The court ruled against him in 1980. Paul then sued the United States under the Just Compensation Clause. The court ruled against him again. His last effort to claim fees was Paul v. United States which he also lost in 1990. The exhibits in this accession relate to the last suit. However, they also document his work for the Inupiat from 1966 through 1971. The largest record series in the papers, the exhibit files, includes correspondence, legislation, hearings, contracts and reports from the entire period of Frederick Paul's involvement with the case. Paul died in 1994.