Alaskan tribal government dips into defense contracts In an effort to protect itself from federal budget cuts, the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska is exploring new business ventures, CoastAlaska News reported (http://bit.ly/2ppeWdi) Thursday. Under tribal ownership, KIRA is eligible to bid for contracts as part of a disadvantaged-business program, KIRA Founder and current President Carlos Garcia said.