The state wants the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn a lower-court ruling and declare that because of the 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, the federal government has no authority to create new sections of "Indian country" in Alaska.

"It's hugely important for Alaskans, especially in rural villages across the state,” said the Native groups’ attorney Heather Kendall Miller, speaking after the hearing in Washington. "Most villages don't have effective law enforcement."

Miller said in many villages, people feel they could get better protection from federal officials -- such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service -- than from the Alaska State Troopers. There is "a real vacuum with respect to the state's presence in providing essential services,” Miller said.

“I think there are many tribes that are interested in finding out whether that's the right tool for them," she added. "… I think that's why this case has garnered as much attention as it has, because it really comes down to local control over village communities and what tools do they have to be able to protect the health and welfare of their community members.”