Tlingit & Haida
1st Quarter 2023
Deed Signed to Put First Parcel of Land into Federal Trust Status
Tlingit & Haida officially signed a deed to put its first parcel of land into federal trust status.
The deed was signed on January 10, 2023 by President Richard Chalyee Éesh Peterson at the Bureau of Indian Affair’s (BIA) Alaska Region office in Anchorage, Alaska. Once the deed has been recorded, the title for Tlingit & Haida’s land parcel will be officially transferred to the United States Department of Interior (DOI) to hold for the benefit of the Tribe and its citizens. Under federal trust status, Tlingit & Haida’s land parcel cannot be sold, alienated or transferred without federal approval.
“This was a great day for our Tribe, self-determination, and all tribes in Alaska. We have crossed the finish line in the land-into-trust process and will continue the journey for our remaining applications. This process started for Tlingit & Haida more than fifteen years ago and stalled over six years ago for Alaska tribes. Until now, Craig Tribal Association’s land-into-trust application was the first and only one to be approved in Alaska by the Department of the Interior,” said President Peterson.
The parcel of land transferred is Tlingit & Haida’s oldest land-into-trust application. The land is located in the old Juneau Indian Village (Lot 15, Block 5) and was purchased in October 2007 from the Vavalis family.
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• For Our Healing Spirit Craft Talking Circle
• 3rd Annual Youth Summit Held
• Public Safety Hosts Opioid Conference
• Veterans Meet on Vietnam-Era Land Allotment
• Kúng Kíiyatl’a’aa Culture Camp
• President’s Awards Ceremony
• Gold Medal Snapshots
• Shawaan Jackson-Gamble Selected for Tribal Seat on Advisory Panel
• Public Safety Staff Attend FEMA Training
• Tlingit & Haida Welcomes New Managers
• Radio Tower Installed for Public Safety
• Stalking Awareness & Prevention Workshop
• Rescue Small Business Relief Startup Grant Program
• Cleansing Dip for Reentry & Recovery
• Head Start Now Enrolling
• Tribe Selected for State-Tribal Education Compact Pilot Program
• Rescue Small Business Relief Program Relaunches
• Tlingit & Haida Hails Restored Protections to the Tongass National Forest
• Save the Date: 88th Annual Tribal Assembly
• Community Advocacy Program
• Men’s Talking Circle
• Tlingit & Haida Purchases Driftwood Lodge Property in Juneau
• Amelia Rivera Promoted to Cultural Heritage & Education Division Senior Director
• Summer Youth Employment Services Program
• Congratulations Jeni Brown
Photo of BIA Deputy Regional Director of Trust Services Lynn Polacca and President Peterson at deed signing
3rd Annual Youth Summit Held For Our Healing Spirit Craft Talking Circle
Tribal citizen youth from around the country came to Juneau, Alaska for Tlingit & Haida’s third annual Youth Summit held February 2-4.
With the theme, “We Are Going to Unite Ourselves,” the goal of the summit was to provide a space for youth to learn from each other, use their collective voice to influence change, and learn how to engage in the tribal government process.
“We need to prepare for the future,” said Youth Commission Delegate Patrice DeAsis. “Youth are part of the community, and it’s important to get a base foundation of knowledge of how government works and how we can get our community to come together.”
Join Tlingit & Haida’s Community & Behavioral Services Healing Center for a craft talking circle, Haa Tuwunáagu Yis (For Our Healing Spirit). The talking circle meets bi-weekly on Wednesdays at 6 PM at the Andrew Hope Building (320 W. Willoughby Ave.) in Juneau, Alaska. This is a safe place where participants can work on their own craft projects, as well as share and explore the importance of the circle and its four seasons.
What You’ll Find:
Share Thoughts & Feelings
Freely
Contribute to Discussions
Experience Support, Fellowship & Belonging
Learn from Each Other
Develop Strong Relationships Built on Trust & Acceptance
For more information, contact Family & Community Engagement Specialist Jeni Brown at 907.463.7396 or email jgbrown@ccthita-nsn.gov.
Lyle and Kolene James were the keynote speakers for the event. They talked about breaking the cycle of violence and addiction that can impact Indigenous people and how to build relationships while healing together.
In a talking circle, participants shared the challenges they face as Indigenous youth, including racism in schools, access to cultural resources and healing from generational trauma.
Workshops included learning governance and federal trust responsibilities, understanding the impacts residential boarding schools had on Indigenous cultures, and exploring the teaching and medicinal properties of plants.
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Public Safety Hosts Opioid Conference
Nearly 100 law enforcement officers, Village Public Safety Officers (VPSOs), first responders, and health care workers from around Alaska participated in Tlingit & Haida’s first-ever Opioid conference.
The Public Safety Division’s Addiction & Recovery program hosted two three-day conferences in Anchorage, Alaska in January.
The goal of the conference was to provide training on drugs and substance abuse and how that can impact our rural communities in Southeast Alaska.
“As we’re continuing to learn, drugs are expanding and coming in different forms and traveling into our communities. Safety is the number one thing we want to teach our VPSOs and first responders,” shared Katie Crossely, who coordinated the conference. “We want to be on top of drug trends so our responders can be welleducated and keep themselves safe as well as the community.”
Participants learned about different narcotics and how the drugs impact people’s bodies. Staff from the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium talked about the importance of Naloxone, known by the brand names Narcan and Kloxxado, which is used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. Each class participant took home several Naloxone kits they can use as a life-saving measure if someone has taken too many opioids.
Fredrick Katelnikov, a trainer for First Responder Personal Protection in Kodiak, taught de-escalation tactics on how first responders and healthcare workers can recognize and handle potentially dangerous situations.
Hydaburg Village Public Safety Officer Michael Betts said the de-escalation training will be useful in his small village where he is often the first, and potentially only, responder on the scene of an emergency.
“I deal with a lot of high-escalated situations, so this de-escalation training is crucial. I definitely got information from this training that I’m going to apply every day,” VPSO Betts said.
At a welcoming banquet, Tlingit & Haida President Richard Chalyee Éesh Peterson thanked the first responders for attending the conference so they could learn more to help their communities.
“I’m really proud of the work we can do to be that systemic train, to turn the tide so we can have the pride and love in our communities, for each other, that I grew up with. I know it’s still there but it’s hidden by this opioid crisis, drugs and alcohol. We just have to take it head on and that’s what we’re here to do,” President Peterson said.
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Participants pose for a group photo at the Opioid conference in Anchorage, Alaska
Veterans Meet on Vietnam-Era Land Allotment
On January 19, Tlingit & Haida’s Native Lands & Resources Division hosted an informational session in Juneau, Alaska on the Alaska Native Vietnam-Era Veterans Land Allotment Program of 2019.
Allotment Specialist Darrell Brown coordinated the meeting, which brought in more than 30 Alaska Native Vietnam Veterans and family members in-person and online.
Representatives from the Bureau of Land Management, Alaska Legal Services and Veterans Health Administration attended the informational session to answer questions, share resources and provide application assistance.
The program allows for eligible Vietnam-Era Veterans or their heirs to select up to 160 acres of Federal land in Alaska. The program is open to all eligible Alaska Natives who served between August 5, 1964, and December 31, 1971, and applications are being accepted through December 29, 2025.
There are 519 Southeast Alaska Native Veterans eligible to apply for a land allotment. Of those eligible to apply, Darrell has successfully made contact with all but 109 Veterans or their family members.
If you are a Southeast Alaska Native Veteran or the heir and personal representative of a deceased Veteran who is eligible for a land allotment, please contact Darrell Brown at dbrown@ccthita-nsn.gov.
Kúng Kíiyatl’a’aa Culture Camp
During the winter school break, more than a dozen middle school students participated in the Kúng K íiyatl’a’aa (New Moon) Culture Camp, held at the Thunder Mountain High School in Juneau, Alaska.
Over the course of the week, students learned Lingít and how to bead earrings, draw formline figures, and process fish and moose meat.
Youth specialists from Tlingit & Haida’s Tribal Family & Youth Services Department partnered with Community & Behavioral Services clinicians to host the week-long camp that focused on cultural arts with discussions on mental health.
The youth said they enjoyed connecting with their culture through arts.
“It’s really peaceful and I like how you can gift earrings to people,” said sixth grader Thea Duncan while she was making teal and hot pink button earrings.
Gunalchéesh, Háw’aa to our partners Goldbelt Heritage Foundation and the Juneau School District Indian Studies Program for contributing to the camp.
We’re also grateful to Jat Singa Linda Carroll for teaching beading, Ts’áak’ KáJúu Andrea Cook for showing the students formline design, Demetrius Johnson for passing on traditional knowledge of food processing, and X’unei Lance Twitchell for providing Lingít language lessons.
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President’s Awards Ceremony
Gold Medal Snap Shots
Tlingit & Haida proudly co-sponsored the Gold Medal basketball tournament this year!
Tlingit & Haida is pleased to announce the annual President’s Awards Ceremony will be held on Tuesday, April 18, 2023 in Juneau, Alaska! Every year, the event honors incredible people throughout Southeast Alaska and beyond who have contributed greatly to our tribal citizens and communities in various ways. The event will be webcast live on Tlingit & Haida’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ccthita).
Florence Sheakley
President’s Lifetime Achievement Award
Juneau, AK
President’s Everyday Heroes Awards
Dionne Brady-Howard
Language Warrior
Sitka, AK
Rob Yates
Culture Bearer
Craig, AK
Michaela Demmert
Emerging Leader
Juneau, AK
Harriet Beleal
Hold Each Other Up
Sitka, AK
Jason Wilson
Youth Mentor
Juneau, AK
Sondra Segundo-Cuningham
Language Warrior
Seattle, WA
Phil Baker-Shenk
Tribal Ally
Washington, D.C.
Chloey Cavanaugh
Small Tribal Business
Juneau, AK
Shawaan Jackson-Gamble Selected for Advisory Panel Tribal Seat
Public Safety Staff Attend FEMA Training
In March, staff from Tlingit & Haida’s Public Safety Division (Corey Padrón, Sabrina Boone and Matthew Nunnally) attended the 8th Annual Tribal Nations Training Week which took place at the Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) campus in Anniston, Alabama. The training was intended for state, local, tribal, and territorial emergency responders, and included a variety of comprehensive trainings such as Healthcare Leadership for Mass Casualty Incidents (HCL), Isolation and Quarantine for Rural Communities (IQRC), Barrier Precautions and Controls for Highly Infectious Disease (HIC), Emergency Management Framework for Tribal Governments, and Managing for Public Information for All Hazards Incidents (MPI).
Congratulations to tribal citizen and former Emerging Leader Shawaan Jackson-Gamble who was appointed to fill a new tribal seat on the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council’s (NPFMC) advisory panel.
During the Alaska Federations of Natives (AFN) convention last October, Southeast Alaska AFN Delegates unified and unanimously supported the nomination of Shawaan to fill the seat.
Shawaan graduated from Northwest Indian College where he majored in Native Environmental Science and currently serves as Indigenous Stewardship Fellow for First Alaskans Institute
Shawaan’s Tlingit name is Ch’aak’ti (Watchman of Hamilton Bay). He is Tsaagweidi (Tlingit) and Tiits Giit a Naay (Haida). He grew up in Kake, Alaska where he is a lifetime member of Keex Kwaan Dancers and learned the value and importance of our culture, land and traditional foods.
“I am proud to have been a part of this training along with the many other Indigenous voices who were represented at the week-long FEMA training,” said Tlingit & Haida Emergency Operations Coordinator Sabrina Boone. “The knowledge gained is invaluable and will help keep our Emergency Operations Center as a credited and leading source of support and operations in Southeast Alaska.”
Also in attendance was Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Tribal Affairs Advocate, Kelbie Kennedy. Kelbie is a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and the first tribal affairs political appointee in the history of FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security. As the first FEMA National Tribal Affairs Advocate, Kelbie directly advises the administrator and the agency on all tribal affairs and work to ensure that FEMA lives up to its treaty responsibilities to all tribal nations. Kelbie also works across the agency to implement the first FEMA National Tribal Strategy.
“The trainings provided a multitude of unique situations directly related to emergency response and we are excited to bring this knowledge back to Tlingit & Haida, as well as our Village Public Safety Officers (VPSO) to utilize in our daily operations,” said Emergency Operations Administrator Corey Padrón.
With the newly gained FEMA certifications and training, the Emergency Operations team can continue to provide the highest level of first response and support to our Southeast Alaska communities.
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Shawaan Jackson-Gamble
Sabrina Boone
Corey Padrón
Tlingit & Haida Welcomes New Managers
Please help Tlingit & Haida welcome four new members to its management team – Ralph (Góos’k’) Wolfe, Jessica Jones, Jackqueline Leight, and Krista Staveland.
Ralph (Góos’k’) Wolfe joined Tlingit & Haida as the new Seacoast Indigenous Guardians Network Manager under the Native Lands & Resources division. In this capacity, he will continue to build out the Seacoast Indigenous Guardians Network and implement environmental stewardship and economic sustainability projects that target traditional foods, energy and natural resources.
Prior to joining Tlingit & Haida’s Native Lands & Resources division, he served as the director of the Sustainable Southeast Partnership.
Ralph is Tlingit and Haida and Eagle Frog of the Kooskadee clan. He was born and raised in Craig, Alaska and lives in Yakutat, Alaska with his family.
Jessica Jones is the new Behavioral Health Clinical Director for the Tribe’s Community & Behavioral Services Healing Center. She is a licensed Clinical Social Worker and received her master’s in social work from the University of Michigan.
In her clinical work, Jessica uses attachment-oriented therapies through various methodologies to facilitate strong, healing relationships in people’s lives. She also uses motivational interviewing, solution-focused brief therapy, mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral therapy, and trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy.
Jessica was born and raised in Michigan and enjoys recreational sports, playing board games, spending time with loved ones, and exploring the outdoors.
Jackqueline Leight joined Tlingit & Haida as the Manager of Sacred Grounds Café. She was born in Seattle, Washington and is excited to return to Juneau, Alaska where she previously owned two successful businesses and gained more than 20 years of supervisory experience.
In her role, Jackqueline will be responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the café and ensuring a high level of customer satisfaction. Her vast experience in managing teams and her passion for providing exceptional customer service make her a valuable addition to Sacred Grounds.
Jackqueline enjoys beading, sewing, crocheting, and reading in her spare time.
Krista Staveland has been promoted to manager of the Tribe’s Generations Southeast community learning center. In this capacity, she will continue to expand Generations Southeast’s infrastructure to meet the training and educational needs of tribal citizens, the general public and our region’s communities.
Krista has been employed with Tlingit & Haida since 2006, and has served the last 13 years at Generations Southeast.
Krista was born and raised in Juneau, Alaska and graduated from Juneau-Douglas High School.
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Krista Staveland
Jessica Jones
Ralph Wolfe
Jacqueline Leight
Radio Tower Installed for Public Safety
Tlingit & Haida is excited to announce the installation of a radio tower to assist with emergency communications and dispatch. This will be the main tower connected to a series of radio repeaters throughout Southeast Alaska. A radio repeater is a combination of a radio receiver and transmitter that receives a signal and retransmits it so that two-way radio signals can cover longer distances. The tower will also help eliminate radio dead spots on the marine band that the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) has not been able to reach, including our more remote waterways. The tower will provide additional radio coverage to marine travelers and additional security for those on the water.
“I am excited to see this project come to fruition and to utilize the radio tower to connect our tribal citizens in Southeast Alaska with a push-button communication method,” said Emergency Operations Administrator Corey Padrón. “This will streamline the efforts of our Public Safety Division, including our VPSOs.”
This project has gained the interest of the USCG and Alaska Marine Exchange, which has led to a growing relationship and partnership between the Tribe’s Public Safety Division and other emergency response agencies. Each Village Public Safety Officer (VPSO) community will now be able to speak to one another with the touch of a button, eliminating the need to communicate by phone. This tower will allow for immediate connection and blanket communication with communities to record data, make emergency alerts and send announcements.
Gunalchéesh, Háw’aa to our Procurement Department and the LFM Services’ crane operations team for installing the tower!
Stalking Awareness & Prevention Workshop
Nearly one in three women will experience being stalked in her life, according to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence survey.
The prevalence of stalking is one reason Tlingit & Haida’s Community & Behavioral Services Division wanted to hold an educational workshop and resource fair.
Family & Community Engagement Specialist Jeni Brown led the hybrid event, “Stalking: Know it, Name it, Stop it” at the Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall on January 30.
The discussion centered around red flags and behavior patterns people can look for and how important context is when working with people who’ve experienced stalking.
Gunalchéesh, Háw’aa to SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium, AWARE, Alaska Network on Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault, and Juneau Public Health for having resources available during the workshop. For more information, visit www.stalkingawareness.org.
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Aerial view of radio tower being installed
Rescue Small Business Relief Startup Grant Program
The Rescue Small Business Relief Startup Grant program has relaunched to assist tribal citizens who have changed careers due to the negative economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and started a new business or plan to start a new business this year.
A total of $500,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funding has been directed to the program to provide a maximum of 200 grants (up to $2,500 per grant).
As a pre-requisite to apply for a grant, applicants will need to complete Spruce Root’s Business Basics online class.
Eligibility Requirements:
Must be a tribal citizen of Tlingit & Haida
Must be 18 years of age or older and able to file own tax return
Must be a U.S. citizen
Must have a state business license issued after January 1, 2023
Must be 50% owner of the small business
Business must be actively managed by tribal citizen
Must complete Spruce Root’s Business Basic online course
The funds must be expended in compliance with federal law and used by the applicant only to pay for startup business expenses such as product parts, supplies and/or inventory.
Only one application per tribal citizen will be accepted and all applications will be processed in the order received. Tribal citizens who previously received a Rescue Small Business Relief grant from Tlingit & Haida are not eligible to apply.
The application period will close on December 29, 2023 at 4:00 PM (AKST) or when all funds have been expended.
The startup grants are considered taxable income and businesses are advised to contact their tax accountant to learn how this could affect their tax return.
To learn more about the Rescue Small Business Relief Startup Grant program, visit www.ccthita-nsn.gov or email RescueSBG@ccthita-nsn.gov.
Cleansing Dip for Reentry & Recovery
In January, the Reentry & Recovery Department held its first healing dip at the Auke Village Recreation Area in Juneau, Alaska for men who are residents of their non-congregate shelters.
Community Advocacy Coordinator Jamiann Hasselquist talked with the men about the traditional healing practice of walking into the cold water to cleanse the body.
“As Indigenous people we’re caught in this system that’s been set up for us. Our intergenerational traumas are some of the things that have brought us to this place today,” she explained.
Allan was one of the residents who participated and it was his first time taking part in a cleansing dip .
“I focused on my breathing. Once you settle in, you feel like you’re taken care of. Really letting go of things that have bound up in your for so long. It felt like reconnecting with our ancestors, with our lands and our people,” Allan said.
“Being able to come together as a group and do this practice is going to bring strength to them,” Jamiann said.
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Cleansing dip at Auke Recreation area
Now Enrolling
Tlingit & Haida Head Start is now accepting applications for the 2023-2024 school year! Head Start promotes school readiness and provides educational activities that support cognitive, social, and emotional development. It’s provided at no cost to enrolled families.
Who is Eligible?
Children between 3-5 years of age. (must be 3 years old by September 1, 2022).
Communities Served
Angoon • Craig • Hoonah • Juneau
Klawock
Petersburg
Saxman
Sitka • Wrangell • Yakutat
Program Offers
Nutritious Breakfasts & Lunches
Well-equipped Classrooms
Services to Meet Special Needs
Parental Involvement
Family Support
For more information, contact: Tlingit & Haida Head Start at 1.800.344.1432 ext. 7127.
SupportingFamiliesChildren, and Communities
Tribe Selected for State-Tribal Education Compact Pilot Program
Tlingit & Haida was recently awarded funding under the StateTribal Education Compacting Demonstration Tribal Partners Grant program. The program was established under Senate Bill (SB) 34, which was sponsored by Senator Gary Stevens and signed into law by Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy in July 2022.
SB 34 tasked the Alaska State Board of Education and Early Development to select and work with up to five tribal partners to develop a legislative report with recommendations relating to state-tribal education compacting and demonstration state-tribal education compact schools.
Discussions on state-tribal education compacting have been ongoing for decades in Alaska, but Alaska’s Education Challenge identified it as a strategic priority.
Under a state-tribal education compact, a tribe would have the local authority to operate and oversee K-12 schools.
President Richard Chalyee Éesh Peterson provided public testimony to the Alaska State Legislature’s Senate Education Committee last year to support Senate Bill (SB) 34 and believes this grant award is a critical first step toward enacting the systemic change needed in Alaska.
“We’re very excited about this funding as we look to expand the Tribe’s educational ownership,” said President Peterson. “Creating the option for state-tribal education compacting recognizes that tribes should have the opportunity to create pathways for education and lead it to ensure a culturally relevant curriculum is part of everyday learning for our tribal youth.”
Tlingit & Haida currently delivers early education services through its Head Start program and Haa Yoo X’atángi Kúdi Lingít language immersion nest.
“These programs are a demonstration of our ability to deliver educational programming that is culturally relevant and place-based,” said President Peterson. “Through state-tribal education compacting, we can strengthen the current education structure.”
The grant awarded to Tlingit & Haida will fund a position to serve as a liaison with the State of Alaska’s Board of Education on the development of state-tribal education compact schools.
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Photo of the Generations Southeast Community Learning Center, which houses the Haa Yoo X ’atángi Kúdi Lingít language immersion nest.
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Rescue Small Business Relief Program Relaunches
Tlingit & Haida has relaunched its Rescue Small Business Relief program. The direct relief assistance program is funded under the Tribe’s American Rescue Plan Act funds to assist tribal citizens who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Under the program, tribal citizen-owned small businesses can apply for up to $5,000. All impacted tribal citizens who are U.S. citizens, operating a business, and reside in the United States are eligible to apply. The application period closes on December 29, 2023 or when 450 grants have been awarded. Funds must be expended in compliance with federal law and used by the applicant only to pay for business expenses such as product parts, supplies, COVID-19 mitigation and/or inventory.
The effects of COVID-19 continue to impact small businesses. According to a study by the Office of Advocacy, U.S. Small Business Administration, small businesses declined heavily in the service sectors.
“We see the continued effects through inflation, decrease in travel and decline in spending of disposable income in all industries that are prevalent in Alaska and throughout the country”, said President Richard Chalyee Éesh Peterson. “Tlingit & Haida recognizes the need to continue support for our citizen-owned small businesses as we all endure the ongoing effects and lag in recovery.”
For questions relating to the Rescue Small Business Relief program, please call 907.463.7799 or email RescueSBG@ccthita-nsn.gov.
Deed Signing
Continued from Cover
On November 17, 2022, the Department of Interior gave notice to Tlingit & Haida it had approved the land-intotrust application. Four of the Tlingit & Haida’s land-into-trust applications remain pending with the DOI.
“This is a benchmark achievement in our landback initiative. After many years of waiting we finally have land that will be held in perpetuity for our Tribe, land which has been rightfully ours since time immemorial,” said President Peterson. “The parcel may have a small footprint, but it is huge in terms of what this means to the Tribe. I am hopeful the Department of the Interior will approve our remaining applications.”
Because the land is now held in trust, it’s considered “Indian country” under the U.S. Code. With qualifying lands, Tlingit & Haida will have parity with other governments to participate in federal programs such as those for business development, housing, law and justice, natural resources, and transportation.
Federally recognized tribes can apply for land into trust by petitioning the Secretary of the Interior to take the land into trust specifically for the benefit of the tribe and its tribal citizens. The land must qualify under federal Indian laws, historic preservation and environmental laws.
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Visit Tlingit & Haida’s Website to Learn More: www.ccthita-nsn.gov/info/news/rescue
Tlingit & Haida Hails Restored Protections to the Tongass National Forest
Tlingit & Haida, along with many other Southeast Alaska tribes, is pleased with the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) final rule to restore longstanding roadless protections to the Tongass National Forest.
The USDA’s announcement returns stability and certainty to the conservation of 9.3 million acres of the United States’ largest national forest and world’s last largest temperate old-growth rainforest.
The USDA’s repeal of the 2020 Alaska Roadless Rule returns the listed roadless areas of the forest to management under the 2001 Roadless Rule, which prohibits construction, reconstruction and timber harvest with limited exceptions. The 2001 Roadless Rule continues to be critical in conserving the resources of the Tongass National Forest, as well as the underlying values that roadless areas represent for our Southeast Alaska communities and people.
“The USDA has rectified a critical issue for our people who are most impacted by decisions affecting the Tongass,” said Tlingit & Haida President Richard Chalyee Éesh Peterson. “Our way of life is intertwined with these lands and waters, and we have a deep interest and duty to protect the traditional lands of our people in perpetuity.”
Following the State of Alaska petitioning the USDA to consider exempting the Tongass National Forest from the Roadless Rule in 2018, the Trump administration wrongly issued a final ruling to fully exempt it in 2020.
This all occurred after tireless efforts from Southeast Alaska tribal governments to reach a compromise on the state and federal level and secure meaningful government-to-government consultations.
Throughout the public process, Southeast Alaska tribes provided testimony at consultations, public meetings and subsistence hearings, as well as written comments. With our homelands under threat, it became clear Southeast Alaska tribes had to advocate for the Roadless Rule of 2001 to be reinstated. Southeast Alaska tribes even petitioned the federal government to implement a Traditional Homelands Conservation Rule that would require more robust consultation in the management of the lands we depend on and to protect the traditional and customary uses and areas of Southeast Alaska important to our people.
The Tongass National Forest is largely regarded as the ‘Lungs of North America’ or ‘America’s Amazon’ and plays a significant ecological role in absorbing carbon produced in the United States.
“For so many reasons, we depend on a healthy, intact, forest ecosystem,” said President Peterson. “We need it to mitigate the impacts of climate change and our fish and wildlife depend on it to provide a healthy ecosystem with clean waters and old-growth forests. Our homelands must be managed for the benefit of our people and with our traditional knowledge, stewardship practices and priorities integrated. There is an immense sense of relief in knowing our forests are no longer vulnerable to unchecked road construction, logging, and other large-scale industrial development.”
Protecting the Traditional Lands of Our People
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Mark Your Calendars
April Events
1-2: Traditional Games – Juneau, AK
3: Fire Fighter Red Card Certification Training – Juneau, AK
6: Wear Blue Friday (National Child Abuse Prevention Month)
9: Easter Day
15: Yaaw Koo.éex’ – Sitka, Alaska
18: Tribal Assembly Standing Committee Meetings – Juneau, AK
18: President’s Awards Ceremony – Juneau, AK
19-21: 88th Annual Tribal Assembly – Juneau, AK
22: Totem Pole Trail Ceremony – Juneau, AK
May Events
1-31: Foster Care Appreciation Month
3: Tribal Enrollment Deadline
5: Missing & Murdered Native Women and Girls National Awareness Day
8: Deadline to Apply for Summer YES Program
10-12: Enrollment Committee Meeting – Juneau, AK
19: Executive Council Meeting (Held via Zoom)
29: Memorial Day (Offices Closed)
June Events
16: Tlingit & Haida Company Picnic Day
16: Executive Council Meeting (Held via Zoom)
19: Tlingit & Haida Day (Offices Closed)
4-9: NCAI 2023 Mid Year Convention & Marketplace – Prior Lake, MN
Save-the-Date
88th Annual Tribal Assembly
Sovereignty: In Land We Trust
Yá tl’átk aa atuwahéen (Lingít Translation) • Dagwiiyáas Yahgwdáng: Tlag Aa T’aláng Yahdáa (Xaad Kíl Translation)
April 19-21, 2023
Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall • Juneau, Alaska
For questions or more information on the upcoming Tribal Assembly, email tribalassembly@ccthita-nsn.gov.
Community Advocacy Program
Have you been affected by a violent crime? Tlingit & Haida’s Community Advocacy program may be able to help.
The program provides access to culturally responsive advocacy services to tribal citizens.
Services include referrals, relocation during emergencies, community resource sharing, and resources in support of tribal citizens affected by crime.
The program also works with Tlingit & Haida’s Tribal Court and partnering programs to address crimes such as assault, robbery, vandalism, crimes of intimidation, and crimes against Elders.
For more information on Tlingit & Haida’s Community Advocacy program, call 907.463.7766 or visit cbs.ccthita-nsn.gov.
Holding Each Other Up
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Men’s Talking Circle
Tlingit & Haida Purchases Driftwood Lodge Property in Juneau
In February, Tlingit & Haida closed on and acquired the Driftwood Lodge property located in the Aak’w Village District in Juneau, Alaska.
The 48,179 square foot (1.106 acre) property is located at 435 West Willoughby Avenue, across the street from Tlingit & Haida’s Andrew Hope Building and two other commercial office buildings acquired last year. The purchase includes the three-story hotel, adjacent building currently occupied by the Sandpiper Café, and surrounding parking lot.
The lodge operations were transferred to Tlingit & Haida in February after the deed was signed. There are currently 10 employees operating the Driftwood Lodge and all have been on-boarded through Tlingit & Haida’s Human Resources department as employees of the Tribe.
Chief Development Officer Will Ware oversees the Tribal Development branch of Tlingit & Haida, and his team led the property acquisition.
Overcoming traumatic experiences and leading a healthy lifestyle can feel incredibly challenging. That’s why our Community & Behavioral Services (CBS) Healing Center has formed a Men’s Talking Circle for men 18 years of age and older with a focus on healing wounds and achieving wellness.
Topics Covered:
Communicating Feelings
Coping Strategies for Grief & Trauma
Understanding Emotions
Managing Stress and Anxiety
Parenting & Relationship Challenges
Walking in Sobriety
The talking circles are held every other Wednesday from 5:30 PM7:30 PM at the Gajaa Hít building (250 Gordon Street) in Juneau, Alaska.
For questions or more information, contact the CBS Healing Center at 907.463.7305.
“This was a solid investment with sustainable profit projections and an important land acquisition as the Tribe continues to develop its campus in the downtown area,” said Ware. “The business will immediately provide training and employment opportunities for tribal citizens, as well as future development potential.”
Tlingit & Haida President Richard Chalyee Éesh Peterson said this is part of the Tribe’s continued effort to get lands back into Indigenous hands.
“This acquisition checked all our boxes for the Tribe’s strategic plans for growth and economic sovereignty,” said President Peterson. “Not only are we getting land back in the old Juneau Indian village, but the acquisition also made perfect sense once we completed our due diligence process.”
Tlingit & Haida will continue running the Driftwood Lodge as a hotel and occupants should not notice any change in service.
The Driftwood Lodge offers 62 rooms and suites with kitchens with four separate floor plans and provides complimentary transportation, internet, and paid on-site laundry.
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Amelia Rivera Promoted to Cultural Heritage & Education Division Senior Director
Amelia Rivera (Jiyal’áxch) has been promoted to Senior Director of the Cultural Heritage & Education Division. In this position, she will provide broad oversight of the Generations Southeast Community Learning Center and Cultural Heritage & Education Division, which includes the Haa Yoo X’atángi Kúdi language immersion nest, Head Start, Little Eagles and Ravens Nest (LEARN) Child Care, Higher Education, and Navigators. The division was established in 2017 under the principle that our communities, lands and tribal citizens thrive when our culture is our foundation.
Amelia joined Tlingit & Haida in 2021 and previously served as the Employment & Training manager. She will retain this department within her leadership, focusing on merging post-secondary educational funding options, expanding opportunities for youth, and establishing robust training programs.
“I’m deeply humbled by the opportunity to serve our Tribe in this capacity,” Amelia said. “I look forward to building infrastructures and programs that celebrate Indigenous knowledge and ingenuity, while positively impacting generations to come.”
Amelia grew up in Juneau and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado and a Master of Arts in Secondary Teaching from the University of Alaska Southeast - Juneau. She carries her great-grandmother Emma Frances Marks’ Tlingit name, Jiyal’áxch, and is Lukaax.ádi, Raven Sockeye of the Canoe Prow House on the Alsek River with ties to Shaka Hít in Dry Bay and Yéil Hít in Haines. She is a mother, artist and activist, and enjoys reading, doing beadwork, and beachcombing in her free time.
Summer Youth Employment Services Program
The Employment & Training Department is pleased to announce the Youth Employment Services (YES) program application period will open on March 31st! The summer YES program will run June 5–August 25 and helps students discover career/education pathways, develop employment skills, learn more about tribal operations, and improve self-sufficiency. Employment positions will be available with host employers throughout Southeast Alaska.
Eligibility Requirements:
Must be 14-21 (Student) or 16-24 (Non-Student)
Must be enrolled with Tlingit & Haida
Must be economically disadvantaged
Must reside in Southeast Alaska
Application Requirements:
Complete YES Application with Supporting Documents
Work Permit for Youth Ages 14-17
APPLICATION PERIOD: March 31 – May 8, 2023
Proof of Tribal Enrollment
Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination or Attestation
Parent/Guardian Signature Required for Minors
To learn more about the summer YES program, contact Hunter Huddlestun at 1.800.344.1432 or hhuddlestun@ccthita-nsn.gov.
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Congratulations Jeni Brown Women of Distinction Awardee
Congratulations to our Family & Community Engagement Specialist Jeni Brown for being honored as one of AWARE’s 2023 Women of Distinction. The award celebrates women whose work has benefited the lives of women and children living in Juneau, Alaska.
Jeni in an integral part of the Community & Behavioral Services Healing Center which focuses on expanding programming around prevention, treatment and recovery, and providing direct clinical care to tribal citizens. Over the years, Jeni has shared her personal journey of becoming addicted to drugs after being prescribed opioids, and landing in out and out of jail for years. Now, in her recovery, she has reconnected to her culture and finds healing in traditional ways of life.
“Finding my place back in our community has helped me realize that being a part of the solution and not the problem is well worth the work,” Jeni shared. “Being an honoree for AWARE’s Women of Distinction means to me that all things are possible; it means being an outstanding leader who has shown commitment and dedication to improve our community.”
The Women of Distinction award ceremony was held March 4, 2023 at the Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall in Juneau, Alaska. The other women honored this year were Susan Bell, LaRae Jones and Katheryn Wolfe.
our sovereignty, enhance our economic and cultural resources, and promote self-sufficiency and self-governance for our
PRESORTED STANDARD PAID Juneau, AK Permit No. 139 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED 907.463.7369 Communications@ccthita-nsn.gov Tlingit & Haida Office of the President • Communications PO Box 25500, Juneau AK 99802
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