Native Lands & Resources

The Native Lands and Resources (NLR) department manages and provides services that enhance and protect the land, environment, cultural artifacts, and Veteran benefits. NLR consists of Realty, Forestry, Transboundary and Climate Change programs funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Compact; the Indian General Assistance Program (IGAP), State Tribal Response Program (STRP), and Preparedness and Disaster Resiliency funded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Cultural Resources program funded by the National Park Service (NPS); and the Indigenous Guardians program funded by the United States Forest Service (USFS) and the Veterans program. In 2021, the NLR department focused on water quality monitoring on transboundary rivers, harmful algae bloom studies, Socio-Economic Adaptation Plan, Indigenous Guardians program, Alaska Native Veteran benefits, management of Native allotments and townsite lots, the probate of restricted estates, and the repatriation of cultural artifacts.

2021 Highlights

Ghuneiteen Desiree Duncan Manager

Cultural Resources

The Cultural Resources program repatriates objects of cultural patrimony, sacred objects, funerary objects, and human remains in accordance with the Native American Graves Protection & Repatriation Act of 1990 and the National Museum of the American Indian Act of 1989. These acts allow federally recognized tribes to repatriate items from museums and federal agencies. ƒ Updated and submitted five claims to the National Museum of the

American Indian (NMAI) and one claim to the Oakland Museum of

California. ƒ Repatriated the Kadashan Mortuary Pole from the Princeton University in New Jersey. The funerary object was collected by Reverend Sheldon

Jackson of the Presbyterian Missions in Alaska in 1879. ƒ Repatriated the Thunderbird Screen from the Los Angeles County

Museum of Art in California. ƒ Entered into a loan agreement with the de Young Museum in San

Francisco, California for the Thunderbird Screen. ƒ Conducted virtual consultations with the Detroit Institute of Arts in

Michigan and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. ƒ Participated in a consultation hosted by the Denver Museum of Nature & Science in Colorado to review and provide input on Tlingit objects for conservation methods in accordance with museum standards. ƒ Secured contract and started construction of an Artifact room that will house all repatriated objects. ƒ Awarded funding in the amount of $89,140 from the National Park

Service for consultations with the Portland Art Museum, Indiana

University Museum, and Evansville Museum.

Environmental & Natural Resources

The Environmental & Natural Resources program assists Southeast Alaska tribes and communities in developing environmental and natural resource awareness. The program provides training activities, educational assistance and coordination of statewide projects. Projects include climate change, transboundary river sampling, and subsistence activities. ƒ Completed construction of the greenhouse and received funding in the amount of $125,000 to continue ongoing efforts to sustain the greenhouse to promote food grown locally while educating communities on clean eating and supporting a more resilient and subsistence way of life in Southeast Alaska. ƒ Hosted a virtual Southeast Environmental

Conference with over 60 participants representing Southeast Alaska tribes,

Southeast Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act corporations, tribal organizations, state and federal agencies, and natural resource and environmental professionals. ƒ Completed the COVID-19 Survey in partnership with the Sitka Sound Science Center to gain a better understanding of how Southeast Alaskans perceive the risk of COVID-19 to address policy change. ƒ Hosted a virtual Disaster and Resiliency Expo with over 80 participants and 15 partner organizations. ƒ Entered into an agreement with Spruce Root for the Alaska Youth Stewards program. ƒ Collected a total of 34 water samples in Juneau, Alaska (17 from Auke Bay, 2 from Point Louisa, and 15 from Amalga Harbor) for the study of harmful algae blooms. ƒ Continued to raise tribal awareness on climate change issues and transboundary mining activities. ƒ Developed a Socio-Economic section to the Climate Change Adaptation Plan. ƒ Joined the Alaska Climate Adaptation Community of Practice organization to provide climate change support to Alaska. ƒ Established a Climate Change committee with the Executive Council. ƒ Conducted 22 water quality samplings which included sediment samples (2 on the Alsek River, 10 on the Chilkat River, and 10 on the Klehini River). This is the sixth year of sampling. ƒ Received $200,000 in funding from the BIA to continue transboundary water quality samplings.

Indigenous Guardians Network

The Indigenous Guardians Network is a partnership formed in 2020 between the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Tlingit & Haida to support Alaska Native communities and tribes through the creation of the Indigenous Guardians Network. The partnership incorporates Traditional Ecological Knowledge in the protection, preservation, restoration, and management of traditional homelands and waters. ƒ Amended the Cost Share Agreement with the USFS to add an additional $155,000 for the

Indigenous Guardians program to benefit Southeast Alaska tribes. ƒ Held the first Indigenous Guardians Gathering that included Southeast tribes, Sealaska, Spruce

Root and other entities. ƒ Created the Indigenous Guardians Network Charter.

Realty & Forestry

ƒ The Realty program provides professional land management to Native landowners who own trust/ restricted properties. Individuals owning Native allotments receive services and consultation in forestland management through the Forestry program. ƒ Processed 14 land conveyances, allotment adjudications, Last Will & Testaments, and probate of estates for restricted property owners. ƒ Received $110,000 to begin a Tree Thinning project on Native allotments in the Summer of 2022. ƒ Submitted a Fee-to-Trust application to the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Alaska Native Veterans Benefits Program

The Veterans Allotment and Benefit program was authorized by the Executive Council to assist Alaska Native Veterans seeking a Native allotment in accordance with Alaska Native Vietnam-Era Veterans program authorized under the Dingell Act of 2019. ƒ Conducted virtual and in-person meetings on the Alaska

Native Vietnam Veteran application and mapping process. ƒ Hosted an Alaska Native Vietnam-Era Allotment Veterans meeting in Haines/Klukwan. ƒ Developed a virtual application and mapping process to present to Veterans for their applications. ƒ Actively researched grant opportunities to sustain the

Veterans program.

2021 Goals

ƒ Implement a recycling program for Tlingit & Haida facilities. ƒ Enter into co-governance agreements with the USFS. ƒ Finalize agreements with the USFS for the Southeast Sustainability Strategy. ƒ Complete the United States Department of Agriculture Southeast Alaska Tribal Conservation

District Bylaws. ƒ Begin outreach to Southeast Alaska tribes for the Indigenous Guardians Network. ƒ Implement the Alaska Youth Stewards program. ƒ Finalize the partnership agreement with the Sitka Sound Science Center for the Landslide project. ƒ Enter into an agreement with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for the Veterans program.