On the right, President Richard Chalyee Éesh Peterson at the Bureau of Indian Affair’s (BIA) Alaska Region office in Anchorage. |
"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. Up 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 of 2007 from the Vavalis family.
Those present during the signing included BIA Deputy Regional Director of Trust Services Lynn Polacca, Realty Specialist Diane Sam, and Regional Realty Officer Cyril Andrews Jr. Several Tlingit & Haida staff were also present – General Counsel Madeline Soboleff Levy, Chief Operating Officer Roald Helgesen and Native Lands & Resources Division Director Desiree Duncan.
Some of those present for the signing: BIA Deputy Regional Director of Trust Services Lynn Polacca, Realty Specialist Diane Sam, and Regional Realty Officer Cyril Andrews Jr. Several Tlingit & Haida staff were also present – General Counsel Madeline Soboleff Levy, Chief Operating Officer Roald Helgesen and Native Lands & Resources Division Director Desiree Duncan. |
On November 17, 2022, the Department of Interior gave notice to Tlingit & Haida it had approved the land-into-trust 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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State Seeks Clarity on Federal Opinions Addressing the Placement of Native Lands into Trust after ANCSA - With five different opinions issued by three different Solicitors of Indian Affairs in the U.S. Department of the Interior over the past several years, confusion exists over whether the 51-year-old Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) extinguished the federal government’s ability to take lands into trust in Alaska. - More...
SitNews - Jan. 17, 2022
Edited/Posted by Mary Kauffman, SitNews
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