Viewpoints
Lands Sealaska wants NEVER
belonged to Sealaska
By Roger DiPaolo
March 16, 2010
Tuesday
The following argument has become very prevalent of late: "Sealaska
only wants the lands they are entitled to returned to them"
The lands Sealaska wants on Kosciusko Island and Northern Prince
Of Wales Island have NEVER belonged to Sealaska.
Kosciusko Island, where the town of Edna Bay is located, has
been proven to have been unoccupied (even by native Alaskans)
for at least several thousand years until a logging camp was
established at there in the 1940s, which has now grown into a
full-fledged community.
So the argument that Sealaska supporters are using is deceptive
and wrong. Are we all to go back to the places our ancestors
lived several thousand years ago and claim the land is ours by
right? Only chaos would result.
Those who support these land bills should be fair and be accurate.
Only some small areas of the land in question was ever occupied
by Alaksa natives, the majority of it has been unoccupied until
the current communities were established there (Edna Bay, Point
Baker, and Port Protection). If anyone can rightly claim "homeland
status" to most of the contested lands, it is the current
residents, not Sealaska Corporation.
Roger DiPaolo
Edna Bay, AK
About: "I am a resident
of Edna Bay who has to be off-island currently for work."
Received March 16, 2009 - Published
March 16, 2010
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