118th Congress Legislation
Alaska Natives Without Land are currently fighting for passage of the “Unrecognized Southeast Alaska Native Communities Recognition and Compensation Act” in both chambers of Congress.
HOUSE
SENATE
Implementing Legislation:
The Path to Recognition
Amending ANCSA is the only way to correct this congressional oversight and end this half-century-long fight for our landless communities.
There have been several legislative attempts to recognize Haines, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Tenakee and Wrangell through varying bill introductions, but unfortunately no previous legislation advanced through Congress due to unrelated partisan politics delaying the process.
The 116th session of Congress was monumental in being the first-ever federal legislation introduced on behalf of the landless communities to include maps showing specific lands proposed for conveyance.
The 117th session of Congress garnered unanimous support from our Alaska delegation and we were happy to announce that Congresswoman Mary Peltola introduced a bipartisan bill in the House of Representatives.
This 118th session of Congress has us unanimously supported by our bipartisan Alaska delegation with bills in both the Senate and House of Representatives.
Legislation would grant all five landless communities the opportunity to form urban corporations and receive land entitlements under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 (ANCSA), conferring 23,040 acres that are duly owed by the federal government to Tenakee, Wrangell, Petersburg, Ketchikan, and Haines.
The time has come to publicly and officially acknowledge these five communities as original Alaska Native villages with valid claim to their lands and their future.
““Access to land is crucial, and will help bring economic opportunity and upward mobility to the Alaska Natives in Southeast. Securing a better tomorrow for Alaska Natives starts with ensuring fair treatment under the law. I ask my friends on both sides of the aisle to stand with us in the critical and long-overdue effort.””
With bill reintroduction, it is now more important than ever that we continue to support our communities and get our volunteers on the ground advocating for this important cause.
