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The Wilderness Society Supports Formation of New Alaska Native Corporations
The Wilderness Society, a conservation group, has announced a change in its position regarding the creation of new Alaska Native corporations in Southeast Alaska. The organization historically opposed the formation of these new corporations, but it now supports Senate Bill 1889 and House Bill 4748, known as the Unrecognized Southeast Alaska Native Communities Recognition and Compensation Act.
These bills aim to create for-profit Native corporations for five Native communities that were left out of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971. The act, which transferred almost a billion dollars and title to 44 million acres to Native corporations, aims to rectify the historical wrong and ensure the cultural survival and prosperity of these communities.
The Wilderness Society’s senior regional director for Alaska, Karlin Itchoak, expressed the organization’s support for the bills, stating that it is a significant step toward correcting injustices against Alaska Native communities in Haines, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Tenakee Springs, and Wrangell.
Meda DeWitt, the society’s senior specialist for Alaska and a Naanya.aayí Tlingit from Wrangell, Alaska, highlighted the importance of land rights and preservation of Indigenous culture, traditions, and ways of life.
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, who sponsored the bill, praised The Wilderness Society for reversing its opposition and acknowledged the importance of rectifying the omission of these five Native communities from ANCSA.
Richard Tashee Rinehart Jr., a Tlingit advocate for the bill, commended the society’s new position and emphasized that it makes a difference when such a large group is supportive of the cause.
The bill has also seen support from other environmental organizations, including the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council, the Sierra Club, and EarthJustice, which have changed their opposition to a neutral stance.
The reasons for the communities being left out of the 1971 settlement act are not fully known, but efforts to rectify the injustice are underway. The Wilderness Society has apologized for its past opposition and acknowledged the need for funding the new corporations properly to avoid reliance on extractive industries.
The bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the House Natural Resources Committee for further consideration.
Overall, the support from The Wilderness Society and other environmental organizations marks a significant step forward in addressing historical injustices and ensuring the cultural and economic well-being of Alaska Native communities.
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