Alaska Native Sisterhood

Alaska Native Sisterhood is a long-standing Indigenous fraternal and civic organization founded to advocate for the civil rights, cultural preservation, and welfare of Alaska Native peoples. The group emerged in the early 20th century amid interactions with missionaries, traders, and territorial officials, seeking equality alongside contemporaneous groups such as the Alaska Native Brotherhood, the National Congress of American Indians, and organizations influenced by leaders like Edward Marsden, William Paul, and Elizabeth Peratrovich. Its development intersected with events and institutions including the Alaska Territory, the Tlingit people, the Tsimshian people, and the broader movement toward Alaska statehood.

History

The Sisterhood began in Sitka in 1915 during a period marked by contact with entities such as Anglican Church in North America, U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, and commercial interests like the Northwest Trading Company. Early chapters formed in communities including Juneau, Ketchikan, Wrangell, and Kodiak, connecting relatives across Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian, and other nations. The organization worked in parallel with figures like Franklin D. Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt, and advocates within the Alaska Territorial Legislature to address issues of suffrage, Indian Citizenship Act, and anti-discrimination in public facilities, culminating in campaigns associated with the Alaska Anti-Discrimination Act efforts and legal contexts influenced by cases like Brown v. Board of Education and legislative measures during the New Deal. During World War II and the postwar era, the Sisterhood engaged with veterans’ issues, interacting with institutions such as the Veterans Administration, while also responding to resource disputes involving corporations like the Alaska Packers Association and federal agencies including the U.S. Forest Service.

Organization and Structure

The Sisterhood is organized into local lodges affiliated with a territorial or statewide grand lodge, similar in form to fraternal orders like the Elks, Masons, and the Order of the Eastern Star. Leadership roles mirror those in contemporary civic institutions: presidents, secretaries, treasurers, and trustees, enabling coordination with bodies such as the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act proponents, regional nonprofits, and tribal governments like the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska and the Association of Village Council Presidents. Funding and program partnerships have involved agencies such as the U.S. Department of the Interior, nonprofit funders like the Rasmuson Foundation, and educational bodies including the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the Sealaska Heritage Institute.

Membership and Activities

Membership traditionally comprised Indigenous women from communities across Southeast Alaska, the Aleutian Islands, and interior regions, including members of the Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian, Aleut (Unangan), and Athabaskan nations. Activities have ranged from cultural preservation—collaborating with artists like Freda Diesing and carvers tied to institutions such as the Alaska State Museum—to political advocacy partnering with activists like Elizabeth Peratrovich and legal advocates who engaged with the Alaska Supreme Court. The Sisterhood has sponsored educational scholarships connected to campuses such as University of Alaska Anchorage, health campaigns coordinated with the Indian Health Service, language revitalization efforts alongside the Sealaska Heritage Institute, and community services comparable to programs run by the Native American Rights Fund and the Alaska Federation of Natives. Annual conventions and gatherings attracted delegates who also participated in events like the Sitka National Historical Park ceremonies and statewide forums including the Alaska Federation of Natives Annual Convention.

Cultural and Political Impact

The organization contributed to shifting public policy and social norms in Alaska by advocating against segregation in places such as theaters, restaurants, and public transit, joining a trajectory that included legal and legislative developments linked to figures like Elizabeth Peratrovich and institutions such as the Alaska Territorial Legislature. Through cultural stewardship, the Sisterhood supported the preservation of art forms associated with artists from families connected to the Klawock Totem Park and to educational curricula at schools like the Mt. Edgecumbe High School. Political collaboration extended to interactions with the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act debate, village corporations established under Title VIII of ANCSA, and regional advocacy through groups like the Alaska Federation of Natives and the Council on American–Islamic Relations in broader coalition-building contexts. Their work influenced discourses around resource development, subsistence rights, and representation in elected bodies such as the Alaska House of Representatives and the United States Congress.

Notable Members and Leaders

Notable figures associated with the Sisterhood and its milieu include civic leaders and activists who worked alongside or in complementary roles to Sisterhood initiatives: Elizabeth Peratrovich, William Paul, Edward Marsden, Rita Pitka Blumenstein, Charles Anderson, Rosie Okleshen (community advocate), Julia Kiniski (Alaska activist), and elders recognized by institutions such as the Sealaska Corporation and the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. Collaborators and allies included jurists, legislators, and cultural figures from institutions like the Alaska State Legislature, U.S. Congress, National Congress of American Indians, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Rasmuson Foundation who partnered on health, education, and legal campaigns.

Category:Alaska Native organizations Category:Native American women's organizations