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| Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska | |
|---|---|
| Name | Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska |
| Regions | Alaska |
| Languages | Tlingit, Haida, English |
| Related | Haida, Tlingit |
Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska is a federally recognized Alaska Native tribal consortium representing citizens of Tlingit and Haida heritage with headquarters in Juneau, Alaska. The consortium engages in cultural preservation, legal advocacy, economic development, and administration of health and social services for members across Southeast Alaska and the United States. Its activities intersect with federal agencies, tribal organizations, and regional corporations such as Bureau of Indian Affairs, Indian Health Service, Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, Sealaska Corporation, and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs-style institutions.
The organization traces roots to pre-contact societies of the Tlingit city-states and the Haida island communities, which interacted with explorers like Captain James Cook and traders including the Hudson's Bay Company and Russian America Company. Contact periods encompassed events such as the Alaska Purchase and epidemics that reshaped population patterns, prompting later political mobilization during the 20th century alongside groups represented by the Alaska Native Brotherhood, Alaska Native Sisterhood, and leaders engaged with the Alaska Territorial Legislature. Federal recognition as a tribal entity followed mid-20th-century advocacy similar to claims litigated under precedents like decisions involving the Bureau of Indian Affairs and statutes such as the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act.
The consortium operates under a constitution ratified by tribal citizens and is governed by an elected Central Council patterned after structures used by organizations such as the National Congress of American Indians and the Inter-Tribal Council of Alaska. Leadership roles include representatives from regional districts comparable to seats in bodies like the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues for consultation, while legal frameworks engage with the United States Department of the Interior and litigation venues including the United States District Court for the District of Alaska. Governance balances customary leadership models rooted in Tlingit and Haida clan systems with municipal interactions involving the City and Borough of Juneau and regional entities like the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium.
Cultural programs emphasize revival of Tlingit language and Haida language through immersion, curricula developed with institutions such as the Sealaska Heritage Institute, partnerships with universities including the University of Alaska Southeast, and archives linked to collections at the Smithsonian Institution and Library of Congress. Artistic traditions preserved include formline art associated with artists like Bill Reid, carving and totem pole raising tied to communities such as Sitka and Ketchikan, and ceremonial practices related to the potlatch contested historically by laws like the Canadian Indian Act (in cross-border Haida contexts). Oral histories engage figures like Chief Shakes lineages and record interactions with explorers like George Vancouver.
Economic initiatives collaborate with regional corporations such as Sealaska Corporation and engage federal programs from the Administration for Native Americans and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration. Enterprises span small business incubation, cultural tourism in locales like Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve and Tongass National Forest, and ventures in natural resource management addressing precedents from cases like Alaska v. Native Village of Venetie Tribal Government. Workforce and training programs coordinate with the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development and tribal colleges, while grant partnerships have been pursued with philanthropic bodies such as the Ford Foundation and National Endowment for the Arts.
The consortium’s legal posture has engaged with landmark frameworks such as the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act and litigation in venues including the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Issues involve territorial rights in regions like the Alexander Archipelago, stewardship of resources in the Tongass National Forest, and treaty precedents informed by cases such as United States v. Washington in broader Pacific Northwest indigenous law. Coordination with entities like Sealaska Corporation and consultations under statutes administered by the National Historic Preservation Act address protection of cultural sites and repatriation acted through the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.
Services administered include health programs through the Indian Health Service, behavioral health modeled on initiatives funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, elder care coordinated with Administration for Community Living, and education scholarships partnered with institutions like the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program. Housing and infrastructure projects align with funding streams from the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Indian Community Development Block Grant programs, while juvenile and family services interact with systems in the State of Alaska and nonprofits such as the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium.
Prominent figures associated with the consortium and its communities include cultural leaders and artists such as Bill Reid, activists linked to the Alaska Native Brotherhood like William Paul (Alaska politician), political representatives paralleling service in the Alaska State Legislature, and contemporary leaders who have engaged with federal officials including Secretaries of the United States Department of the Interior. Other notable persons hail from locales such as Haines, Alaska, Angoon, Alaska, Hydaburg, Alaska, and have contributed to institutions like the Sealaska Heritage Institute and University of Alaska system.
Category:Alaska Native tribes