"he Sitka Tribe of Alaska has come out in favor of a proposal that would convey land around a popular fishing spot to the Sealaska regional Native corporation. The Tribe’s letter of support came as a surprise to the opponents of the measure.

In 1975, Sealaska Corporation selected 11 acres of land around Redoubt Falls, just south of Sitka. The selection has been working through the federal government since then. The Bureau of Land Management plans to send surveyors to Sitka this fall to take a look at the land.

That move is the next step toward transferring the ownership to Sealaska, and it’s caught the attention of local dipnetters and environmentalists, because the falls are a prime location to catch subsistence sockeye, and an important salmon run. They worry that Sealaska’s selection of the land will restrict access to the fish – something the regional native corporation denies."

Get the Story:
Tribe’s support of Redoubt selection surprises opponents (KCAW 8/9)

Southeast Alaska Native Land Entitlement Finalization and Jobs Protection Act:
S.730 | H.R.1408

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