473 



1 . Wh at is the coaiitio nV 



The coalition consists of Alaska Natives who are 

 shareholders of Sealaska Corporation who are enrolled at the 

 conununities of Haines, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Tenakee Springs, 

 and Wrangell. There are over 2,000 such enrollees at the present 

 time. This figure does not include those Alaska Natives born 

 since the passage of ANCSA in 1971. The coalition is incorporated 

 as a nonprofit corporation under the laws of the State of Alaska, 

 and has been approved under 501 (c) (4) of the Internal Revenue 

 Code by the Internal Revenue Service. 



Each of the Alaska Native communities is within a ma.iority 

 white community in the Tongass National Forest. Each Native 

 community, however, has historical ties to the location of these 

 white communities, and is an American Indian fe'roup with a trust 

 relationship to the federal government. A brxef history of each 

 Native community shows the continuity of residence of Natives in 

 these areas. 



The Haines area is a part of the traditional territory of 

 the Chilkoot Tlingit. The Tlingit name of the village was 

 "Deshu," meaning end of the trail. It was a trading post for 

 barter between the Chilkoot and Interior Indians. The Chilkoot 

 Indian Association of Haines is an entity formed under the Indian 

 Reorganization Act and recognized by the U.S. Department of the 

 Interior. The total population of Haines in 1985 was 1,151. 

 There are 274 Alaska Natives enrolled under the provisions of 

 ANCSA at Haines. 



The Ketchikan area is a part of the traditional territory of 

 the Tongass Tlingit. The Tlingit name of "Kitschkhin" was used by 

 the German anthropologist Krause in 1881. Ketchikan was formerly 

 a Tlingit summer camp used in connection with the Tlingit salmon 

 fishery. The Ketchikan Indian Corporation is an entity formed 

 under the Indian Reorganization Act and recognized by the U.S. 

 Department of the Interior. The total population of Ketchikan in 

 1985 was 7,311. There are 1,278 Alaska Natives enrolled under the 

 provisions of ANCSA at Ketchikan. The Tlingit who reside at 

 Ketchikan are descendants of the Tongass people, but have long 

 had a separate history from those at nearby Saxman. 



The Petersburg area is a part of the traditional territory 

 of the Stikine Tlingit. The original resident of the area was 

 John Lot, a Tlingit, and he was living in the area now occupied 

 by the town of Petersburg when Peter Buschmann arrived in 1897 to 

 start a cannery. The Petersburg Indian Association is an entity 

 formed under the Indian Reorganization Act and recognized by the 

 U.S. Department of the Interior. The total population of 

 Petersburg in 1985 was 3,145. There are 224 Alaska Natives 

 enrolled under the provisions of ANCSA at Petersburg. 



The Tenakee Springs area was a part of the traditional 

 territory of the Angoon Tlingit, but, later, it was occupied by 

 the Wuckitan clan which probably originated from Auk Village. 



