Sealaska selected 11 acres in Redoubt Bay, under a provision of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act – 14 (h)(1)c – which allows regional Native corporations to apply for title to historical places and cemetery sites across the state.

Sealaska made the Redoubt selection in 1975, but the formal conveyance took decades.

To the surprise of many, the Sitka Tribe supported Sealaska’s selection. The two organizations signed a management agreement in 2013 spelling out how they would work together, once the transfer was complete.

That’s now happened, and the Tribe’s CEO Lisa Gassman said Sealaska would be back this summer to expand that original agreement.

“They need to acknowledge that the lands that they own under traditional Lingít law, the Kiks.ádi were the true owners of Kunaa and therefore they believe that tribal citizens should be the direct beneficiaries of this land,”said Gassman. “What they have talked about is ensuring that fishing still happens out there. They understand – and that’s why they got this land – was because it was fishing had historically happened out there.”

And fishing is still happening at Redoubt. For over twenty years, the Forest Service has fertilized Redoubt Lake, producing a run of sockeye salmon that typically reaches the tens – and sometimes hundreds – of thousands. Scores of Sitkans take the 17-mile skiff ride to dipnet in Redoubt Falls (and now to set seine nets). Tribal Council member Steve Johnson said the Tribe and Sealaska had to be clear that fishing will continue unimpeded.

“We know that Redoubt is a very important subsistence area to a lot of us,” said Johnson. “And I mean so much food goes into so many freezers in this town from that area, and so we want to make sure that we’re transparent in our dealings with it, and that access and things will be preserved.”

Although continued federal funding for lake fertilization is a question mark, council members assured the assembly that the Forest Service would continue to have an easement to install and operate the weir at the top of the falls. Additionally, council member Lillian Feldpausch noted that Sealaska and the Tribe would keep policies in place, particularly the prohibition against dogs on shore.

Other issues discussed by the Tribal Council and Sitka Assembly:

1. Update on Katlian Ave. sidewalks and the demolition of Daginaa Hit (CBS and STA will cost-share the demolition.
2. Preservation of 203 Kaagwaantaan St.
3. Review of STA’s local legislative priorities.
   • Transfer ownership of old airplane float and submerged lands to Tribe for building expansion.
   • Incorporate AK Native Knowledge Network curriculum into Sitka Schools.
   • Continued cooperative work on housing.
   • 204 Siginaka Way traffic safety (move Eliason Harbor traffic below STA’s parking lot).
   • Improve municipal infrastructure in Sitka Indian Village.
   • STA input on proprosed Lincoln St. improvements.

Urban Bears

The rule about dogs at Redoubt is meant to protect pets against harmful interactions with bears, which are abundant at Redoubt. And they’re abundant back in Sitka as well, and much more active earlier in the season than in past years.

Council member Martha Moses expressed her continued frustration at the wide disparity between the relatively small fines paid by residents cited by the Sitka Police Department for leaving garbage out, and the $320 citations handed down by troopers for illegally feeding wildlife.

Tribal chair Yeidikook’áa said she felt privilege was involved, as many residents simply did not have a garage, or adequate freezer space, to store garbage until collection day.

One bear has already been killed by the Alaska Department of Fish & Game this year in Sitka. The recent record of 14 kills in Sitka was set in 2021. Council member Lillian Feldpausch felt 2025 was off to a bad start.

“When the bear is breaking down a shed, a garage, and if their garbage is secure, what’s next?” she asked. “The house? It’s going to be a bad year. It just feels like a bad bear year.” 

Feldpausch said she respected bears, “but I think we need to be a little more aggressive.”

Council member Lesa Way thought a 24/7 bear-proof dumpster at the transfer station would aid residents like her who want to be responsible about garbage after work hours.

“It would be so nice to have just a dumpster out in front that at five o’clock or at seven o’clock at night, when I’m done (with work) and I’ve got to get rid of garbage, that I could just take it up there,” said Way.

Sitka municipal administrator John Leach liked Way’s idea. He said that the city was already experimenting with bear-proof dumpsters.

“We heard great things about the system they put in place at the Trooper Academy, and that’s why we’re trying the dumpster thing,” said Leach. “We had a couple of those dumpsters available in the harbor system – the roll-off units – so we’re keeping those in a centralized location that hopefully gets the garbage away from the homes. And if the bears try to get into the dumpsters, they’re not going to be able to get into those dumpsters. And we’ll pick those up once a week.”

Leach said staff would monitor the new dumpsters throughout the season, to determine if they are something the city should adopt in the future.

The Sitka Tribe of Alaska Tribal Council and the Sitka Assembly met for their semi-annual government to government meeting Thursday (9/27/19) night at the Channel Club restaurant.

Tribal Chair KathyHope Erickson and Sitka Tribe of Alaska General Manager Lisa Gassman told assembly members that STA had donated over a million dollars to community programs and was a conduit for millions more in federal money funneled into the community this year. 

Some of that money was awarded at the meeting- the group posed with a check for a $300,000 pass through-grant from the US Department of Justice. Erickson presented the award to Police Chief Robert Baty- the money is funding updated software for the Sitka Police Department.

The government leaders also discussed updating their shared “memorandum of understanding.” This is a document established in the late 1990s, that spells out the obligations of each government has to each other.

That document needs to be updated because STA has acquired several more properties in the past two decades, including the former forest service offices at 204 Siginaka Way, which will be the location of STA’s new headquarters.

City and Tribal government leaders broke bread at their biannual government to government meeting on Tuesday  night (3/5/19). During a two hour dinner at the Westmark Hotel, five of Sitka’s seven assembly members and Sitka Tribal Council members discussed issues of shared significance to STA and the city, like education, affordable housing, homelessness, and economic development.

But the future management of the Sitka Sac Roe Herring Fishery was at the top of the list. STA leaders asked assembly members if they would be willing to voice support for a subsistence management plan for the fishery. STA General Manager Lisa Gassman said the Tribe will present a document for the assembly to review at a later date, though whether that will be a resolution or letter of support has not yet been determined.

Tribal leadership also spoke about the status of their new address, 204 Siginaka Way, the former Forest Service building where the new headquarters of STA will be. Gassman said they hope to move into the new building by mid-August. Assembly member Aaron Bean asked what they would do with the former STA headquarters.

“That’s still up in the air,” said Tribal Chair KathyHope Erickson. “There are so many wonderful things we want to do with it.”

Assembly member Richard Wein said he thought the Tribe should consider opening a charter school in the building, where educators would teach K-12 along with more cultural education components.

The groups also talked about collaboration goals for 2019, including homelessness in Sitka and affordable housing. They discussed changing city zoning for cemeteries, and STA’s funding contributions to Sitka, including around $900,000 in pass-through grants in 2019 for things like remodeling of the SAFV shelter and funding the Sitka Police Department’s hiring of a detective dedicated to domestic violence investigations.

The city’s Planning Department estimates they will receive upwards of 625 applications for property tax exemptions from senior citizens and disabled veterans. Assessor Wendy Lawrence is performing a spot audit of the program that has angered some seniors. (Emily Kwong/KCAW photo)

When Sitka’s senior sales tax exemption came back, not all elements of the program were the same. Senior citizens gave the Assembly an earful about this last night (11-08-18). The group voted to restore the program back to the way it was before. The Assembly also learned more about the city’s audit of the senior citizen/disabled veteran property tax exemption program. Assessor Wendy Lawrence expects 25% of Sitka residences will apply.

Downloadable audio.

Since it was reinstated, city administration has been trying to curtail abuse of the senior sales tax exemption. Administrator Keith Brady has directed businesses to ask for IDs to prove a person is 65 or older and to refuse the exemptions to  non-senior spouses. Citizen Beverly Brill was livid at that, reading a list of “R” words she wanted the Assembly to remember. “The letter R – read – the letter R – reinstate. It’s pretty simple to me,” Brill said.

Administrator Keith Brady was straightforward in expressing his desire to put new policies in place for the old program, which was loosely enforced. He wanted three months to develop a database or some other kind of system to ensure eligibility. “It wouldn’t be probably that dissimilar from the old program. I think there’s certain things that needed to be tightened up. That’s the reason for it. Could we go back, yes?,” he said. “Going back” is exactly what the Assembly wanted, voting unanimously  – 6 to 0 – to restore the program as it was. Assembly member Steven Eisenbeisz was absent.

Speaking of seniors, the Assembly also gained clarity on the city’s effort to audit those who receive a property tax exemption. Sitka Assessor Wendy Lawrence fielded questions from the Assembly about the process.

Every four years, the City of Sitka performs an audit of a property tax exemption program for senior citizens and disabled veterans (known as “SCDVPTE”). But, the routine audit didn’t happen last year. At that time, Lawrence told the Assembly, her department was occupied with converting Sitka to a computer-assisted mass appraisal system. So this year, she chose to do a spot audit and send a letter to a random 10% of participants. Sixty nine households were notified they had to re-apply for the program and would receive monthly knocks on the door to verify they were living in their senior property exempted residences.

While the Assembly did not contest the City’s pursuit of an audit, several took issue with the process. Valorie Nelson was one of them. “The burden of the seniors that they’re sending this out to – to only give them until December 1st to reply – it’s not enough time, especially if they’re out of town for the holidays,” she said.

Nelson made a motion to push the audit back until January 1st, but that would throw off the schedule for Sitka’s whole assessment process. State assessor Marty McGee – calling in over the phone – said the city might receive a letter of major error. The Assembly didn’t want to risk that and voted Nelson’s motion down 5-1. 

Lawrence said most of the homes that received the letter have re-applied. Her department has identified four that were no longer eligible. She plans to complete the audit’s property inspections by December 14th, which is also the deadline by which senior citizens must re-apply for the program. Lawrence estimates she will have 625 applications this year. That means 25% of Sitka residential properties could forgo paying property taxes on the first $150,000 of their property’s value. For the city, this amounts to a loss of $500,000 in tax revenue. 

In other business, the Sitka Assembly approved imposing a permitting process for businesses to do work throughout the harbor system. They moved to eliminate, however, the $500 fee. They passed the ordinance by a vote of 5-1 with Kevin Knox voting against. Since that is a material change, the ordinance will need a second reading to take effect.

At the beginning of the meeting, the Assembly learned that the city’s first joint negotiation with SEARHC will take place on December 6th. They appropriated an additional $150,000 to pay consultants Sarah Cave and Steve Huebner to continue their work to find an affiliation partner for Sitka Community Hospital. Assembly member Richard Wein pointed out that the city will have appropriated a total of $400,000 to pay for these consultants. Mayor Gary Paxton felt it was money well spent. “We’re going to spend $400,000 negotiating one of the most important things in the history of Sitka, by golly,” Paxton said.

Paxton also read a proclamation in honor of Veterans Day and another recognizing November as Native American Heritage month.

Mayor Gary Paxton read a proclamation recognizing November as Native American Heritage Month. Beside him is Tribal Council Chairwoman KathyHope Erickson and STA General Manager Lisa Gassman. STA’s Social Services Department recently received a high honors award from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government for a child protection program with the lowest child removal rate in the state. (Emily Kwong/KCAW photo)

At the end of the meeting, the Assembly heard from Sitka Police officers Mary Ferguson and Ryan Silva. Both have filed suit against the city, the police department, and Police Chief Jeff Ankerfelt, who was in the room during their comments. Silva is alleging improper procurement practices and retaliation for speaking up. Ferguson is alleging sexual harassment and gender discrimination. 

Both Silva and Ferguson said their employee pictures have been removed from the wall of the police department and their names taken off the schedule. After being on paid administrative leave, Silva said he was nervous about returning to work. “Although I’ve been ordered back to work, I feel anxiety – and frankly quite scared – of what the commander will do to retaliate against me,” Silva said.

As for Ferguson, she said city administrator Keith Brady should not partake in the Assembly’s executive sessions concerning her lawsuit since he is named as a defendant. “I feel that is forgotten that I am a city employee, as well as a citizen, and that I should be protected too. I am realizing the reasons why nobody wants to come forward about anything. I’m asking you, my elected officials, to review my complaint. I am asking you to read, review and discuss the full Geariety report,” Ferguson said. Sitka Tribe of Alaska General Manager Lisa Gassman sat beside her.

Kimberly Geariety is the investigator hired by the city to look into Ferguson’s EEOC complaint. Ferguson has not seen the Geariety report and the Assembly was persuaded by her comments to read it. City attorney Brian Hanson said Assembly members could view it in his office. The Assembly will next meet on Saturday, November 17th for a visioning session for the year ahead.

Representatives of the Sitka Tribe of Alaska and the National Park Service renewed a funding agreement Friday that allows the tribe to co-manage the park. This, after a somber ceremony mourning the Kiks.ádi warriors who fought at the Fort of the Young Saplings. (Photo by Enrique Pérez de la Rosa, KCAW)

The Tlingit people have called Southeast Alaska home for thousands of years. And it wasn’t until the arrival of the first Russian settlers that their territory was taken by force.

Now, the Sitka Tribe of Alaska is back in charge of a small, but historic portion of their ancestral lands. Sitka Tribe has renewed an agreement to manage the interpretation program at Sitka National Historical Park. 

Downloadable audio.

During  the Battle of Sitka in 1804, the Kiks.ádi fought for the land where the city now sits. Two years before, they had ousted Russian colonists who had settled in what is now Old Sitka. Now, the Russians had come back in full force to take back their claims. But the Kiks.ádi were prepared and built a fort that impeded the Russian advance for four days. 

But the Kiks.ádi lost their gunpowder supply in an explosion while transporting it to the Fort of the Young Saplings, located at what is now the tip of Sitka National Historical Park. They were forced to retreat and cede this land to the Russians. The Kiks.ádi left behind their homes and possessions, including their clan regalia, to withdraw from the fort.  

Louise Brady says much more than that was lost in the battle. We’re walking into the wooded park toward an empty field where the fort once stood. A lone totem pole marks the site.

“My ancestors’ blood is on this land,” she said. “And that’s how much we value being Kiks.ádi and being from this land, being a part of this land, this place. So, we can remember all of the people who died and all the people who fought for us to continue to be who we are as Tlingit people.”

Brady is the operations lead for the Sitka National Historical Park. Last Friday, she organized a mourning ceremony to remember her Kiks.ádi ancestors that fought and died for this land.

She says the fight that took place in Totem Park still has relevance to modern-day Tlingit people. It’s just one of the many battles that have taken place since Russian colonialism and American governance. For her, the Battle of Sitka is a story of strength and resilience for native peoples fighting those battles today.

“Sometimes I get tired and when I do I come out here and I remember my grandmothers that fought alongside my grandfathers and I think, ‘you know what, I haven’t had to pick up a gun,” Brady said. “All I’ve had to do is say some words in front of some hostile people.”

People attending the ceremony gathered at the base of the totem pole that now sits where the fort once stood. When the ceremony began, the air around the crowd turned somber. At times, the only audible noise was the seagulls at the mouth of the Indian River in the distance.

Their cacophony seems to cease once Kiks.ádi members began to sing sorrowing songs to remember the Battle of Sitka.

While the battle took place over 200 years ago, Lisa Gassman says the feelings of loss are still very present to Tlingit people today.

“When they started singing the songs – and I’m going to get emotional here now – it just shows the tie that we still have to this land,” Gassman said. “It shows why we won’t go away. It’s important that people to understand that tie cannot be broken and it won’t.”

Attendees to the mourning ceremony gather where the Fort of the Young Saplings once stood. (Photo by Enrique Pérez de la Rosa, KCAW)

Gassman is the General Manager of Sitka Tribe of Alaska. She said the tribe is taking on more responsibilities in the management of Sitka National Historic Park. In 2018, they signed an agreement with the National Park Service to manage interpretation programs. After the mourning ceremony, they renewed that agreement for the first quarter of 2019 with a plan to expand their role.

“We’re excited to be back on our land and working with the Kiks.ádi people, the clans that were here at that time and remembering that history but also looking forward,” Gassman said.

In 1994, the federal Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act was amended to let tribal governments pursue funding agreements for projects and programs on lands culturally connected to the tribe.

Sitka Tribe is not the first to enter a funding agreement, but they are the first to manage history education programs and interpretative talks at a national park.

Bert Frost is the regional director of the Park Service’s Alaska office. He said the members of Sitka Tribe of Alaska are much better prepared to tell the story of what happened at the park in 1804.

“Having members of the Sitka Tribe do it, they can bring a level of detail and passion and understanding that park rangers don’t have,” Frost said. “Having that personal connection is really a special thing for when visitors come and come to see what happened here and try to understand the significance of the site.”

Louise Brady wants events like the mourning ceremony to attract non-native and native people alike. She hopes cross-cultural events will help ease tensions communities of different backgrounds.

“For whatever reason, I think there’s a lot of misunderstanding and miscommunication that, you know, probably started from day one of contact,” Brady said. “It serves people well to come and witness this and to really get a better understanding of how closely we’re connected to this land.”

Brady says Tlingit people have become more welcoming to non-natives in recent years and are more willing to talk about their experiences as indigenous people. All we need to do is listen.

After a year of negotiations, Sitka Tribe of Alaska has entered into partnership with the National Parks Service. The first compacting agreement of its kind in U.S. history, Sitka Tribe would begin co-management of historical interpretation at the park. KCAW’s Katherine Rose reports.

Downloadable Audio

Sitka Tribe of Alaska is partnering with the National Parks Service to manage most of the interpretation programs at Sitka National Historical Park. But Tribal Council chairwoman KathyHope Erickson wonders if “interpretation” is the right word.

“I’ve been joking with a lot of people about it, ‘Why do we call it interpretation when we’re telling our own story?’ I was talking with Lisa today and we kind of came up with the thought that we would like to have that unit named a Tlingit name,” Erickson says. “We’ll consult with our cultural resources committee and see what we can come up with.”

Lisa is Lisa Gassman, general manager with Sitka Tribe of Alaska. They’re both visibly excited to be more involved with how Sitka’s history is shared, especially in a place so important to Tlingit people. Sitka National Historical Park is home to the Tlingit fort site Shís’gi Noow and battleground, where the Kiks.adi Tlingit clashed with the Russian-led forces in 1804. The park also maintains the Russian Bishop’s House as a museum, one of the oldest remaining structures of Russian America. Erickson says the tribe would lead interpretation programs in that building as well.

“Our tribal people have been a big part not only the park but also the orthodox church and life with the bishop,” she says. “We’ll be able to tell it from our perspective.

This compact agreement is historic, the first in the nation in which a tribe will lead interpretation and education services for a national park. It is also precedent setting, though the mechanisms for tribal governments to pursue park management have been in place since the 1990s.

Key to this collaboration is the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act. Amended in 1994, the act now allows tribal governments to get involved with management of federal lands. If a tribe has a special historic or cultural relationship with a national park, they can pursue an Annual Funding Agreement (AFA) to run projects and programs in that park. Sitka Tribe of Alaska general manager Lisa Gassman hopes STA’s move to pursue an annual funding agreement will inspire other tribes to do the same.

“I think there have been barriers. Sitka Tribes being, to our knowledge the first that’s program based versus project based. We anticipate other tribes though seeing this success and wanting to start this in their area and their park as well,” Gassman says.

Through their annual funding agreement, STA has filled some positions already. Former deputy director Tristan Guevin will lead operations through early next year, while Mark Sixbey will serve as an education specialist. They’ve also hired one full-time park ranger and one seasonal park ranger. They’re still looking to fill four seasonal ranger positions before training begins on April 23. The positions are open to all, though tribal citizens are preferred. And Gassman says the new rangers will have a new uniform too.

“There are going to be tribal uniforms versus national service uniforms,” Gassman says. “We’re still in the process of finalizing those before the first tourists come in.”

“It’ll be a nice surprise,” Erickson continues. “But one thing that for sure will be on it? The Tribal seal will be prominent on the uniform.”

The funding agreement will need to be renewed. STA begins negotiations for that this month. Erickson and Gassman both hope for even more collaboration between the tribe and the park.

“It’s the beginning of the realization of a dream,” Erickson says. “I know I have some huge dreams in my head that I can’t necessarily share yet. But keep your eyes open.”

Gassman continues, “I think this is just one step in many that the tribe hopes to take in co-management of Totem Park.”

But there is a waiting period before taking this first step. The Annual Funding Agreement is being reviewed by congress. Should no opposition arise within a 90 day period, it will take effect on May 7th of this year.

Garbage cans stand in a Sitka alley. The city has recommended that rates go up across several Enterprise Funds. While current rates are adequate to pay for city services, they are not enough to finance future maintenance projects.  (Emily Kwong/KCAW)

A community-driven public transportation project has been given the green light by the Sitka Assembly at their Tuesday night meeting (07-11-17). The body also gave final approval to a full roster of rate increases to keep up with inflation and fund future infrastructure projects. 

Metered water service will go up 3%, sewer service by 4.5%, and solid waste disposal by 2%. The vote was  4-3. Assembly members Tristan Guevin, Kevin Knox, Bob Potrzuski and Mayor Matt Hunter voted in favor. Aaron Bean, Aaron Swanson and Steven Eisenbeisz voted against.

In dollar figures, this breaks down as follows for residential users: 

• For wastewater, rates rise from $53.60/month to $56.01/month
• For water, rates rise from $39.35/month to $40.53/month
• For weekly pick-up of a 48-gallon trash can, rates rise from $30.32/month to $30.95/month
• For weekly pick-up of a 96-gallon trash can, rates rise from $50.94/month to $51.99/month
• Connection fees for water and sewer also are going up, under the ordinance

The Assembly also approved a budget amendment – on first reading – of $10,000 to pilot a downtown shuttle for tourists. The money would come from bed tax revenue and will receive a second reading on July 25th. See proposal here: Memo and Ord 2017-24

Interim City Administrator Phillip Messina told the group he’s been talking with Sitka Tribe of Alaska General Manager Lisa Gassman about mobilizing one of their buses for the project.

“Depending on just a couple things, they could start as early as this Sunday. They would start at 8:30, run a 15 minute loop counter clockwise from [Harrigan Centennial Hall] and down Lincoln Street. Up to three stops,” said Messina.

Messina didn’t provide further detail about the proposed route or schedule, but it’s likely the shuttle would run when larger cruise ships are in town. If it’s successful after a 30-day trial, the business community will likely have to put their own funding forward to keep the shuttle going. 

Speaking of dollars, the Assembly approved two grant applications to the state Department of Transportation. One is a $5 million dollar request to replace several floats at Crescent Harbor and $1.5 million dollars to replace electrical infrastructure at Eliason Harbor.

If received, the grants wouldn’t fully cover the project. For Crescent Harbor, the city would need to bond or get a loan for $8.5 million and for Eliason Harbor, another $1.5 million.

This didn’t sit well with several members of the Assembly, because it would require raising harbor rates.

Mayor Matthew Hunter spoke to the challenges at Crescent Harbor in particular. “The cost of maintenance for this harbor is increasing nearly exponentially, as it takes longer and longer bolts and screws instead of nails to hold things together because things are rotting. We do need to fix this. However, if we’re raising rates 6% through 2035, that’s not going to work for our harbors. So we’re probably going to have to subsidize our harbors at some point, or just not have our harbors.

The majority of the Assembly approved the grant applications, preferring to seek funding for the harbors now instead of later.

On first reading, the Assembly also leased additional space to Northline Seafoods, a floating processing plant at the Gary Paxton Industrial Park, and added language to Sitka General Code to provide defense and indemnification for city employees against claims and lawsuits. 

We reported that council members Wilbur Brown and Woody Widmark declined to comment on allegations made by Miyasato that the pair overstepped their authority as members of an informal subcommittee looking into the firing of the Tribe’s director of social services.

It would be more accurate to say that Brown and Widmark were prohibited from commenting by the Tribe’s Code of Conduct, without the permission of the Tribal chair.

Tribal Chair KathyHope Erickson responded to our requests for an interview, and her comments are included in the original story, as are those of former chair Mike Baines. Although general manager Lisa Gassman also was invited to comment, she declined. After the story’s publication she sent a formal statement which reads in part, “The items raised by former Council member Ben Miyasato are confidential in nature, and therefore STA cannot comment further on this matter.”

Read the full STA Media Statement here.

From the STA Code of Conduct:

2.04 Public Statements

Only the Tribal Chairman, or in his or her absence, the Presiding Officer, and the STA General Manager are authorized to speak on behalf of STA. Tribal Council members must obtain permission from the Tribal Chairman before speaking with the media or on behalf of STA. Employees or agents of STA must obtain permission from the STA General Manager before Speaking with the media or on behalf of STA.