Statement of Sealaska CEO Chris E. McNeil, Jr. in Response to Remarks from Chair Albert Kookesh at Craig City Council

For the past several years Sealaska has been meeting with communities throughout Southeast Alaska to encourage their comments and suggestions related to our entitlement land legislation. This legislation will protect jobs and provide a foundation for Sealaska economic development activities to continue in the region.

In a recent meeting with the Craig City Council, our corporation's passion to finalize its Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) land entitlement selections came to a boil. It's understandable but unfortunate that recent media coverage from the Craig City Council meeting has focused attention on an incongruous choice of words by our Board Chair, Albert Kookesh, rather than the critical issue of Sealaska’s lands legislation.

Chair Kookesh and the Sealaska board are dedicated advocates of Sealaska's land legislation because they know the economic condition of our villages is critical. This legislation will provide positive economic impacts in some of Southeast Alaska’s most economically distressed communities.

In this time of unprecedented need in our region and state, Chair Kookesh's knowledge, commitment and passion are particularly important as our communities struggle to hold on to jobs, ways of life and, the economic future of Southeast Alaska.

More than 38 years after Congress passed the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, Sealaska tribal member shareholders and communities continue to suffer from unfulfilled promises to provide productive and culturally important lands to our people. After nearly four decades, it is an emotional issue for many of us and patience is hard to come by.

The Haa Aani legislation is the culmination of years of very hard, intimate work with communities throughout the region to stitch together a long-overdue congressional promise under ANCSA. Chair Kookesh has been our leader throughout this collaborative process – his commitment to the vision and ideals of ANCSA has guided the collaborative process to develop the legislation.

Today, with the assistance of municipal, state and federal lawmakers, tribal member shareholders, interest groups and interested citizens, the legislation has evolved and is a strong balance of economic, social, cultural and environmental priorities. We have long recognized that the legislative process is one in which absolute consensus is rare, but we have sought the support of the majority of the stakeholders within Southeast Alaska, regionally and nationally.

Rather than the focusing on a brief, unguarded moment, all of us should be focused on the very real economic and cultural issues facing our communities and our people.

To see the full release click here.

To learn more about Haa Aani click here.

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