Tlingit and Haida talk ANB Renovations, Indigenous People’s Day at council meeting

After breaking for summer subsistence activities, the Tlingit and Haida community council met for the first time in four months last Thursday at the ANB hall.

The community council is a subsidiary of the Tribal Assembly of Tlingit & Haida. Delegates from around the state and Washington comprise the tribal assembly, and combined with the executive council the two bodies make up the governing body of Tlingit & Haida. The three delegates of Haines are Karen A. Taug, president of the community council, Nancy Keen, and Sue Folletti.

In 2021, the Deishu Tlingit and Haida community council applied for federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA to be able to use the ANB hall to host their monthly meetings, since they did not have their own community building here in Haines.

The first order of business was to review the progress on ANB renovations, which was broken up into six phases. The council is currently in the process of winterizing ANB windows, which is expected to be completed by the third week of October.

The council also acknowledged a thank you received from Jenae’s playground for their donation of $10,000. The council had also donated $10,000 to the Haines Little League in memory of the two landslide victims of 2019.

The community council discussed the host of workshops available, including CIA and Spruce Root’s business basics for artists that will take place Oct. 11-12, and a silver carving intensive class with Jenny Lyn Smith that will start after Thanksgiving.

Secretary Cindy Hagwood brought attention to the fact that the Alaska Native Vietnam-era Veterans Land Allotment Program application closes Dec. 29, 2025 and land has potentially opened up in Haines.

Looking towards the upcoming month, Keen said that for Indigenous People’s day on Octo. 9 she encourages people to come together to drum and sing. “If it is nice out I would like to go around the building and walk from here to Raven House. The hill might be a challenge on the way back, but I’m game,” she said.

The next meeting of the community council is Oct. 12.