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Correcting the wrongs of the past To the Editor: As the Landless Native bill works through Congress and many Alaskans eagerly await its passage and others oppose it, a look at the past provides a broader perspective. In the years prior to Statehood when Alaska was a Territory, there was a movement to repatriate lands to Alaska Natives through the creation of a system of reservations throughout the Territory. At the time, the Governor of Alaska was Ernest Gruening, a wise and learned man who believed strongly in Native rights. He did not...
November 16, 1923 – What for a time looked like a serious accident occurred to the steamer Northwestern as she was pulling away from the Petersburg dock last Saturday. In rounding the red spar buoy into the channel opposite the town, the vessel refused to answer her helm and plowed into the sand bar in front of the Hanseth homestead. When she finally stopped, her bow was within a few feet of dry land and she was apparently tightly stuck. Scows were immediately towed to the scene and considerable concentrates from the forward hold were l...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly unanimously approved the sale of a borough-owned lot at the corner of Haugen Drive and North 12th Street to the Petersburg Indian Association for a price of $45,000 following negotiations with Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht. The sale comes on the heels of an Aug. 7 decision by the assembly to move forward with PIA’s application to purchase the property located at 10 N. 12th Street, and an Aug. 20 approval to sell the lot directly to PIA, instead of through a public bid. Cris Morrison, President of the Tribal Co...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly voted to move the Petersburg Indian Association's application to purchase a borough-owned lot at the corner of Haugen Drive and North 12th Street forward during its Aug. 7 meeting. Though the application is moving forward, the assembly did not come to an agreement on how the lot should be sold-either by a public sale or by a direct sale to PIA. The 0.31-acre property, located at 10 N. 12th Street, is undeveloped apart from the Petersburg School District's...
The Head Start program operated in 10 Southeast communities by the Central Council of Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska wants to reduce its authorized enrollment by 80 children as the nonprofit adjusts to a tightening budget situation and staffing shortages. Tlingit & Haida is approved to serve 262 children across Southeast but has asked federal officials for permission to reduce the number to 182, according to Head Start Director Christa Green. Federal funding covers almost 80% of the program’s budget. The program provides 20 Head Start...
Four interpretive signs detailing the cultural and natural history of Sandy Beach are set to be installed at the park within the next year. The signs will describe four themes of Indigenous people's presence at Sandy beach-arrival, fish traps, petroglyphs, and shell midden. "It's a dream," PIA Tribal Council Member Brenda Norheim said. "Something that we have been talking about for...at least the last 10 years of being able to have more of a presence in our community overall and with telling...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly unanimously approved an ordinance in its second reading Monday that could allow federally recognized tribes to purchase borough-owned land for less than their assessed value. Currently, if the assembly determines it to be in the borough's best interest, borough property may be sold below assessed value to state and federal agencies, nonprofit entities, and for purposes of economic development. If the ordinance passes, it would add federally recognized tribes,...
Since last September, the Elks Lodge has provided $25,000 in meals to support local youth fundraisers, $26,000 to locals in need, and $20,000 in volunteer time and other associated costs of running their kitchen and dining hall. That all started with a $7,500 grant from the State Elks Association. When that grant ran out, all the costs shifted to being absorbed by the local lodge. "We expect to get another grant, but until then we can just absorb the cost, since all of this falls under our...
Metlakatla Indian Community Mayor Albert Smith wants everyone to spread the word-the invasive European green crab has arrived on the shores of Annette Island and their arrival spells trouble. Southeast Alaska's abundant estuaries and tidal salt marshes are ideal for the predatory and destructive little crabs to become established, as they have along much of the Pacific Northwest's coast. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the number of green crabs caught in the Pug...
A press release this week announced that Petersburg Medical Center Youth Programs will offer expanded summer programming to better meet the community's needs by providing additional options for childcare. Kinder Skog, the popular outdoor forest school, will expand to include a "Forest Kindy" program designed specifically for five and six year olds. Following a recommendation from the State of Alaska Childcare Program, Kinder Skog will transition from a licensed childcare program to a recreationa...
During Monday's Petersburg Borough Assembly meeting, Mayor Mark Jensen and Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht gave a report on the borough's trip to Washington D.C. last week. Jensen, Giesbrecht, and Assembly Members Thomas Fine-Walsh and Scott Newman visited the capital to meet with Petersburg's federal delegation, lobbyists, the U.S. Coast Guard, the National Marine Fisheries Service, and other agencies about major local projects. "We had a pretty busy schedule. Overall, I felt, a good trip,"...
The Petersburg Medical Center Board held a work session with the Petersburg Borough Assembly last Friday where three proposed concepts for the location and design of a new hospital building were discussed. Members from the hospital board and the assembly along with borough and PMC staff heard from Bettisworth North architects who detailed the three site plans. The Excel Site, the Knob Hill Site, and the Creek View Site have some major differences but all feature a two-story hospital with...
The Petersburg Indian Association Tribal Council approved a motion during its meeting on Tuesday to pursue three projects that would open commercial and residential revenue streams for PIA using funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. PIA has almost $3.9 million in ARPA funds, of which $3 million is budgeted for capital projects, that they now plan to put toward remodeling part of the PIA building, constructing a new building and parking lot on a PIA-owned lot, and buying two parcels of land...
Elizabeth Peratrovich Day Awareness activities are taking place this week at the Stedman Elementary School cafeteria. Students are invited to learn to create a craft project of their choice and have a snack while hearing a talk. Homeschool students are invited to attend as well. The activity for third, fourth, and fifth graders takes place on Thursday Feb 16, from 3 – 4 pm. Kindergartners, first and second graders are invited on Friday, Feb. 17 12:30 – 1:30 pm, and all middle and high school students are invited to participate in the act...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly unanimously approved a resolution supporting the Southeast commercial Chinook troll fishery during Monday's meeting. The resolution of support comes in the wake of a judge's recommendation to suspend the fishery as part of an ongoing lawsuit filed by Wild Fish Conservancy (WFC), a Washington-based nonprofit conservation organization. Western District of Washington Magistrate Judge Michelle Peterson's report and recommendation concluded that the National Marine...
Amid much speculation, it was announced during Monday night's Tribal Council meeting that the Petersburg Indian Association will not be purchasing the two properties owned by the Trading Union. According to Tribal Administrator Chad Wright, Trading Union General Manager Barry Morrison rescinded his offer to sell the properties that house the Trading Union and Evergreen Market Monday morning. PIA had the two commercial properties at 401 N. Nordic Drive and 404 N. Nordic Drive appraised and would...
Last Tuesday Humanity in Progress held the sixth annual Project Connect Resource Fair in Petersburg, an event that takes place in conjunction with the Point in Time Count, a nation-wide survey that happens on the same night each year "...to try and get a community understanding, in a certain point of time, of homelessness and housing insecurity," founding member Ashley Kawashima explains. The data collected from individuals experiencing housing or food insecurity is a vital tool for successful s...
The Petersburg Borough is pursuing the possibility of constructing a new float and dock at Papke's Landing with the help of the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities to keep the facility operational while the borough pursues full ownership. The Petersburg Borough Assembly has approved conceptual plans for an eventual major improvement project, but the rapidly declining state of the facility and delays to obtaining ownership have users of the facility questioning if it will...
The Petersburg Indian Association held its annual election on Monday, which saw Tribal Council President Cris Morrison and Tribal Council Members Jaclyn Mae Eide and Joe Stewart reelected according to the unofficial results. Morrison, Eide, and Stewart all ran unopposed for the seats they will be retaining on the council. Morrison, who joined the council in 2017 and has served as council president since 2019, was reelected to a one-year term with 15 votes. "I am looking forward to working with...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly unanimously approved an ordinance in its first reading during Monday's meeting that would rezone a lot located at 10 N. 12th Street for commercial use. The rezoning was requested by the Petersburg Indian Association, which filed an application to purchase the 0.31-acre lot from the borough in September 2022. PIA has stated that it is only interested in the lot, which is currently zoned as an open space, if it is rezoned for commercial use so that it matches an...
January Petersburg experienced record snowfall on New Year's Day with 17.5 inches of new snow on the day, bringing the total snow depth to 40 inches according to the National Weather Service. The Petersburg Borough Assembly passed a resolution requesting a discussion with the U.S. Postal Service about providing additional services in Petersburg following continued issues with staffing, irregular hours, and long lines. All-purpose vehicles became legal to drive on roads in Alaska, including in...
Volunteers rallied at the Community Cold Storage on Nov. 21 to distribute 1,748 pounds of moose burger meat to local organizations. According to Desi Burrell, recipients of the meat included the Petersburg Indian Association, Alaska Native Brotherhood/Alaska Native Sisterhood, Petersburg School District, the Catholic Church soup kitchen, the Baptist Church Wednesday night meals, Monday night meals, Humanity In Progress, Petersburg Children's Center, Mountain View Manor Assisted Living, Mountain...
After two years of navigating supply chain issues and the demands of his other responsibilities working for the Petersburg Indian Association(PIA), Jack Galaktionoff put the final touches on the Mountain View Manor Trail and its official opening was celebrated with a ribbon cutting ceremony held on Monday, November 7th. The trail, which begins behind the Manor at the corner of 13th and Gjoa Streets, is just short of 1400 feet long and connects to the existing Hungry Point Boardwalk, creating a f...
Early in-person voting for the 2022 state general election opened on Monday. Petersburg residents can vote ahead of election day in the community center activity room Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Nov. 7. The election will use ranked choice voting where voters will be able to rank the candidates in each race based on their preference. After the polls close, each voter's first choice vote will be counted. If no candidate receives a majority of the votes, the candidate who...
With the mission of getting kids moving and creating life-long healthy habits, the Petersburg Indian Association is inviting tribal members to apply for financial assistance for the costs of their children's extracurricular activities through the SEARHC program Healthy is Here. Members may receive a reimbursement of up to $100 dollars for elementary, $250 for middle, and $300 for highschool students. Elementary School Principal Heather Conn says, "For elementary school students, eligible fees...
