President Richard Chalyee Éesh Peterson’s State of the Tribe address underscored this year’s theme. Over the course of the past two years, the Tribe has been acquiring property and businesses in Juneau, Alaska under its strategic "Land Back" initiative to build a centralized campus in downtown Juneau and generate unrestricted revenue to expand services to tribal citizens outside of the region. The most recent property acquisition was the Driftwood Lodge in Juneau's Áak'w Village District.
“What was illegally and unlawfully taken from us was legally and lawfully bought back,” said President Peterson. “Self-governance and determination go back to economic sovereignty.”
President Peterson also provided an update on Tlingit & Haida’s first parcel of land approved by the United States Department of Interior for federal trust status.
"There is one simple reason we are putting this land into trust. It is to protect this land, which was an original Indian town site, and to protect it in perpetuity, that is it," he said. “Why do we have to do it? Because they stole it the first time. That’s why we are putting it into trust."
Other reports provided by Tlingit & Haida's administration provided further information on the progress and future of the Tribe.
Chief Financial Officer Theresa Belton reported Tlingit & Haida’s operating budget was approximately $90 million last year and general fund budget was slightly more than $9.4 million. Belton also shared the year-end balance of the Tribe’s Trust Fund was a little under $20 million, which was a net decrease of about $5.6 million as a result of property acquisitions and marketing conditions.
Chief Development Officer Will Ware provided a closer look at the Tribe’s property and business acquisitions. During his report, Ware shared information on renovations being made to the 400 and 410 Willoughby properties to create a centralized campus for Tlingit & Haida, draft development plans for the 86-acre Kowee Creek property on Douglas Island, construction of a new warehouse for bulk storage, and a new facility to provide a commercial kitchen for Smokehouse Catering and food security.
Ware also talked about the success of Tlingit & Haida’s tribal enterprises, including the Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall, Sacred Shine, Sacred Grounds Cafés, and Smokehouse Catering.
“I’m extremely proud of every enterprise we have. The Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall is an enterprise that was hard to turn a profit a few years ago. With marketing, we are now fully booked and our calendar is booked out,” Ware said, adding that special funding has allowed Tlingit & Haida to offer the hall for free for cultural events like memorials and ku.éex's.
Tlingit Haida Tribal Business Corporation (THTBC) Chief Executive Officer Richard Rinehart reported earnings rose 400% over the past few years with a net profit of more than $2 million in 2022. THTBC is a wholly owned business enterprise of Tlingit & Haida with a mission to engage in, carry on and conduct business to improve the economic condition of the Tribe. With a focus on government contracting, THTBC has 1,600 employees and more than $800 million in signed contracts and recently provided a $540 thousand dividend to Tlingit & Haida.
Chief Operating Officer Roald Helgesen reported on the Tribe’s 105(l) lease agreements, workforce expansion, and community and client services.
Under the Indian Self-Determination & Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA), Tlingit & Haida submitted 19 additional 105(l) lease requests in 2022. If fully funded, the reimbursement of costs for facilities maintenance and operations would save Tlingit & Haida $5 million annually in operating expenses.
Helgesen also reported Tlingit & Haida’s workforce has grown to 540 employees and maintained an 80% Native hire rate.
In the area of community and client services, Helgesen also shared information on the Tribe’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) programs and five divisions (Community & Behavioral Services, Cultural Heritage & Education, Family Services, Native Lands & Resources, and Public Safety).
Through a special presentation from Senior Director Dr. Tina Woods, Delegates learned more about the Tribe’s Community & Behavioral Services Healing Center. Dr. Woods talked about the critical work being done to support tribal citizens on their healing journey through outpatient assessments and referrals for psychological testing, culturally responsive counseling, and same-day crisis response care.
“We have to think of behavioral health as an entire spectrum of services from prevention, intervention, postvention, and recovery, and it will take all of us to do the work and heal together,” said Dr. Woods.
Dr. Woods also shared the Tribe will be holding a Men's Healing Summit in August. “It’s really hard to reach our men. The work we’re doing in preparation for the Men’s Healing Summit is quite incredible. We have partnered with our friends from Haida Gwaii who will join us to facilitate a workshop on how to start a men’s healing group in your respective communities.”
This year’s keynote address was delivered by Holland & Knight attorney Phil Baker-Shenk, who has served as Tlingit & Haida’s Washington D.C. attorney for more than 30 years.
“I want to speak about the resilience I’ve seen at Tlingit & Haida. The Tlingit & Haida people have survived colonization, exploitation, land and resource theft, decimation of fish and wildlife, cultural misappropriation, language loss, kidnappings, and prejudicial discrimination, and you are still here,” Baker-Shenk shared.
He also talked about Tlingit & Haida’s first land into trust parcel and the lawsuit the State of Alaska filed against the federal government. “For a tribal government like Tlingit & Haida, regaining landownership and jurisdiction is key to restoring the full measure of sovereignty it once had,” Baker-Shenk said.
During the elections, the nomination of Cindy Pederson of Washington was unchallenged for Delegate/Citizen of the Year. Aurora Lehr of Washington was reelected to another term as a Tribal Court Associate Justice and Lauryn Framke of Juneau, Alaska was elected the 2023-2024 Emerging Leader.
