Sealaska secures historic conveyance of Redoubt Bay Village

BLM finalizes transfer of culturally significant Ḵunáa site after nearly 50 years

Sealaska Corporation announced the successful conveyance of the Redoubt Bay Village (Ḵunáa) historical site from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), marking the culmination of a nearly 50-year effort to secure this culturally significant land under Alaska Native stewardship.

The 10.54-acre site, located about 10 miles south of Sitka, has been conveyed to Sealaska under Section 14(h)(1) of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA), which allows regional Native corporations to select lands of historical and cultural significance.

For generations, Ḵunáa was a summer village and highly valued source of sockeye salmon. Sealaska’s journey to secure this historical place began in 1975 when the corporation filed for conveyance under ANCSA. Despite receiving certification from the Bureau of Indian Affairs in 1981 that confirmed the site’s eligibility as a historical place, the conveyance process faced numerous obstacles and delays, including competing claims and regulatory challenges.

The Redoubt Bay Village site has a rich history documented through both archaeological evidence and Tlingit oral traditions. Known as Ḵunáa in Tlingit, the village was a seasonal settlement associated with sockeye salmon harvesting, with its name derived from a legend about a clan member who turned to stone while looking down at the village from a nearby mountain.

Unlike lands selected for resource development or economic opportunities, Sealaska’s historical and cemetery site selections under ANCSA 14(h)(1) reflect the corporation’s commitment to preserving cultural heritage even when such properties generate no revenue and incur ongoing maintenance costs.

While many Alaska Native regional corporations primarily selected lands with natural resource or commercial development potential under ANCSA, Sealaska made the deliberate choice to also select numerous historical and cemetery sites. This decision acknowledges a significant responsibility: as a for-profit corporation, Sealaska typically prioritizes lands that generate economic returns for shareholders, yet these historical sites produce no revenue and require ongoing maintenance expenses.

The conveyance includes several reserved easements for trails and fish weir access but maintains Sealaska’s ability to protect the site’s historical and cultural values under a covenant in the patent document.

Sealaska has developed a cooperative management approach for its historical sites together with Sealaska Heritage Institute and tribal governments, as outlined in a 2012 Memorandum of Agreement with the Sitka Tribe of Alaska, which establishes a framework for collaborative preservation of cultural heritage sites. Lisa Gassman, Chief Executive Officer stated “All of Southeast Alaska is Tlingít Aaní. It is a day to celebrate when the original owners again hold title to their own land. We look forward to working with Sealaska on cooperative management.”

Many of Sealaska’s original ANCSA 14(h)(1) selections still await conveyance after five decades. Sealaska continues to advocate for the completion of these transfers to fulfill the promise of ANCSA and ensure cultural heritage remains protected for future generations.

Established in 1972 and committed to global ocean health and traditional values, Sealaska is the Alaska Native regional corporation for Southeast Alaska. Our 27,000 shareholders are Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian people with more than 10,000 years of ancestral ties to the oceans, forests and communities of Southeast Alaska