Southeast Communities Rally for Their Neighbors
Monday, February 24, 2020

Communities up and down Southeast Alaska are feeling the impacts of loss of ferry service. Southeast Alaska is made up of thousands of islands that are home to more than 21 communities. Living in rural Southeast Alaska depends on a reliable ferry service that delivers people and goods and supplies. The Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) provides ferry service in Southeast Alaska and connects people and communities like Interstate 5 (I-5) does for the Pacific Northwest.   

Members of the Sitka ANB/ANS local camps organize a town hall meeting on Feb. 20.

At the end of February 2020, food supplies in the smaller Southeast communities is nearing critical food security levels. Over the last week, people rallied in their communities to “Save the Ferries” and began sending food out to the smaller communities.

Members of the Sitka ANB/ANS local camps organize a town hall meeting on Feb. 20.

A town hall meeting was held on February 20 at the Sitka ANB Hall. The local Alaska Native Brotherhood and Alaska Native Sisterhood (ANB/ANS) organized the meeting to discuss ferry system status, as well as to collect food and dry good donations. After the meeting, volunteers organized the donations for shipment to communities who are in crisis caused by the sudden cuts to their ferry service. Generous donations of food and dry goods were received from the Alaska Commercial Company (AC Lakeside) grocery store, individuals and from a Sitka High School food drive. The collected items in Sitka were shipped to Angoon, Kake and Hoonah. Delivering the food to the communities was made possible by Alaska Seaplanes and its staff who volunteered time for the event and donated discounted air freight service to Angoon and Kake.

Members of the Sitka ANB/ANS local camps organize a town hall meeting on Feb. 20. as well as a food drive with items going to Angoon, Kake and Hoonah.

Sealaska Director David Goade helped at the Sitka ANB Hall where the community was preparing food to send out. “It was heart-warming to see people come together to support others who are in need of basic items like food because of hardships created by the sudden end of ferry service to their communities,” said Goade. “It’s a temporary response to the ongoing crisis in small Alaskan communities that have depended on the ferry system for so many decades. Extraordinary events like this will need to continue until the ferries are running on a regular basis again.”

It’s fitting that leaders of the Alaska Native Brotherhood and Alaska Native Sisterhood are driving solutions during a critical time for our region and people. The ANB/ANS has a 100-year history of advocacy for Native people and the region.

It’s great to see the Alaska Native Brotherhood and Alaska Native Sisterhood in action, promoting grassroots efforts that benefit Native people and communities. We applaud the heartfelt giving that can help address emergency needs, but the State of Alaska needs to create a sustainable solution for the essential public services the ferry system has always provided. Adequate funding for the Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) is Sealaska’s number one state policy priority. The AMHS is critical to shareholders and communities within the region. The AMHS provides Southeast communities with access to healthcare, cultural events, affordable travel for school activities, as well as access to our regional hubs to purchase basic needs.


Latest News


Sealaska Supports the Rebuilding of Sheet’ká Clan House

Posted 4/29/2025
KETCHIKAN, Alaska, April 29, 2025 — Sealaska’s board of directors has approved funding for the reconstruction of the traditional clan house for the Kiks.ádi people of the X’aaká Hít (Point House), on their recently repatriated land in the Sitka Indian Village. This will be the first clan house to be rebuilt in Southeast Alaska in the 21st century. Where there were once 43 active clan houses… Source

Sealaska April Board Meeting Recap

Posted 4/21/2025
Gunalchéesh to those who were able to attend our April 9 Community Business and Shareholder Information Meeting in beloved Ḵaachx̱an.áak’w. Our booths were filled with the great smiles of over 74 shareholders and their families attending. During the event, shareholders had the opportunity to learn about Sealaska’s businesses, engage with Sealaska leadership — including the full board — and enjoy… Source

Sealaska Announces Spring 2025 Distribution of $17.7 Million

Posted 4/11/2025
Sealaska is announcing a Spring 2025 distribution totaling $17.7 million to be issued to shareholders on Thursday, April 17. Sealaska’s board of directors approved the distribution at a meeting held this Friday, April 11. The upcoming distribution includes dividends totaling $2.9 million from Sealaska’s operations, $3.3 million from the Marjorie V. Young (MVY) Shareholder Permanent Fund and… Source

Sealaska Spring 2025 Distribution Date Announced

Posted 3/20/2025
The Sealaska Board of Directors will meet on Friday, April 11, 2025, to approve the amount for Sealaska’s upcoming distribution. Please review the following key dates and complete necessary actions to ensure a seamless distribution. DISTRIBUTION AMOUNT DETERMINED — Friday, April 11, 2025 On April 11, the Board of Directors will meet to determine the distribution amount. Source

Sealaska secures historic conveyance of Redoubt Bay Village

Posted 3/10/2025
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… Source