Juneau, Alaska- Regional Forester Denny Bschor acknowledged the removal of Alaska Native fish camps and smokehouses by the U.S. Forest Service at the 73rd Annual General Assembly of the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, here, last evening .  These removals began in the 1930s and continued through the 1960s in accordance with federal laws and regulations existing during that time period.

This acknowledgement signals the beginning of a new era of trust between the Forest Service and the Southeastern Alaska Tribes.  Bschor said he recognized the importance of acknowledging the past and is committed to fostering respectful and honorable relationships.  The Forest Service does not have the authority to give land back nor to provide compensation for past actions directed by federal law.

Bschor directed Forest Service leaders at the forest and district levels to work with local Tribal governments and leaders to find ways to address these issues.  For example, the Organized Village of Kasaan requested use of national forest land to re-establish a fish camp and smokehouse at the mouth of the Karta River for the subsistence use of current and future Tribal members.  Employees from the Thorne Bay Ranger District are working with Tribal staff members to explore ways to make this possible.

Bschor’s acknowledgement is a result of an October 2005 local level request from the Organized Village of Kasaan and a November 2006 regional level request from the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. It also follows historical research of Forest Service actions undertaken by leadership of the Tongass National Forest.

Photo by Melissa Kookesh