By Whitney Schaeler, Intern
Title: Central Council for the Tlingit and Haida Indians of Alaska Records, 1935-1983
ID: MS/016
Primary Creator: Central Council for the Tlingit and Haida Indians of Alaska
Extent: 8.0 Boxes
Date Acquired: 00/00/1982
Subjects: Haida Indians--History., Tlingit Indians--History.
Languages: English
This collection contains a wide range records associated with the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska (CCTHITA) and the numerous committees, organizations, and Alaska Native villages associated with it spanning from 1935 to 1986, the bulk from 1965 to 1980. This includes meeting minutes, reports, subject files, and correspondence between the Central Council and an assortment of organizations from Southeast Alaska and wider Alaska. The collection also includes articles, governmental papers, and financial statements concerning CCTHITA. Materials have been organized topically.
Boxes 1, 2, 3, & 5 contain primarily the working files of CCTHITA, with Box 4 containing oversized materials, all of which contain correspondence, meeting minutes, and other materials. Box 5 was added to the collection as an addendum after its initial processing. Of special interest are the contents of Box 1, Fd 14, which contains the meeting minutes from delegates of Tlingit and Haida to organize under HR 2756, for a land suit, 1935-1936. Boxes 3 and 5 consist of organizational files kept by CCTHITA, and contains documents relating to CCTHITA’s interactions with various Southeast Alaska organizations, some of which include the Chilkat Indian Association, the Klawock Cooperative Association, the Wrangell Cooperative Association, papers concerning the Organized Village of Saxman, Metlakatla Indian Community, and a host of other entities.
Boxes 6, 7 and 8 contain information pertaining to issues concerning tribal health care systems that the CCTHITA was involved in, as well as information about other causes the organization championed, including subsistence rights, intertribal cooperation, and strong tribal governments recognized by the federal government.
In 1929, at a convention in Haines the Alaska Native Brotherhood (ANB) passed a resolution to sue the United States government for the creation of the Tongass Nation Forest and the Glacier Bay National Park without the permission of the indigenous people of Southeast Alaska. The suit was filed in the Federal Court of Claims and the ANB was later advised that only federally recognized tribes can sue the United States over aboriginal land claims. The ANB then petitioned the United States Congress to recognize the aboriginal people of Southeast Alaska as a tribe and on June 19, 1935, an act of Congress was passed to recognize the Tlingit and Haida people as a single tribe.
Note: In 1934, the Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) was passed to set a standard for the federal government to recognize tribes in the Lower 48. The Alaska Native Brotherhood petitioned Congress to amend the IRA to apply to Alaska, and in 1936 the revision was made.
In 1975, the Indian Self-determination Act (PL 93-638) was passed requiring federal agencies, primarily the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), to contract with federally recognized tribes to manage programs that are intended to benefit Native Americans. In Alaska, the BIA adopted an “Order of Precedence” for recognizing tribes for the purpose of contracting:
Indian Reorganization Act tribes;
Traditional tribes;
Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act village corporations; and
Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act regional corporations.
In 1993, the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs in the Department of the Interior amended the list of federally recognized tribes that are posted in the Federal Register to include all tribes in Alaska. The Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska was left off of the list and petitioned Congress to restore the tribe to the list. In 1994, the President of the United States signed into law an Act that not only restored Tlingit and Haida to the list but also required that the Department of the Interior must consult with Congress before removing any recognized tribe from the list published in the Federal Register.
Sources: Central Council website, accessed January 3, 2014: http://www.ccthita.org/
Repository: Sealaska Heritage Institute Archives
Acquisition Source: Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indians of Alaska
Acquisition Method: The material in the collection was donated to SHI in 1982 by the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indians of Alaska. Accession number 1982.001.
Fd 1: Canadian Tlingit and Haida correspondence, 1979.
Fd 2: Canadian Tlingit and Haida correspondence, 1976-1980.
Fd 3: William Paul correspondence, 1970.
Fd 4: William and Frederick Paul correspondence, 1971-1978.
Fd 5: “A Report on the Historic Records of the CCTHITA: Administrative and Claims Attorneys Records.” November, 1979.
Fd 6: Papers and documents pertaining to the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act. 1975-1979.
Fd 7: Jurisdictional Act, 1935. Correspondence, 1976.
Fd 8: Auke Tribe Incorporation certificate, January 3, 1969. Articles of Incorporation, March 10, 1965.
Fd 9: Chilkat Indian Village Constitution and By-laws, March 27, 1941. Chilkat Indian Village Corporate Charter, March 27, 1941. Village of Kake Constitution and By-laws, November 17, 1947. Village of Saxman Corporate Charter, January 14, 1941. Village of Saxman Constitution and By-laws, January 14, 1941.
Fd 10: Tlingit and Haida membership roll application. Voter registration form.
Fd 11: Alaska Native Brotherhood and Sisterhood Constitution, 1969.
Fd 12: Brief timeline of events pertaining to Tlingit and Haida, 1922-1978. “Alaska Native Self-Government,” May 1982. “AWindfall That Hasn’t Made it Yet,” January 11, 1982; article about the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971.
Fd 13: “Traditional Clan System for Adoption in Tlingit Society,” 1978. Paper with clan names, community houses, and crests. “Modern Tribes.”
Fd 14: “Tlingit and Haida, Inc.: Success Story,” by Philip Drucker, 1976.
Fd 15: “Southeast Alaska Native Foods,” by Mark Jacobs, Jr.
Fd 16: “The History of Aukquwon [Auk Kwaan],” by Philip Joseph, 1967 (2 copies), and “The Sea Otter Hunters,” story retold by Phillip Joseph.
Fd 17: Memorandum to Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs from the Associate Solicitor of Indian Affairs, 1978. The Six-Point Plan for Social and Economic Development (3 copies).
Fd 18: Letter from Robert L. Bennett to Reverend Walter Soboleff about materials sent, March 15, 1963. Minutes for the Planning Committee Meeting, February 25, 1963.
Fd 19: Correspondence, 1976-1980. Government Acts, 1974 and 1975. Papers on enrollment, the dilemma of Indian preference, and tribal government. Hearing on the “Transfer of Indian Lands to Heirs or Lineal Descendants,” February 28, 1980. Federal Register, September 4, 1975.
Fd 20: Southeast Alaska Agency Report, April 19, 1971. Southeast Alaska Native Land Claims Enrollment, April 3, 1972. By Joseph G. Wilson. Newspaper clippings from the Petersburg Press: “Borbridge Re-elected T-H President”, “Denny Questions Dismissal”, and “Amy Honored at T-H Convention.” April 27, 1972.
Fd 21: The Alaska Native Foundation Annual Budget Report, March 1975. (2 copies).
Fd 22: The Alaska Native Foundation correspondence, 1977.
Fd 23: Meeting minutes of the Tlingit and Haida, December 14, 1935. Correspondence, 1972, 1976.
Fd 24: Sealaska Corporation booklet about the history, people, and events. Reports 1972-1973. Newsletter to the future stockholders of the Sealaska Corporation.
Fd 25: Message of Albert Frank, Sr. to the Central Council on March 31, 1979, at Sitka, Alaska, about the Alaska Native Brotherhood.
Fd 26: CCTHITA brief history book and photo album.
Fd 27: CCTHITA constitution booklet, adopted April 17, 1973.
Fd 28: CCTHITA Evaluation Review Committee Reports, 1972-1974. (2 copies)
Fd 29: CCTHITA correspondence and notes, 1979.
Fd 30: General Correspondence, 1982.
Fd 31: General Correspondence, 1982.
Fd 32: Indian Tribal Governmental Tax Status Act, 1976. Correspondence about Tribe federal income tax status, 1976-1977.
Fd 33: CCTHITA Annual Report, September 30, 1983.
Fd 34: Hearing before the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Indian Affairs: “Recognition of Certain Indian Tribes” April 18, 1978. “Hawaiian Native Educational Assistance Act” May 16, 1978.
Fd 35: Correspondence, testimony, and documents pertaining to the Indian Judgment Funds Distribution Act, 1973-1974.
Fd 36: The Tee-hit-ton Indians vs. United States Supreme Court case, 1951-1954.
Fd 37: CCTHITA contract with Dr. Philip Drucker, 1972. Dr. Drucker was hired to aid in the suit against the United States in reference to the bombardment of Angoon.
Fd 38: Transcript record of hearing concerning disposition of judgment funds awarded Angoon by Indian Claims Commission, September 27, 1974. Correspondence related to the judgment, 1974.
Fd 39: Angoon Bombardment Funds correspondence, 1976.
Fd 40: Procedure, instructions, and amendments for the I.R.A. (Indian Reorganization Act), 1934-1936.
Fd 41: Testimony of Raymond Paddock on behalf of the CCTHITA in support of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act. May 31, 1974. Testimony of Joseph G. Wilson, May 31, 1974.
Fd 42: Townsite Lands, 1978. Paper about the Alaska Native Townsite Act. A Bill: An Act establishing fish and game regional councils.
Fd 43: Tlingit and Haida Housing Development Corporation- Article of incorporation and by-laws, 1972-1973
Fd 44: THRHA (Tlingit and Haida Regional Housing Authority) director’s correspondence, 1973-1977.
Fd 45: THRHA director’s correspondence, 1976-1978.
Fd 46: THRHA miscellaneous correspondence, 1976-1979.
Fd 47: THRHA minutes, correspondence, and reports, 1973-1978.
Fd 48: THRHA- Housing Development Corporation meeting minutes and correspondence, 1977-1979.
Fd 49: THRHA audit, 1980.
Fd 50: “History of the Tlingit-Haida Regional Housing Authority,” April 20, 1983.
