Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 53
A constitutional convention along with candid discussions of difficult federal and state issues that have surfaced in recent months are scheduled during the three-day 90th annual Tribal Assembly by the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska starting Wednesday. More than 120 delegates from 21 communities in Alaska, Washington and California are scheduled to gather at Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall where they will also consider resolutions and elect some tribal positions. It will be the first constitutional convention by Tli...
Petersburg Indian Association led a March on Sunday in observance of Elizabeth Peratrovich Day, to honor the woman who spearheaded Alaska's Anti-Discrimination Act of 1945. The procession (pictured below) makes their way up Gjoa Street toward the John Hansen Sr. Hall, with the Elizabeth Peratrovich mural, painted by Janine Gibbons in 2020, visible on the Petersburg Courthouse in the background. Once inside the hall, the Johnson O'Malley program's dancers shared dances and songs with those in...
An acre of muskeg along Petersburg's busy Haugen Drive has been slowly transforming into a parking lot over the last month. It's owned by Petersburg's tribe, the Petersburg Indian Association, or PIA. Tribal Administrator Jalyn Pomrenke said the end goal isn't just a parking lot at the corner of 12th Street, but there is no specific plan yet for what to build beyond parking. "That would be something for the council and the tribe to decide on eventually," she said. "You know, finding funding is...
Forty-three people spent the night in Juneau's emergency shelter at Floyd Dryden Middle School on Monday night as a record-high flood from the Mendenhall Glacier inundated homes. Deputy City Manager Robert Barr said the total number of people who evacuated their homes is likely several times that; shelters are usually a last resort for people who cannot stay with family, friends or in a hotel. "You can imagine how hard it would be to wake up with water in your house, not expecting there to be... Full story
Kassandra Klose, the daughter of Pam and Kurtis Klose, of Ketchikan, was married to Stuart Meeks, the son of Sandi and Phil Meeks, of Petersburg, on January 20, 2024 at the Chapel By The Lake, in Juneau. The wedding was officiated by Pastor Tim Harrison. The ringbearer was Avery Stephen and the maid of honor was the bride's best friend, Bailey Marshall. The bride was given in marriage by her parents and the best man was Sam Jensen. Many relatives from Ketchikan and Petersburg were in attendance...
Alaskan actor L'xeis' Diane Benson plays Bee, an Inupiaq cleaning woman, in the HBO series True Detective. The season finale aired last month, which meant the embargo was lifted and Benson was free to talk about the experience of performing in the show. Benson lives in Petersburg now, but she has lived all over the state. And she's done all sorts of things. She was a professor of Alaska Native Studies at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, an activist politician and Democratic candidate for stat...
Last Friday morning, students at Rae Stedman Elementary listened closely to local author and actor Diane Benson explain the importance of Elizabeth Peratrovich Day. Benson worked as a researcher and writer for the PBS documentary "For the Rights of All: Ending Jim Crow in Alaska." She also acted in the film, portraying the part of Elizabeth Peratrovich. During Friday's presentation she shared a scene from the documentary that was filmed in the same legislative gallery where the Alaska...
4th OF JULY COMPETITION WINNERS: 50 yard dash 6 & under Girls 1st - Emma Aikins 2nd - Stella Walker 3rd - Amara Westhoff Boys 1st - Owen Martin 2nd - Odin Burrell 3rd - Reilly Gacchina 50 yard dash 7-9 Girls 1st - Ivy Worhatch 2nd - Lucy Peterson 3rd - Emery Ledge Boys 1st - Jackson Zweifel 2nd - Caleb Westry & Luke Day 3rd - Grady Walker 50-yard dash 10-12 Girls 1st - Lucia Worhatch 2nd - Daisy Marrow 3rd - Jane Day Boys 1st - Devin Westry 2nd - Jamari Tate 3rd - Ryder Diehl Training Wheel...
The Planning Commission voted against recommending that the Petersburg Borough Assembly approve the Petersburg Medical Center's application to rezone 43 undeveloped lots on the proposed site for the new hospital facility at its meeting on Tuesday. The 43 lots are owned by the borough and are located north of Haugen Drive and behind the Elizabeth Peratrovich Building. They are currently zoned as single-family residential, multi-family residential, commercial, and open space-recreational, but the...
JUNEAU (AP) — Two southeast Alaska men face charges in the beating death of a man who was attacked because of a social media post, according to an investigator’s affidavit. Moses S. Blanchard, 22, and Blaise A. Dilts, 21, of Klawock, face charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter and burglary in the death of 80-year-old Lincoln Peratrovich, according to the state’s online court records system. An attorney listed for Dilts did not return a message seeking comment. An attorney was not listed online for Blanchard. The investigation was being c...
The Petersburg Medical Center Board voted unanimously to pursue a final site plan for the new hospital facility based on the Knob Hill and Creek View conceptual designs during its meeting last Thursday. The Knob Hill and Creek View concepts are both located at a site along Haugen Drive and behind the Elizabeth Peratrovich building. The decision to continue designing the new facility based on the Knob Hill and Creek View concepts was also unanimously recommended by the project's steering... Full story
The Petersburg Indian Association Tribal Council approved a motion during its meeting on Tuesday to pursue three projects that would open commercial and residential revenue streams for PIA using funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. PIA has almost $3.9 million in ARPA funds, of which $3 million is budgeted for capital projects, that they now plan to put toward remodeling part of the PIA building, constructing a new building and parking lot on a PIA-owned lot, and buying two parcels of land...
Elizabeth Peratrovich Day Awareness activities are taking place this week at the Stedman Elementary School cafeteria. Students are invited to learn to create a craft project of their choice and have a snack while hearing a talk. Homeschool students are invited to attend as well. The activity for third, fourth, and fifth graders takes place on Thursday Feb 16, from 3 – 4 pm. Kindergartners, first and second graders are invited on Friday, Feb. 17 12:30 – 1:30 pm, and all middle and high school students are invited to participate in the act...
On Thursday, Alaskans will celebrate Elizabeth Peratrovich Day to honor the Tlingit civil rights advocate who pushed for the nation’s first anti-discrimination law, 19 years before the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964. During her lifelong campaign for Native rights, she fought segregation and a majority white territorial Legislature to establish a foundation of legal protections that have benefitted Alaskans since 1945. Peratrovich was born in segregated Petersburg on July 4, 1911. She was a member of the Tlingit Raven moiety and LukaaX.ádi cl...
January Petersburg experienced record snowfall on New Year's Day with 17.5 inches of new snow on the day, bringing the total snow depth to 40 inches according to the National Weather Service. The Petersburg Borough Assembly passed a resolution requesting a discussion with the U.S. Postal Service about providing additional services in Petersburg following continued issues with staffing, irregular hours, and long lines. All-purpose vehicles became legal to drive on roads in Alaska, including in...
Sealaska Heritage Institute has made available online for the public recordings of two important treasures in the preservation of traditional Southeast Native culture, knowledge and history: Radio interviews with Native leaders that go back almost 40 years and the biennial Celebration festival. The 164 radio interviews preserved in digital files are from an hour-long program, “Southeast Native Radio,” that aired on Juneau public station KTOO 1985 to 2001. “The collection is remarkable, as it offers so many interviews with people on topic...
The Petersburg Medical Center is one step closer to "shovel ready status" following unanimous approval from the Petersburg Borough Assembly to begin surveying and evaluating potential sites for a future hospital. The approved process, which will be paid for by PMC through received funding, will help the hospital learn more about the borough-owned properties and see if there is anything at the proposed sites that would prevent building. Petersburg Medical Center CEO Phil Hofstetter said during... Full story
The Clausen Museum is displaying the profiles of six Alaska Natives to mark November as Native American and Alaska Native Heritage Month. Clausen Museum Director Cindi Lagoudakis said the profiles she chose to write were of people who had some connection to Southeast Alaska and may not be well known. "We tell a lot of stories about Amy Hallingstad and Elizabeth Peratrovich, and not to take away from their importance in Alaska Native Heritage and history, but there are other people that have...
William Moulton gives his second historical walking tour for Viking Travel. "We start at the Sons of Norway. I introduce myself and explain why I am wearing Xtratufs; cause it rains all the time!" Moulton talks about Norwegian history in Petersburg, takes tourists to Buschmann Park, and tells them about raising his sons here. He also takes them to the totem poles, Bruno the bear, and the Elizabeth Peratrovich mural. Moulton discusses rosemaling during the walk towards town and passes paintings...
Elizabeth Peratrovich, the "Fighter in Velvet Gloves" who worked toward protecting the rights of Native Alaskans, was honored in 2020 on a U.S. coin. In 1945, she persuaded the Alaska legislature to finally pass an anti-discrimination bill after reminding senators of the intent of the Bill of Rights. Peratrovich, along with Amy Hallingstad and Gertrude Lyons, all of Petersburg, were strong advocates for Native community concerns including employment opportunities, job training, and advocating...
January The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration proposed establishing critical habitat areas for humpback whales in three distinct population segments located off Mexico, Central American and the Western Pacific. The Petersburg Borough sent a letter of disapproval to the National Marine Fisheries Service regarding the proposed critical habitat for humpback whales after residents spoke out against the proposal. The Petersburg Borough authorized the hire of Josh Rathmann to fill the...
Since 1984, the building that houses the Petersburg Courthouse has been painted white with brown trim running along the top edge of the building and down the front, but the colors have been inverted in a recent paint job leaving residents to question the decision to paint a large downtown building brown. One might blame the owner of the building, Jesse Olson of Blue Glacier LLC, for the choice of paint, but he said he didn't pick the paint color. The Alaska Court System did. Olson bought the...
