Metlakatla Indian Community
Metlakatla Indian Community
Maxłakxaała (Tsimshian) | |
|---|---|
Postcard of Metlakatla | |
Metlakatla Indian Community Metlakatla Indian Community | |
| Coordinates: 55°07′34″N 131°34′24″W / 55.12611°N 131.57333°W | |
| Constitution Ratified | August 23, 1944 |
| Capital | Metlakatla, Alaska |
| Government | |
| • Type | Representative democracy |
| • Body | Metlakatla Tribal Council |
| • Mayor | Albert G. Smith |
| Population (2022) | |
• Estimate | 2,476 |
| Demonym | Tsimshian |
| Time zone | UTC–09:00 (AKST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC–08:00 (AKDT) |
| Website | metlakatla |
The Metlakatla Indian Community, Annette Island Reserve is a federally recognized Alaska Native tribe of Tsimshian people.[1] This Alaska Native tribe is headquartered in Metlakatla, Alaska (Tsimshian: Maxłakxaała,[2] which means "saltwater passage").[3] Their landbase, the Annette Island Reserve is the only Indian reservation in Alaska.[4]
Government
The Metlakatla Indian Community is led by a democratically elected tribal council.[1] Its mayor is Albert G. Smith.[5] The Metlakatla Agency of the Bureau of Indian Affairs serves the tribe.[5] The tribe ratified its constitution and corporate charter in 1944 and amended it in 1949.[1]
Reservation
The tribe migrated from "Old Metlakatla" in British Columbia with missionary William Duncan in 1891, and settled in Metlakatla, Alaska, or "New Metlakatla".[2] They became a Tsimshian tribe in the United States.
The Annette Island Reserve is 86,000-acre reservation on Annette Island.[3] The land and surrounding waters are under control of the tribe, not the state.[3] The Alaska Marine Highway, a state ferry service, provides daily service off the island.[3] The reservation is also accessible by plane but not by roads.[6]
The Metlakatla WIC Clinic provided healthcare on the reservation.[2]
The reservation surrounded by the Tongass National Forest and part of the Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area.[4]
Metlakatla is 8 nautical miles away from Ketchikan but not connected by highway, so travel off the island is airplane or boat.[6]
Economy
Fishing, harvesting seaweed, and hunting are important to the tribe's livelihood.[3] The Metlakatla Indian Community is affiliated with Sealaska Corporation, an Alaska Native corporation.[2]
Language and culture
The Metlakatla Indian Community speaks English and the Tsimshian language.[2]
Notable tribal citizens
- David A. Boxley (born 1952), woodcarver, sculptor
- David R. Boxley (born 1981), woodcarver, sculptor
- Benjamin Haldane (1874–1941), photographer, businessman, and musician
- Edward Marsden (1869–1932), Anglican minister
- Peter Simpson (c. 1871–1947), Native American rights activist and one of the founders of Metlakatla, Alaska
See also
- Metlakatla First Nation, First Nation in Metlakatla, British Columbia
- Sitka Tribe of Alaska, a federally recognized tribe with Tsimshian citizens
- Tsimshian cosmology
References
- ^ a b c "Metlakatla Indian Community". National Indian Law Library. Native American Rights Fund. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
- ^ a b c d e "Maxłakxaała (Metlakatla)". MySealaska. Sealaska. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
- ^ a b c d e "Metlakatla". Alaska Marine Highway System. State of Alaska. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
- ^ a b "Annette Island Reserve". Alaska Handbook. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
- ^ a b "Tribal Leaders Directory". Bureau of Indian Affairs. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
- ^ a b "Metlakatla Indian Community". Alaska Handbook. Retrieved 17 January 2026.