Native Village of Port Lions
Native Village of Port Lions
Masiqsirraq (Alutiiq) | |
|---|---|
Post office in Port Lions | |
Native Village of Port Lions | |
| Coordinates: 57°52′07″N 152°52′49″W / 57.86861°N 152.88028°W | |
| Established | 1964 |
| Capital | Port Lions, Alaska |
| Government | |
| • Type | Representative democracy |
| • Body | Port Lions Tribal Council |
| • President | Charlea Kewan-Bartleson |
| Population | |
• Estimate | 161 |
| Demonym | Koniag Alutiiq |
| Time zone | UTC–09:00 (AKST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC–08:00 (AKDT) |
| Website | portlionstribe |
The Native Village of Port Lions is a federally recognized Alaska Native tribe of Koniag Alutiiq.[1] This Alaska Native tribe is headquartered in Port Lions, Alaska.[2]
Government
The Native Village of Port Lions is led by a democratically elected tribal council.[2] Its president is Charlea Kewan-Bartleson.[1] The Alaska Regional Office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs serves the tribe.[1] The tribe ratified its constitution in 2000.
The tribe is a member of the National Congress of American Indians.[3]
Territory
The Good Friday earthquake of 1964 resulted in the relocation of surviving residents of the village of Ag’waneq on the island of Afognak.[4] A new village, Port Lions (named for the Lions Club who helped construct it), was constructed to house the tribe,[4] but many moved on to Kodiak and are now citizens of the Native Village of Afognak.
The tribe is headquartered in Port Lions, Alaska,[2] which is near Settler Cove on Kodiak Island close to the Gulf of Alaska and the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge.[5] The island is accessible by boat and plane.[5]
Economy
Commercial fishing, substitence hunting, and working in hunting lodges are important to the Port Lions economy.[4]
The Native Village of Port Lions is affiliated with Koniag, Incorporated,[6] an Alaska Native corporation, and Kodiak Area Native Association, an ANCSA Village Corporation. The tribe partnered with the Kodiak Archipelago Leadership Institute in 2015 to develop the Port Lions Farm with hydroponic farms to provide food for the community.[4] They are researching mariculture (marine farming), especially kelp farming to provide sustainable economical development and food sovereignty.[4]
Language
The Native Village of Port Lions speaks English and the Alutiiq language.
Climate change
Alaska Natives are already feeling the effects of climate change from increased fires, harsher storms, melting permafrost, erosion along the coasts, and weather patterns shifting. To address these threats, in 2006, 162 Alaska Native tribes, including the Alutiiq Tribe of Old Harbor, and corporations working with the Native American Rights Fund, signed a Climate Change resolution calling upon Congress to pass laws to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.[7]
References
- ^ a b c "Tribal Leaders Directory". Bureau of Indian Affairs. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
- ^ a b c "Native Village of Port Lions". National Indian Law Library. Native American Rights Fund. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
- ^ "Tribal Directory". National Congress of American Indians. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
- ^ a b c d e "Port Lions: History". Kodiak Archipelago Leadership Institute. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
- ^ a b "Port Lions Tribal Council". Alaska Handbook. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
- ^ "Resources". Koniaq. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
- ^ "Climate Change Resolutions". Tribal Law Gateway. National Indian Law Library. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
External links
- Native Village of Port Lions, official website
- Kodiak Area Native Association, an ANCSA village corporation