Organized Village of Saxman
Organized Village of Saxman
Saanyaa Ḵwáan (Tlingit) | |
|---|---|
Clan House at Saxman | |
Organized Village of Saxman Organized Village of Saxman | |
| Coordinates: 55°19′07″N 131°35′51″W / 55.31861°N 131.59750°W | |
| Constitution Ratified | January 14, 1941 |
| Capital | Saxman, Alaska |
| Government | |
| • Type | Representative democracy |
| • Body | Saxman Tribal Council |
| • President | Joseph Williams Jr. |
| Population | |
• Estimate | 386 |
| Demonym | Tlingit of Saxman |
| Time zone | UTC–09:00 (AKST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC–08:00 (AKDT) |
| Website | saxmantribe |
The Organized Village of Saxman is a federally recognized Native American tribe of Tlingit people.[2] This Alaska Native tribe is headquartered in Saxman, Alaska,[3] and has 386 enrolled citizens.[1]
They are known as the Tlingit of Saxman and Tlingit: Saanyaa Ḵwáan, which translates as the "People of the Southeast Wind".[3]
Government
The Organized Village of Saxman is led by a democratically elected tribal council.[4] Its president is Joseph Williams Jr.[5] The Alaska Regional Office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs serves the tribe.[5]
The tribe ratified its constitution and corporate charter in 1941.[4]
Territory
Historically, a Tlingit community lived in Cape Fox Village, on the Alexander Archipelago.[3] The Cape Fox Tlingit and some of the Tongass Tlingit moved from Cape Fox Village to Saxman (Tlingit: T’èesh Ḵwáan Xagu),[3] which is two miles south of Ketchikan on Revillagigedo Island.[1]
Saxman is connected to Ketchikan by the South Tongass Highway. Travel off the island is airplane or boat.[2]
The Saxman Totem Park is a significant site for historical totem poles moved from unoccupied villages or carved more by Tlingit artists hired by the Civilian Conservation Corps from 1938 to 1941. Charles Brown (Tlingit) was the lead carver. The park was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.[6]
The Saxman Community Center is an important hub for Alaska Native arts.[7] In 2010, Nathan Jackson (Tlingit) carved and painted a bear screen from cedar, and in 2011, local children painted a mural, both on display in the community center, along with a cedar canoe and historical photographs.[7]
Economy
Cultural tourism and traditional arts are importance to the village's economy.[2]
The Organized Village of Saxman is affiliated with Sealaska Corporation, an Alaska Native corporation,[2] and the Cape Fox Corporation, an ANCSA Village Corporation.[3]
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 Organized Village of Saxman, 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.[8]
Language and culture
The Organized Village of Saxman speaks English and the Tlingit language.[3]
See also
References
- ^ a b c "Organized Village of Saxman". Tribal Transportation. US Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
- ^ a b c d "Organized Village of Saxman". Alaska Handbook. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f "T'èesh Ḵwáan Xagu (Saxman)". MySealaska. Sealaska. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
- ^ a b "Organized Village of Saxman". National Indian Law Library. Native American Rights Fund. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ a b "Tribal Leaders Directory". Bureau of Indian Affairs. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ "Saxman Totem Park–Saxman, AK". Living New Deal. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
- ^ a b "Saxman Community Center". Arts & Culture of the Ketchikan Area. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
- ^ "Climate Change Resolutions". Tribal Law Gateway. National Indian Law Library. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
External links
- Organized Village of Saxman, official website
- Constitution and By-Laws of the Organized Village of Saxman
- Saxman Totem Park, Alaska.org