Alaska Native Land Equity Advances | Anchorage News

Senator Lisa Murkowski’s Alaska Native Landless Equity Act just cleared a major hurdle, heading to the Senate floor to grant five Southeast Alaska Native communities — Haines, Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg, and Tenakee — each 23,040 acres of federal land they were historically denied under ANCSA. Critics worry the move could privatize over 115,000 acres in the Tongass National Forest, but even environmental groups like the Wilderness Society now back the bill, recognizing Alaska Natives as the original stewards. This marks a pivotal moment: Murkowski’s Senate bill advanced alongside Congressman Nick Begich’s companion House bill, which passed unanimously in June — a rare and powerful bipartisan win for justice and land rights after decades of advocacy.

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