The state of Alaska has filed suit in U.S. District Court to undo the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) action taking land owned by the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes into trust.
The land is the second tribal parcel in the state to be put into federal trust. It came after a decade-long process by the DOI.
The plot of land is located in downtown Juneau. The lawsuit argues that the federal action—which happened a week ago— was, “arbitrary and capricious, an abuse of discretion, and not in accordance with law.”
Tlingit and Haida President Richard Chalyee Éesh Peterson told Empire, “It’s insulting — I am dismayed the state wants to continue these tired and old arguments.” He added, “It’s mean-spirited and it’s an assault on many of the mutual efforts and goodwill that have in recent years defined state and tribal relations in Alaska — it’s incredibly disappointing.”
Peterson has indicated that the tribe has other parcels in line waiting to be put into federal trust.
At the time the DOI announced its decision to put the land into trust in November, Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs Bryan Newland said in a statement “Taking land into trust is one of the most important functions of the Bureau of Indian Affairs,” He added, “This decision aligns with President Biden’s commitment to protecting Tribal sovereignty and revitalizing Tribal communities by restoring Tribal homelands. It demonstrates this Administration’s respect for unique nation-to-nation relationships, commitment to the country’s treaty and trust responsibilities, and desire to strengthen Tribal sovereignty and advance Tribal self-determination.”
