Roundtable Completes Hydaburg Meeting
The spring 2011 meeting concluded with a request of Governor Parnell to return the State’s representatives to the Roundtable. The formal request was sent in a letter that can be found under the Meetings tab on this website, along with other materials from the meeting. Other highlights include an in-depth presentation of the history and legislative attempts by the five landless communities (Tenakee Springs, Haines, Wrangell, Petersburg, and Ketchikan) that are seeking recognition under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. The Roundtable set up a committee to work on this issue and to report back at the fall meeting, which is scheduled for October 11-12 in Sitka. In addition, the Roundtable adopted revisions to its Charter stressing the importance of finding common ground on the difficult issues facing the Tongass and the Southeast Alaska region. The Roundtable’s Administrative Committee will be meeting soon to discuss new membership and to set priorities for issues that will form the agenda for further consideration and action. The Roundtable is especially appreciative of the hospitality it received from the Hydaburg community. The members learned a great deal about the challenges facing the community and look forward to coming back soon.
