JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – Southeast Alaska's largest tribal organization has submitted an application to put land in downtown Juneau into a federal trust.
KTOO-FM reported Monday that the land includes the Andrew Hope Building and was once a summer village inhabited by the Aakw 'waan. The president of the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska says putting that property into trust will be a huge milestone for the tribe.
A court decision last year made it easier for Alaska Native communities to seek federal trust status.
With lands in trust, tribes enter an ownership partnership with the federal government, have access to more federal funding and obtain authority to institute and enforce their own laws.
Juneau officials have requested additional time beyond Friday's deadline to discuss the land proposal.
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Information from: KTOO-FM, http://www.ktoo.org