The Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska as well as the U.S. Forest Service will work together to manage Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area. Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area going forward, and plans are in place to help educate visitors about Alaska Native culture.
Tlingit as well as Haida Presidency Richard Chalyee Eesh Peterson said that the Tribe is looking forward to sharing more of its cultural heritage with the more than one million tourists who go through Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center each year.
The span style=”font-weight 400 ;”>”The people who visit there are looking to find out more about the glacier. Additionally, they wish to know about the locals,” Peterson said. “And If you have any knowledge regarding Lingit culture, there are music, tales, histories, and songs about migrations across, under and around all the glaciers .”
The Forest Service and Tlingit & Haida signed a memorandum understanding last week. The memorandum provides a shared commitment to collaborate in the management of resources and planning for the area of recreation.
Kevin Hood, the regional tribal relations manager of the Forest Service, said the agreement is based on the agency’s intention of consolidating the federal and tribal collaboration throughout the region..
The span style=”font-weight 400 ;”>”We are long overdue in being able to better represent what is the Alaskan Native perspective,” Hood stated. “It’s part of ensuring our nation-to-nation relationship with these sovereign Tribal nations. .”
The glacier’s primary prioritization will be to include more Lingit history, culture and the language into the program of the recreation area. It will likely involve changing the signage and displays along trails as well as in the center for visitors. However, according to Hood the memorandum understanding could also open the way for collaboration in trail maintenance, restoration of the watershed as well as the care for wildlife and fish in the region.
In the short-term the agreement requires to the Forest Service to hire Tribal citizens to serve as teachers or guides.
It’s a good idea to use a style=”font-weight 400 ;”>”Who is better at telling about our experiences than ourselves?” Peterson said. “Aak’w Kwaan people talking about Aak’w Kwaan, you know?”
