Dunleavy signs agreement returning Alaska Native land, including historic cemetery, to tribe

The state of Alaska will return a historic Native cemetery and portions of a traditional townsite to the Gulkana tribal government under a new agreement signed by Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Wednesday.

The agreement will resolve several issues between Alaska’s state government and the Gulkana Village Council, a federally recognized tribe north of Glennallen. The tribe has petitioned the state for decades to resolve the issue.

Gulkana’s traditional townsite and part of its cemetery were seized by the Alaska Road Commission in 1943 during efforts to improve the Richardson Highway. In the 1970s, the federal government transferred unused land to the state, which intended additional road work.

State officials said they needed to preserve the highway and protect public access to the Gulkana River. A parking lot and boat ramp now occupy part of the townsite.

Former Gov. Bill Walker said he would return the cemetery and portions of the townsite to the tribe, but access disputes over a separate road meant that didn’t happen before he left office in 2018.

The agreement approved by Dunleavy this week calls for regional Native corporation Ahtna Inc. to pay the state $300,000. The state will build a new boat ramp and parking lot by 2023, and public access to the existing boat launch will remain in place temporarily until the new facility is finished.

[Because of a high volume of comments requiring moderation, we are temporarily disabling comments on many of our articles so editors can focus on the coronavirus crisis and other coverage. We invite you to write a letter to the editor or reach out directly if you’d like to communicate with us about a particular article. Thanks.]