House Passes H.R. 41, Advancing Recognition for Five Southeast Alaska Native Communities

House Passes H.R. 41, Advancing Recognition for Five Southeast Alaska Native Communities

WASHINGTON, D.C. - June 2, 2026 - Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 41, the Unrecognized Southeast Alaska Native Communities Recognition and Compensation Act, legislation introduced by Congressman Nick Begich (R-AK) to address a decades-long omission in the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) and provide long-overdue recognition to Alaska Native communities in Haines, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Tenakee, and Wrangell.

"When ANCSA became law, five Southeast Alaska Native communities were left out through no fault of their own," said Congressman Begich. "For generations, Native families in Haines, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Tenakee, and Wrangell have carried the burden of being known as the 'landless.' This bill honors existing agreements and provides a pathway for future economic development and self-determination for these Alaska Native families and their descendants."

"For too long, five Southeast Alaska Native communities have been left out of a settlement framework intended to benefit Alaska Natives. H.R. 41 allows these communities to form urban corporations and receive land entitlements under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, creating new opportunities for self-determination, economic development, and community investment. I commend Rep. Begich for advancing legislation that fulfills longstanding commitments and supports the future of Southeast Alaska Native communities," said House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman.

"Today, my heart is full. For too long our families have been without the land our ancestors stewarded; land is not just property - it is our language, our food, our ceremonies, our identity, and the future we will pass to our children. The House's passage of H.R. 41 begins to finish what was left undone in 1971 and honors our elders who have waited their whole lives. We celebrate today not just for ourselves but for the generations who are one large step closer to being able to care for the places that made us who we are," said Harriet Brouillette, Community Representative of Deishú (Haines).

BACKGROUND:

H.R. 41 authorizes the creation of urban corporations for the five Southeast Alaska communities and provides land conveyances consistent with the framework established under ANCSA. The legislation protects existing Native corporation entitlements and preserves revenue-sharing arrangements.

The bill also ensures that shareholders in the newly established Urban Corporations will continue to receive distributions through the Regional Corporation for Southeast Alaska, preserving benefits currently enjoyed by eligible Alaska Native shareholders.

H.R. 41 now advances to the United States Senate for consideration.