Murkowski, Sullivan, Begich Introduce Legislation to Convey Culturally Significant Site to Doyon, Limited

Murkowski, Sullivan, Begich Introduce Legislation to Convey Culturally Significant Site to Doyon, Limited

Washington, DC-U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) today introduced legislation in the U.S. Senate and Congressman Nick Begich (R-AK) is introducing companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives to convey the Geese House Site from the National Park Service to Doyon, Limited. The bill would transfer ownership to Doyon, Limited, to ensure that the culturally significant site is managed by and for the Alaska Native Athabascan people. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) is co-sponsoring the legislation.

"The Geese House Site is owed to Doyon, Limited under the commitments made in ANCSA-which enabled the conveyance of culturally significant sites to Alaska Native Corporations," said Senator Murkowski. "This legislation fulfills that promise by completing a long-outstanding conveyance to Doyon to ensure this important cultural site is properly stewarded."

"For decades, Doyon worked to resolve the status of the Geese House Site, an area of great cultural and spiritual significance to the Athabascan people," Senator Sullivan said. "Conveying these acres corrects an oversight by the federal government to complete an ANCSA land conveyance that was specifically selected by Doyon nearly 50 years ago. I want to thank Senator Murkowski and Congressman Begich for working with me on this legislation to fulfill our obligations under ANCSA and to return these lands to Alaska Native stewardship, where they can be managed with the care, knowledge, and respect they deserve for generations to come."

"This legislation is a commonsense step to fulfill the intent of ANCSA by completing an important outstanding land conveyance to Doyon," said Congressman Begich. "The Geese House Site was selected decades ago but was never transferred, and current law requires congressional action to finalize the matter. This bill ensures the land is conveyed and managed in a way that protects its historical significance and honors the federal commitment of ANCSA."

"The Geese House is one of the most important cultural and spiritual sites in all of the Doyon Region," said Aaron Schutt, Doyon's President and CEO. "We have obligations to both our ancestors and our future generations to bring this site back into Native ownership and stewardship. We appreciate Senator Murkowski and Congressman Begich's work introducing the legislation and Senator Sullivan for co-sponsoring."

Background:

Following the passage of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA), Doyon, Limited worked with Alaska Native Elders to identify culturally significant sites eligible for conveyance under the Act. One such site is Geese House, a place of longstanding importance in the oral traditions of Northern Athabascan peoples. Doyon formally selected the site for conveyance in 1978; however, the conveyance was never completed. In 1980, the site was incorporated into the Denali National Park and Preserve through the enactment of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) which established the national park.

In recent years, Doyon, Limited sought to complete the conveyance of the Geese House site through an administrative conveyance process with the National Park Service (NPS). However, the NPS determined that existing law does not provide sufficient authority to transfer the site administratively and that legislation is required. This bill would accomplish the conveyance of the Geese House site to Doyon and ensure its stewardship and access for generations to come.

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