Gatgyeda Haayk, Metlakatla’s Community Garden Champion, recently strolled past a row of shrubs and small trees near the village’s boat harbor. She pointed to two cherry trees rustling in the wind along the shoreline. 

The soon-to-be budding trees were brought to Metlakatla as part of its Community Food Forest Project. That’s an initiative that incorporates fruit-bearing trees and bushes into the village’s public landscapes. So far, Haayk said about 50 plants have taken root around town, from the city’s ballpark to the boat harbor. 

“In like the next three years, we hope to be able to give fruit back to the community,” Haayk said.

The program comes after Metlakatla’s tribal council passed a resolution a few years back that required all beautification efforts in the community to be edible. Not long after, the village received a three-year grant from the U.S. Forest Service to fund the project. The grant is currently in its final year, but Haayk is looking for other funding. 

She said the project has primarily worked with apple trees, but they’ve also planted plum and nectarine trees. The initiative also deals with plants native to the region, like raspberries, gooseberries and saskatoon berries. Haayk has even experimented with plants not usually grown in Southeast, like hazelnut trees, which she said seem to be doing well. 

And increasing access to fresh fruit is important because it’s so limited in the village. There’s just one grocery store on Annette Island, and the vast majority of the produce comes from out of state. 

“I am hoping that the community utilizes this, and then it also inspires other communities to kind of do the same thing, so that we don’t have to rely on the Lower 48 so heavily on our food,” Haayk said.

While most of the program’s trees and bushes are still young and not yet producing, Haayk said she’s educating the village about the project. Once the plants bloom, she said community members can harvest the fruit, with the exception of those at the village’s community garden, free of charge. All she asks is that it gets eaten. 

“It’s astounding how much food gets wasted, and it’s really a shame, because that’s a lot of energy that goes into that little piece of food,” Haayk said. “From being plucked and then takes two weeks of a journey to get up here, it loses so much of its nutritional value.” 

To Haayk’s knowledge, there are no similar open harvest projects in Alaska. Bread Line, Inc., in Fairbanks, has a garden and food forest where people can harvest produce like snap peas, lettuce and raspberries, free of charge.

Haayk hopes that Metlakatla’s food forest will eventually be self-sustaining and inspire community members to plant fruit trees of their own. 

Hunter Morrison is a Report for America corps member for KRBD. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution.

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The Ketchikan school district’s $5.4 million debt to the borough was discovered late last year after a district financial audit.

The debt was mainly attributed to an excess of health insurance claims and district overspending. The district and borough agreed in March to a three-year debt repayment plan of $1.9 million each year with 3% interest. That first payment to the borough was set for July. 

But the updated memorandum of agreement now gives the school district an extra year, until 2029, to repay its debt to the borough. School Board President Katherine Tatsuda at the Wednesday night school board meeting said reconfiguring the agreement was a group effort. 

“I just want to say a huge thank you to borough staff and the borough assembly for doing this for us and working with us, and recognizing the difficult work we have done and the very serious work we have done to bring us into a more stable financial position,” Tatsuda said.

According to the school district, modifying the debt repayment structure would allow it more leeway in planning for the next fiscal year. The borough says next year’s school district budget takes into account this new debt repayment structure.

This year’s school district payment to the borough is solely interest – about $160,000. After that, the district will pay nearly $2 million annually through the end of the repayment period. 

It’s not the first time the school district has suggested the idea of allowing it more time to repay its borough debt. It originally asked for a five-year repayment to allow more planning time for school closures and staff cuts, but the borough assembly voted 5-2 for a faster return.

The updated memorandum of agreement also includes an amendment to allow state approved education funding to the borough only be made available to the school district with borough permission.

Assembly member Rodney Dial voted in favor of the new repayment agreement at Tuesday night’s special borough assembly meeting, although he’s concerned about the accuracy of next year’s school district budget. He said that healthcare costs are increasing, and student counts in the district are likely decreasing. 

“So, to think that next year now, that they will be able to pay this, or that they’re going to ask us for a different modification, or that they won’t add more to the debt, or they won’t have a big deficit – those are all risks that we are taking with a smaller and smaller pot of money to fill these needs,” Dial said. “It really goes to the central premise of what so many of us are trying to do and get them to a balanced budget.”

The borough assembly also agreed on Tuesday to set aside an additional $5 million to the borough through the end of the fiscal year, June 30. To do that, the borough is moving $2.9 million from its housing development fund. According to a letter from interim superintendent Sheri Boehlert, the additional funds are needed to meet final payroll obligations, settle outstanding vendor contracts and ensure a balanced budget at the close of the fiscal year. 

Three people provided public comment on the funding increase before the assembly approved it. Paul Hook said he does not agree with extending the repayment plan or giving the school district more money, and believes the district lacks financial oversight. 

“Money doesn’t mean anything to these people anymore,” Hook said. “It’s lost its value because we just find another pile to shovel it into or out of. So, I really implore you to stop your glad hands passing out money to people who don’t appreciate it.”

The district will have to pay that money back, and is needed in part to keep its Local Education Fund above the minimum balance required under borough code. According to the code, the appropriation requires a “finding by the Assembly that extraordinary needs regarding the School District exist.”

Hook also expressed concern about areawide property taxes for schools, which are deposited into the district’s Local Education Fund.

But Caitlin Jacobson, a librarian at Kayhi, said she supported extending the school district’s repayment plan. She said the school district’s staff has needed help from the borough for “a long, long time.” 

“It is not an adequate education system,” Jacobson said. “By agreeing to this payment, we’re keeping us barely alive.” 

This is the third time the assembly has adjusted this year’s school district budget – once last year and again in March. The assembly earlier this month also greenlit dedicating a portion of the borough’s taxes imposed on lodging to the Local Education Fund.

Hunter Morrison is a Report for America corps member for KRBD. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution.

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Ketchikan’s public works department has released the results of a recent city restroom survey. The survey sought public input on the construction of a new public restroom on Creek Street, which could begin at the end of the summer.

Feedback from the more than 200 residents, visitors and business owners was mixed. Concerns among those who filled out the survey included maintenance costs, congestion on the boardwalk and how a restroom will match the historic aesthetics of Creek Street. Several survey takers suggested alternative locations for a new public restroom, like Stedman Street and Thomas Basin.

Nearly half of those who filled out the survey said the new restroom should have 3-5 stalls. Many also feel the restrooms should be separated by gender. Nearly 40% of those who participated in the survey feel the new restroom should be open year-round.  

The need for more public restrooms in downtown Ketchikan has been a talking point at city council and borough assembly meetings for over five years. There are currently six public restrooms in the downtown area, most of which are only open in the summer months. Construction of the new restroom will be paid for by commercial passenger vessel funds from both the city and borough. Those are funds collected from cruise ship passengers that can only be used for projects that benefit the tourism industry. The restrooms could cost upwards of about $1 million to build. 

If constructed, the new restroom will likely be located between Dolly’s House and Niblick’s General Store on Creek Street. The restroom survey results will be reviewed by local historic organizations, who need to approve the location before construction moves forward. 

Hunter Morrison is a Report for America corps member for KRBD. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution.

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Residents across the borough have access to city library services, but people outside city limits have to pay additional property taxes for it. That money goes to the city, which owns and operates the library. 

Some people are speaking out against paying higher property taxes for city-owned services despite living outside city limits.

The costs to run Ketchikan’s public library are higher than ever. Library Director Pat Tully said they’re asking the borough for more money than previous years because of rising costs. 

“The library’s mission has not changed,” Tully said. “But the way we fulfill that mission is changing and must continue to do so in order to meet the needs and interests of the residents of Ketchikan.”

The borough has been making annual payments to the city library for over 40 years through a funding agreement. In exchange for those payments, the library is obligated to provide library services for people across the island. 

The payment amounts change and are based on population estimates and budget appropriations. The amount of borough contribution is calculated based on the population of non-city residents.

Now, the borough would have to increase property taxes for people outside city limits in order to afford its contribution under the agreement. 

At an assembly meeting earlier this month, a handful of people spoke in favor of terminating the agreement. They prefaced that they were not against the library, but against how non-city residents are taxed to fund it. 

Eric Simon, who lives south of town, told the assembly that “everyone needs a seat at the table” when it comes to library funding. He said non-city residents have no say in the library budget, and believes a renegotiation could improve the process. 

“I am not for defunding the library, but I do want a say in how property tax money is spent, and I am asking that you use every tool available to renegotiate before increasing our taxes,” Simon said.

Simon also said the city library is operating on the assumption that they’ll receive 40% of their funding from non-city residents. Another person who spoke in favor of the agreement termination said she’s on a fixed income and is worried additional taxes will drive her out of Ketchikan. 

Nearly 20 people took to the podium during the citizen comment period of the meeting. Most of them wanted to keep the funding agreement as-is. 

“The library is not a luxury, it’s critical infrastructure,” said homeschool educator Serge Ballif. He said with two schools closing in the district, some families may resort to homeschooling options. He said the library is critical to those families. 

“Many families are struggling to afford food, rent and healthcare,” Ballif said. “But that’s precisely why the library matters so much – it’s free to those families. It’s one of the only true, free resources we offer every resident inside the city and out.” 

Ballif also said the library is part of what brought him to Ketchikan. Others who spoke against the agreement termination highlighted the library’s programming and services, array of book options and the need for taxes to fund services. 

The assembly postponed voting at that special meeting after assembly member Rodney Dial asked via email the agenda item be moved to a regular meeting.  He was concerned whether it was appropriate to discuss the item at a meeting “primarily called due to the urgent and time-sensitive school district spending authority.” Dial indicated he had travel plans prior to the special meeting’s scheduling, and was late to the meeting. 

The borough has sought to negotiate a new library funding agreement with the city for about two years. The assembly in 2024 asked borough staff for help, but they couldn’t come to an agreement. It was discussed again last fall and this spring to no avail.

At a meeting later this month, assembly member Jaimie Palmer said she doesn’t want to defund the library. She does want to take a closer look at the agreement. 

“All good things need reflection and scrutiny, and it’s time,” Palmer said. “We’re not saying we’re not funding the library, there’s nothing in their text that says that, it’s just coming to the table and reworking our agreement and giving staff the opportunity to negotiate.”

The agreement hasn’t been renegotiated since 2018. 

Most of the library budget goes toward personnel costs. Assembly member Kathy Bolling said if people are cut, services are cut, and now isn’t the time to mess with a system that works. 

So, why at a time when our schools are just bare bones that we are going to imperil another institution? I don’t see the advantage of it,” Bolling said.

Bolling also cautioned against pointing fingers at the city for needing more money, because the borough’s budget has also been steadily increasing in recent years.

The vote to renegotiate library funding comes just days after Ketchikan’s school board approved a budget with deep cuts to library services, leaving only one district librarian. Librarians across the community have argued at public meetings that neither city libraries or school libraries will be able to function without proper staff.

The assembly approved to terminate the agreement with the city with a vote of 5-2. Assembly members Kathy Bolling and Dan Ortiz voted no.

The assembly directed borough staff to research alternatives and provide analysis of the agreement before the end of the fiscal year on July 1. The agreement will be terminated at the end of this year. 

If they don’t come to an agreement, people living outside city limits may lose access to library services.

The post Borough votes to terminate library funding agreement appeared first on KRBD.

It was a typical weekday afternoon at Highliner Laundromat, near Ketchikan’s main boat harbor. A man with John Lennon style glasses folded his clothes on a table near the front door. An elderly couple was occupied by their cell phones while seated across rows of roaring washing machines. 

Longtime building owner Jack Auger was at the front desk looking at his recent utility bill. He pays around $1,000 each month for the facility’s water services. He said when he first bought the building a few decades ago, he was paying about $600 a month for water on not one, but three laundromats he owned. 

“Our increase of 10% here, another 5% there, you know, just kept getting more and more, and I couldn’t afford to have all three buildings at one time,” Auger said. “So, I finally ended up coming down here to one building.”

Across town, 89-year-old Amelia McAlpin has lived in her home near Ketchikan Creek for over 50 years. She’s a widow, and was the only person who addressed the city council in January when water and sewer utility rate increases were on the agenda. 

“And I thought, ‘Oh my god, they’re going to raise it again,’” McAlpin told KRBD. “Well, I’m going to go and talk for the widows and the widowers that are – we just have fixed income. It’s not like when my husband was here taking care of me.” 

The city council approved both utility hikes. 

Ketchikan’s water utility rates have increased almost every year for about two decades. Other utility rates stayed the same for about a decade at times. 

While that meant utility payers weren’t seeing higher bills, it also meant the city wasn’t saving for future repair and maintenance needs. Ketchikan’s city finance director Michelle Johansen said the city is now playing catch up.

“A reduction in services could be detrimental to our community,” she said. “So, if we want to keep services the same, the only way to pay for that is through rate increases.” 

The finance department at a budget meeting last year proposed to the city council an 8% increase in water, sewer and electric rates each year for the next five years. The first set of those increases were approved and went into effect in February and April. The rate hikes must be approved each year by the city council before taking effect. 

Solid waste rates also increased by 9.5% this year. That’s on top of an additional proposed 5.5% increase each year for the next five years to fund the department’s disposal contract. 

The five-year plan to raise utility rates isn’t unique to Ketchikan. The Juneau assembly adopted last year a similar rate hike structure – increasing water and wastewater rates by 5% each year through 2029. 

According to Johansen, Ketchikan contracted a rate structure study where it was recommended the city implement a 12.5% annual increase for electric to help meet its capital improvement plan. She said they’ve had to adjust the plan with the lower, 8% annual increase, but the city’s electric utility manager is looking for grant funding. Despite the rate increases, Ketchikan charges some of the lowest rates for electricity in the state. 

That same rate study suggested an additional solid waste rate increase of 3% per year for the next five years.

Johansen said the city’s utility rate hikes are needed to pay employees and keep up with inflation-related costs. She said they’ll also be used to help fund needed infrastructure projects, like the construction of a secondary water main tunnel system that brings water into town from nearby Ketchikan Lakes. The city has only one water main tunnel system, which hasn’t been inspected in nearly 70 years. 

“It’s a major project,” said Ketchikan Public Utility Water Division Manager John Kleinegger. He said if no alternative water main is built, the current one can’t be inspected without cutting off all of Ketchikan’s water supply. 

“It will take us at least five years before completion, per chance, longer than that, because it’s going to be a very expensive project,” Kleinegger said. “And we’re going to have to seek funding from any number of sources.”

That’s just the tip of the iceberg for Ketchikan’s list of needed infrastructure projects. The city is also looking to replace various water lines, modernize its electric substations, add disinfection components to its wastewater facility and more. 

Ketchikan’s utilities are paid for through grants, loans, utility rates and city reserves. But finance director Johansen said the city’s reserve pot isn’t enough to cover water or electric projects. And she said state funding for water and sewer projects disappeared years ago. 

“I wish I had better things, happier things to say,” Johansen said. “The 8% is really to try to keep us from being in a really big hole. So we’re trying to keep on top of cost increases as well as try to put a little bit away to make sure we have enough for those capital improvement replacements.” 

And while the city council has approved several utility rate increases in recent years, not all council members agree with them. Riley Gass has overwhelmingly voted against utility rate hikes. He did, however, propose in March a compromise 4% electric rate increase that ultimately failed.

Gass believes the cruise ship industry and their passengers should “pay their fair share in our utilities.”

“They’re all going to the bathroom, using water and sewer. They’re all putting garbage in the garbage cans. And they’re, mostly all of them, in some way or another, benefiting from our electricity,” Gass said.

Gass suggested at a recent Cruise Line International Association meeting that he’d like to see more financial contributions from the cruise lines. Council member Jai Mahtani suggested at that meeting an increase in the passenger head tax, a fee that is paid per cruise ship passenger. Mahtani also said he’d like to see cruise ship passengers contribute to the city’s utilities.

According to the finance director, the city collects cruise ship revenue through its port fund, which is limited in how it can be used. The city has also implemented a seasonal restroom rate to collect additional money from cruise ship passengers. There’s also CPV money, which can only be used to fund projects that benefit cruise ship passengers.

Back at the laundromat, Jack Auger led his chihuahua mix, Piper, through rows of washing machines. As he walked back to the front desk, he pointed to a large grey box with a vintage look. It was the first machine he bought when he took over the laundromat.

Auger agrees with some city council member comments that Ketchikan should collect more money from cruise ship passengers. He also disagrees with the city’s flat-rate water system; he believes the city should switch to a metered system that charges based on water usage. 

Auger said it doesn’t make sense to him that his laundromat’s electricity bill is roughly half that of his water bill. 

“We don’t have to manufacture water, water flies out of the sky for us,” he said. “So why is it $1,000, almost $1,100 a month for my water, versus only $478 a month for my electricity? Can we make electricity cheaper than we can our water in Ketchikan, Alaska, where it rains 150 inches a year?”

The city’s finance director said council members have suggested alternative revenue streams to help fund infrastructure projects, but those options haven’t been researched. 

Hunter Morrison is a Report for America corps member for KRBD. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution.

The post Ketchikan residents struggle to keep up with much-needed utility rate increases appeared first on KRBD.

The City of Thorne Bay’s unofficial special mayoral election results are in. The small community of about 500 people on Prince of Wales Island held the election Tuesday. 

Timber Pesterfield, who has served as the city’s acting mayor since February, received 75 votes at the polls. City council member Anthony Lovell received 12 votes. 

The city will tally election results from about 40 absentee ballots on Friday. They’ll also canvass questioned and defective ballots. 

The special election comes after former Thorne Bay mayor Shane Nyquest resigned, following a recall petition against him. Nyquest now serves on the city council. 

The winning mayoral candidate will assume his role on Monday and will serve through November. 

Hunter Morrison is a Report for America corps member for KRBD. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution.

The post Thorne Bay unofficial mayoral election results are in appeared first on KRBD.

The State of Alaska is charging a Prince of Wales Island man with over 40 felony and misdemeanor counts following an Alaska State Trooper drug distribution investigation.

The charges include felony sexual abuse of a minor, sexual assault, and witness tampering. They also include murder of an unborn child from an alleged assault that resulted in a miscarriage. 

According to Troopers, 24-year-old Payton Brewer allegedly distributed drugs and alcohol to minors on Prince of Wales Island. 

Troopers say that during their investigation, multiple juveniles and adults “independently and consistently reported sexual offenses, domestic violence, controlled substance distribution, witness tampering, and endangerment of minors.” Some of the charges allege that Brewer provided alcohol to minors and then sexually abused them. 

Troopers say Brewer admitted to most of the alleged offenses, which occurred in numerous Prince of Wales communities between 2023 and 2026. 

Ketchikan District Court Judge Kristian Pickrell set bail at $1.1 million cash during Brewer’s arraignment hearing on Tuesday. The judge said the court would appoint him a public defender. If convicted on all charges, Brewer could spend the rest of his life in jail. An attorney at the hearing entered not guilty pleas for Brewer on the misdemeanor charges, like assault in the presence of a child.

Brewer’s next court appearance is scheduled for May 22 at the Prince of Wales Courthouse in Klawock. 

Hunter Morrison is a Report for America corps member for KRBD. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution.

The post Prince of Wales man charged with drug distribution, sexual abuse of a minor appeared first on KRBD.

Donned in Xtratuf boots, brown Carhartt overalls and a plaid flannel shirt, Joe Williams greeted a family last week who just stepped off the Norwegian Bliss cruise ship. Williams, also known by his stage name Lasagna Joe, is the emcee of the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show – a campy contest where teams of lumberjacks compete in various chopping games with axes and chainsaws. The rodeo style show in downtown Ketchikan draws in thousands of patrons each year. 

But last week, Lasagna Joe and the rest of the lumberjack crew weren’t downtown. They were 7 miles north in Ward Cove, for the inaugural production at a second, larger venue. It came after cruise ships began docking in Ward Cove in 2021. 

“It’s the one industry in Alaska that we don’t have to extract something to sell out into the world,” said Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show president and owner Rob Scheer. He said tourism stimulates the local economy by generating revenue and creating jobs. 

“It’s not timber, it’s not oil, it’s not gold,” Scheer said. “The only thing we’re selling is memories. We don’t have to cut down a tree for a memory.” 

According to a report from Southeast Conference, tourism was the region’s top sector in 2024. Ward Cove’s two-berth terminal, which sits at the site of Ketchikan’s former pulp mill, will see about 130 cruise ship stops this summer. 

Before it closed in 1997, the pulp mill was the largest employer on the island. It served as the keystone to Ketchikan’s timber industry, and many of the mill’s buildings still stand today. The new Lumberjack Show arena and an axe throwing range are housed inside some of the old structures.

Joe Duca is with Alaska Port Innovations, which is developing part of Ward Cove. He said over the last few years, passengers docking north of town would have to be bused 15 minutes south, leaving them with little time to enjoy downtown Ketchikan. He said the new business developments are not only breathing new life into the old mill, but bringing a taste of downtown Ketchikan to Ward Cove. 

“When I was asked to get involved, [I saw] some of the horrible reviews of the port, because nobody wanted to be there,” Duca said. “And so that was really what spurred a lot of this in developing that area.” 

But it’s not just the Lumberjack Show that’s new in Ward Cove. A stone’s throw from the second venue, on a bluff that overlooks the Tongass Narrows, is Fireside Feast — an outdoor dining experience, with covered canopies and open fire cooking, set to open this summer.

“Here in Alaska, we do beach bonfires all the time. It’s my favorite thing,” said general manager Justin Haggard. He most enjoys the camaraderie and food associated with Alaska bonfires and wanted to offer that experience to people who are only in the state for a short time. 

“We’ve been here developing for the past month or so, like, up here every single day, and we’ll get bald eagles flying over,” Haggard said. “When the whales are through, you’ll be able to see them perfectly from here. It’s just a cool spot, man.” 

Haggard said he’s wanted to develop a culinary experience like this for years, and finally found the right space to do it about a year ago. He said visitors can expect to dine on smoked salmon chowder, wild game and more. There will also be a buffet. 

Haggard and his wife own Alaska Spud in downtown Ketchikan. He said the city is lacking food options and wants to provide an alternative for visitors, especially those whose first taste of the island is in Ward Cove. 

“I feel bad for all of them having to be bused into town when we have this beautiful space here that just needs a little love and development, and we’re in the process of that right now,” Haggard said. “I really want to bring more money to Ward Cove, to this area. I think it’s the beginning of something really, really cool.”

Also in the works at Ward Cove is a zipline adventure park, set to open this summer, and a combination brewery, distillery and winery. 

Travis Robbins is one of the owners of Legends LLC, which operates Uncharted Alaska Distillery and Alaska Legends Cider and Winery, both in downtown Ketchikan. He said once the new bar in Ward Cove opens, it’ll be a year-round venture.

“We looked at it as an opportunity to serve another population of people coming to Ketchikan,” Robbins said. “And also, it gives people another area within Ketchikan to go and hang out outside of the downtown area, which we think is going to be pretty beneficial for even Ketchikan locals.” 

Robbins said the building is already constructed, but they plan to double the size of it. He envisions it to have pool tables and live music events. The brewery is currently waiting on approval of their state liquor license.

Duca, who’s helping to revitalize Ward Cove, said other future developments may include a boardwalk, a jewelry store and lodging. 

Hunter Morrison is a Report for America corps member for KRBD. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution.

The post Businesses expand north with Ward Cove developments appeared first on KRBD.

About a dozen people were holding cedar boughs last Saturday in a driveway on the outskirts of Metlakatla. Seated atop a nearby trailer was a long, white canoe with a red and black formline design painted on the bow. 

David Nelson, whose Native name translates to Strong Voice of the Steersman, grabbed his drum and began singing. As the drumbeats echoed through the subdivision, the mixed-aged crowd circled the canoe. They cleansed and awakened the vessel by brushing the cedar along its sides. 

The song hadn’t been performed in three years, but Nelson said this cloudy day seemed like the right time to revive it. That’s because the newly-blessed canoe hadn’t seen the water since the fall. 

“We believe they’re like a living, breathing thing, so we treat it as such,” Nelson said about the canoe. “We say ‘hello’ to it, and when we put it away, we tell it ‘it was good to be you,’ and we thank it for doing everything. We treat it just like we would a normal, living thing.” 

The ceremony, part of the canoe’s awakening, marked the start of its spring and summertime journey. The 40-foot long Nahaaygm Łagyigyedm, or Spirit of Our Ancestors, has navigated Metlakatla’s waters and traveled to neighboring islands since 2013. It’s one of three that is actively used in the community, and can seat up to 18 people. 

“So the whole reason why we got this canoe was to get our people in Metlakatla out on water,” said Johon Atkinson, president of the nonprofit Liwaayda. He said the organization’s goal is to share Tsimshian culture and bring Metlakatla back to its canoeing roots. 

The first canoes arrived in the village over 130 years ago when William Duncan, an Anglican missionary, moved with over 800 Tsimshian people from the original town site, in British Columbia, to Annette Island. They settled the new Metlakatla, which now is part of the only Native reservation in Alaska. At its founding, canoes were often utilized for traditional purposes, like harvesting native plants. 

And while today’s canoes are often used to educate people about Tsimshian culture, they’re still important to traditional practices. Later this month, the Spirit of Our Ancestors will be used in Metlakatla to harvest seaweed from neighboring islands.

Atkinson said the canoe takes care of the people of Metlakatla, and in turn, the community takes care of the canoe. 

“It’s that feeling of we’re going to be on the ocean, on the highways of our ancestors,” Atkinson said. “That feeling is so comforting. I feel complete when it is canoe season.” 

Minutes after its blessing, the Spirit of Our Ancestors was towed to a boat launch in the heart of town. The group piled into the vessel one at a time while Atkinson dispersed wood paddles. Atkinson sat in the stern and acted as the navigator. 

The ocean was smooth as glass. Baby salmon were swimming near the water’s surface. The canoe cruised past a boat harbor, then maneuvered around the city’s cannery. A few curious sea otters popped their heads out of the ocean to investigate the commotion. Atkinson was singing. 

Within 20 minutes, the crew reached nearby One Tree Island, where they disembarked and explored. Atkinson, who was joined by his son, niece and nephew, hopes fun opportunities like these can help keep Tsimshian traditions alive for the next generation. 

“Having them experience this now is something that many of us adults have not experienced at their age,” Atkinson said. “So the fact that they are here, learning and leading – there’s just no words on how amazing that is.” 

Atkinson said folks from all over the country visit Metlakatla each summer to experience the village’s canoe journeys firsthand. 

Hunter Morrison is a Report for America corps member for KRBD. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution.

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A Ketchikan port company is suing the old state ferry Malaspina. Alaska Port Innovations has filed a federal complaint against the ferry, alleging that its owner owes over $500,000 in unpaid moorage fees.

The Ward Cove Dock Group purchased the Malaspina from the state in 2022 and it now serves as employee housing and office space in Ward Cove, north of Ketchikan. The company pays to moor the old ferry on property owned by Alaska Port Innovation, which purchased Ketchikan’s former pulp mill at the cove in 2024. The April complaint alleges that the vessel’s moorage fees have not been paid since November 2024, and fees are accruing by over $1,000 each day.

Alaska Port Innovations claims in its complaint that the company is “entitled to arrest the Vessel.” The complaint goes on to say that the company is entitled to “foreclose its lien, and sell the Vessel to satisfy the debt and lien.”

John Binkley is the CEO of Ward Cove Dock Group. In a statement to the U.S. District Court, he claims that the company has paid moorage to another group that once owned the property who “confirmed” that it was still the landlord. Binkley acknowledges a dispute about moorage payments, but says the Malaspina is “critical” to the company’s operations and to “the people who live aboard it.” He states that over 80 of the company’s seasonal workers live aboard the vessel and displacement “would render them immediately homeless and unable to perform their jobs.”

Attorneys representing both Alaska Port Innovations and the Ward Cove Dock Group could not immediately be reached for comment.

There are currently no future hearings scheduled for the case.

Hunter Morrison is a Report for America corps member for KRBD. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution.

The post Ketchikan port company sues retired state ferry over moorage fee dispute appeared first on KRBD.