Organized Village of Kake
Organized Village of Kake
Ḵéex̱ʼ Kwáan (Tlingit) | |
|---|---|
 Kake skyline | |
  Organized Village of Kake Organized Village of Kake | |
| Coordinates: 56°57′55″N 133°55′33″W / 56.96528°N 133.92583°W | |
| Constitution Ratified | November 17, 1947 |
| Capital | Kake, Alaska |
| Government | |
| • Type | Representative democracy |
| • Body | Kake Tribal Council |
| • President | Joel M. Jackson |
| Population | |
• Estimate | 600 |
| Demonym | Tlingit |
| Time zone | UTC–09:00 (AKST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC–08:00 (AKDT) |
| Website | kake-nsn |
The Organized Village of Kake is a federally recognized Native American tribe of Tlingit people.[3] This Alaska Native tribe is headquartered in Kake, Alaska[4][3] (Tlingit: Ḵéex̱’).[5] The tribe has 600 enrolled citizens.[1]
Government
The Organized Village of Kake is led by a democratically elected tribal council.[4] Its president is Joel M. Jackson.[6] The Alaska Regional Office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs serves the tribe.[6]
The tribe ratified its constitution and corporate charter in 1947.[4]
In 1999, the tribe created Circle Peacemaking, it tribal court that draws upon culturally informed dispute resolution and mediatation.[7] By bringing together the accuser, accused, their families, spiritual leaders, and social workers, the Circle Peacemaking court has reduced recidivism to almost zero, and the Harvard Kennedy School Project of Indigenous Governance and Development recognized the court in its 2003 Honoring Nations program.[7]
Territory
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The tribe is headquartered in Kake on the northwest edge of Kupreanof Island and near the Tongass National Forest.[3][1] Kake can only be accessed by airplanes or boats.[3] Barring foul weather, airplanes arrive daily, and the Alaska state ferry, known as the Alaska Marine Highway, arrives twice weekly.[1]
Economy
Fishing and logging are important industries.[1] From 1912 to 1977, the Kake Cannery was an major employer. Unemployment is between 50 and 80 percent,[1] so subsistence hunting and fishing are important for survival.[2]
The Organized Village of Kake is affiliated with Sealaska Corporation, an Alaska Native corporation,[3] and the Kake Tribal Corporation, an ANCSA Village Corporation.[5]
Language and culture
The Organized Village of Kake speaks English and the Tlingit language. Their Tribal Historic Preservation Officer is Teresa Guadette.[8]
In 2012, the tribe and Mike A. Jackson (Kake Tlingit) collaborated with students and other community members to carved and paint cedar panels depicting Kake families. Thirty of these panels were hung in the Kake Community Hall Gym during the centennial celebration of Kake Day.[9]
See also
- Culture of the Tlingit
- History of the Tlingit
- Kake War, 1869 destruction of three Tlingit villages by the USS Saginaw
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Organized Village of Kake". Tribal Transportation. US Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ a b Douglas, Jessica (12 October 2020). "The Alaska Native village of Kake defends their right to hunt". High Country News. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ a b c d e "Organized Village of Kake". Alaska Handbook. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
- ^ a b c "Organized Village of Kake". National Indian Law Library. Native American Rights Fund. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
- ^ a b "Ḵéex̱' (Kake)". MySealaska. Sealaska. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ a b "Tribal Leaders Directory". Bureau of Indian Affairs. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
- ^ a b "Kake Circle Peacemaking". Indigenous Governance Database. Native Nations Institute, the University of Arizona. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ "Organized Village of Kake". National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ "Organized Village of Kake". Native Arts + Cultures Foundation. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
External links
- Organized Village of Kake, official website
- Constitution and By-Laws of the Organized Village of Kake
- Kake Circle Peacemaking, video about the tribe's traditional court system