Due largely to the state and federal governments abandoning their obligations to our town and schools, along with voters’ passage of an ill-considered additional senior property cut last October, the Haines Borough is expected to face a sizable budget shortfall this spring.
There will be talk of cutting programs to save money. Here’s an easy reduction the government can make immediately: Return Tlingit Park to the Tlingits, and specifically to the Chilkoot Indian Association.
The park, a Tlingit graveyard, should have gone back to the Tlingits 40 years ago when the Presbyterian Church was deeding the last of its vacant mission properties back to the tribe. But by then the City of Haines had scooped up the parcel for a downtown park.
A restroom, flagpole and picnic tables were added in the late 1970s, and more recently a replica Tlingit longhouse-style stage was erected there. But this is Native land, proved by the Native bones and sinew buried there.
In the early 1900s, Natives approved transfer of land at the site to the Presbyterian Church so the church could educate Native children at the Haines Mission. The mission closed more than 60 years ago. By turns, the park property should have reverted back to our local Native population then.
Not only would such a transfer save the borough park maintenance and upkeep money, it’s likely to improve the property. Historically, the park has seen marginal upkeep by the borough. Through its residential subdivision, its stellar trail system and other projects, the CIA in recent decades has proved itself an exemplary steward of land and buildings.
With CIA ownership, Tlingits might again be buried on the site, next to their ancestors.
Transfer should include guaranteed public use of a trail there that allows safe pedestrian passage to the post office. Also, the tribe would be expected to honor an obligation that came with funds for the tribal-house stage, specifically to allow public use of the structure.
Besides saving the borough money, the transfer would connect the tribe to property across from the post office it’s already taking action to purchase. In addition, it wouldn’t deprive the municipality of any parkland.
The borough recently received 1.8 acres of waterfront on Front Street from the estate of Margaret Piggott that it can only use as a park. Further, Third and Main has become a new park in all but name. Main Street merchants, citizens and tourism promoters all support that reality; the latter would like to see public restrooms on the site that already serves as the cruise ship shuttle stop.
Finally, returning Tlingit Park to the Tlingits – and specifically to the Chilkoot Indian Association, a tribe that was unfairly denied its rightful allotment of land under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act – would reflect well on the borough and its relationship with its indigenous citizenry.
Tlingit Park owned by Tlingits. It’s a wonder we didn’t make this change years ago.