The assembly has voted to donate 2.7 acres of borough-owned land to WCA for construction of a memorial park, which the tribe wants to build in honor of the Native children who were “lost or traumatized” at the federally operated boarding school on the same site.
The memorial also will honor Aleuts “who suffered while forced to stay at the internment camp on the same grounds” when they were removed from their homes during World War II, Wrangell Cooperative Association Tribal President Ethan Petticrew wrote to the assembly.
Last week’s assembly decision approves the transfer of land near Institute Creek, directly north of the Alder Top Village Keishangita.’aan residential subdivision near Shoemaker Bay.
The future memorial and the residential subdivision are on land occupied by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Wrangell Institute boarding school, which operated from 1932 to 1975. The federal government later gave the property to the municipality.
The assembly action Aug. 25 reverses an earlier commitment to give two smaller parcels within the subdivision to WCA for construction of the memorial. In lieu of those lots, the borough and tribe agreed on a larger piece of land just outside the subdivision.
Petticrew, who spoke to the assembly at the Aug. 25 meeting, said the land carries deep cultural and historical significance for the region. Long before modern boundaries were established, Tlingit families lived, gathered and raised their children on the land.
He emphasized the profound meaning of the land transfer during the meeting.
“Tonight we are welcoming land home,” Petticrew said.
