Tlingit & Haida Q3 2026 Newsletter by Tlingit & Haida

VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE

LISTEN WELL & WITH RESPECT LISTEN WELL & WITH RESPECT LISTEN WELL & WITH RESPECT

TLINGIT & HAIDA NEWSLETTER FALL 2026 EDITION

A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT Dear Relatives, As we come away from our 91st Annual Tribal Assembly, I want to thank our Delegates and all who helped make this year’s gathering meaningful. Tribal Assembly is where we come together as a governing body, hear from our communities, make decisions, and reaffirm our responsibility to one another and to future generations. This year’s theme, “Unbreakable Unity, Ancestral Strength,” reminds us the strength we carry today was given to us by those who came before. Our Ancestors endured tremendous change and hardship while protecting our cultures, languages, lands, families, and inherent right to govern ourselves. We are here because they refused to give up. That legacy carries a responsibility. Unity does not mean we will always agree. Healthy self-government requires us to ask difficult questions, listen to different perspectives, and make difficult decisions. What matters is that we remain grounded in our values, treat one another with respect, and continue moving forward together. Today, Tlingit & Haida is continuing to strengthen our sovereignty by reclaiming and stewarding Tribal lands, protecting our traditional foods and waters, creating educational and workforce opportunities, strengthening public safety and services for families, and building greater economic independence. Each of these efforts is about the same thing: creating greater ability to determine our own future. That also means showing up wherever decisions affecting our people are being made. We cannot assume others will understand our history, protect our interests, or speak for us. Decisions that affect our people must include our people. As we approach the General Election on November 3, that responsibility belongs to each of us. We all need to have a voice in decisions affecting our lands, communities, and families. We honor that work by using the voice we have today. I encourage everyone to learn about the candidates and issues, make a plan, and vote. Encourage your family to vote. Help an Elder get to the polls. Our strength has always come from our people choosing to participate, serve, speak up, and stand together. Showing up is leadership. Voting is one way we show up. When our grandchildren look back on this generation, I hope they can say we protected what mattered, created opportunities they did not have before, and left them a stronger Tribe. Our Ancestors gave us the strength to be here. Now it is our responsibility to carry their work forward.

Gunalchéesh, Háw’aa

In unity and with respect, Chalyee Éesh, Richard Peterson

Tlingit & Haida President

IMPORTANT DATES OCTOBER 12 | INDIGENOUS PEOPLES' DAY Tlingit & Haida joins communities across Alaska in celebrating Indigenous Peoples' Day and honoring the cultures, traditions, contributions and resilience of Indigenous peoples. NOVEMBER 3 | GENERAL ELECTION Make your voice heard! Alaska’s General Election is Tuesday, November 3. Tribal citizens are encouraged to learn about the candidates, know their voting options and make a plan to vote. NOVEMBER 14 | WALTER SOBOLEFF DAY INDIGENOUS TRADES WORKSHOPS Learn traditional art skills through upcoming Indigenous Trades workshops. Registration is required and space may be limited. OCTOBER 18 | ANGOON VEST MAKING WORKSHOP WITH KATHLEEN LAA.ÉI JOHN OCTOBER 18 | 9 AM – 5 PM OCTOBER 19–23 | 5–8:30 PM Indigenous Trades is partnering with Tlingit & Haida’s Early Education Division to offer a vest making workshop for Head Start families in Angoon. If space is available, registration will also be opened to community members. NOVEMBER 7 | OREGON/WASHINGTON RAVENSTAIL HEADBAND WEAVING WITH DAPHYNE ALBEE NOVEMBER 7–8 | 9 AM – 3 PM NOVEMBER 14–15 | 9 AM – 3 PM LOCATION: Portland, Oregon/Vancouver, Washington area. Location will be provided upon acceptance. Students will learn Ravenstail weaving techniques while creating a headband during this four-day workshop. CLASS COST: $125 REGISTRATION REQUIRED

This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. NOVEMBER 14 | WASHINGTON BUTTON BLANKET SEWING WITH VICKI SOBOLEFF & NANCY SCOTCHMAN NOVEMBER 14–15 | 9:30 AM – 3:30 PM NOVEMBER 21–22 | 9:30 AM – 3:30 PM LOCATION: 20700 44th Ave W., Lynnwood, WA Vicki Soboleff and Nancy Scotchman will guide students through creating a button blanket during this four-day workshop. Students should bring their own enlarged crest design. CLASS COST: $200 REGISTRATION REQUIRED This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Watch Tlingit & Haida’s website and social media channels for additional events, deadlines and opportunities to connect with your Tribe.

AAN HÍT RETAIL EXPANSION

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THE NEW LYNNWOOD LOCATION IS OPEN DURING REGULAR OFFICE BUSINESS HOURS, MONDAY-THURSDAY FROM 8 AM - 4:30PM. AND FRIDAY FROM 8 AM - 4 PM, AS WELL AS DURING SPECIAL EVENTS ON WEEKENDS.

AAN HÍT COMES TO LYNNWOOD Aan Hít is bringing a little piece of Juneau to Lynnwood! After celebrating its first year in business this summer, the original Aan Hít location in downtown Juneau continues to grow as a place where community, culture, art, and commerce come together. Aan Hít was created to provide a dedicated space to showcase Tlingit & Haida’s own merchandise while supporting Alaska Native artists, makers, and products. More than a retail space, it offers tribal citizens and visitors an opportunity to connect with Alaska Native art and culture, find meaningful gifts, and take a piece of Southeast Alaska home with them. Now, our new ~400-square-foot Aan Hít location at the Tlingit & Haida Lynnwood Office is bringing that same spirit to our Washington tribal citizens. The smaller-scale location features apparel, jewelry, traditional foods, home goods, and gifts for your loved ones, including Tlingit & Haida in-house merchandise alongside work from Alaska Native artists and makers. We’re excited to welcome our Washington Tribal citizens and provide an opportunity to shop Tlingit & Haida in-house merchandise alongside work from Alaska Native artists and makers. Whether you’re looking for something to wear, a gift for someone special, traditional foods to bring a taste of home to your table, or a piece of Alaska Native art, we’re excited to make these offerings more accessible to our community in Washington. We’re still growing! Our stock and offerings will continue to expand as we build out the Lynnwood location. Have something you’d like to see carried? Let us know! Your feedback will help us shape what we bring to the shelves and ensure the store reflects what our tribal citizens want and need. And this is just the beginning of the expansion, more Aan Hít locations are coming to Tlingit & Haida regional offices, stay tuned! 3

SMOKEHOUSE CATERING TLINGIT & HAIDA WELCOMES BRIAN BURTON AS SMOKEHOUSE CATERING’S NEW EXECUTIVE CHEF Brian comes to the Tribe with more than three decades of food service experience, including ten years as an instructor at a culinary school and several years teaching cooking classes aboard cruise ships. When he’s in his own kitchen, he likes to keep it simple. “I’m just an old barbeque guy. So for me, steak potatoes...brisket, flank steak, mac and cheese. It’s hard to go wrong with a little stick-to-your-gut food.” Brian said his introduction to cooking started as a kid, growing up the youngest of seven. “Food is done by inspiration or desperation,” he laughed. “Sometimes it was desperation. Didn’t have a choice as a child. We had to get in the kitchen and help mom and dad peel potatoes.” Through the years he learned to love his time not only preparing food but also

leading a team. At Smokehouse Catering’s new state-of-the-art commercial kitchen, Brian has the capacity to expand the menu and mentor his staff. “We can take our cooks and find out what they do well and highlight that,” Brian said. Smokehouse provides food for Tlingit & Haida’s Elders lunches and meals for Head Start and Little Eagles and Ravens Nest. In addition to preparing to-go food for Sacred Grounds Café and catering smaller events like meetings, the Smokehouse team is continuing to explore ways to incorporate traditional foods and Native ingredients into the meals they prepare for the community. The team is also well-versed in fine dining, recently catering the President’s Awards banquet for 500 guests. The menu featured beef tenderloin and wild King salmon, locally sourced from a tribal citizen business Spirit Bear Seafoods on Prince of Wales Island. “It’s something that we love. When you’re in food service, you get judged one plate at a time, one meal at a time and we take that very seriously.”

2026 TRIBAL ASSEMBLY UNBREAKABLE UNITY ANCESTRAL STRENGTH (XAAD KÍL) kunhlgijuwáay tláats’gaa jahlíis, kuníisiisd dagwiigáay (LINGÍT) tlél aadé kax̱duwawáalʼi yé yá chʼa tléixʼ tí; haa léelkʼu hás latseení 91ST TRIBAL ASSEMBLY HIGHLIGHTS Tlingit & Haida Delegates concluded the business of the Tribe at the 91st Annual Tribal Assembly, held September 23–25 in Juneau, Alaska. This year’s Assembly marked a historic milestone as Delegates from Portland, Oregon, participated for the first time. During the three-day Assembly, Delegates heard leadership and program reports, considered resolutions and conducted elections for Executive Council leadership and other key positions. This year’s elections also marked the implementation of changes adopted by Tribal Assembly in 2025 establishing a designated First Vice President, elected separately from the other Vice Presidents. The First Vice President serves as President during the President’s absence or in the event of a vacancy, helping ensure continuity of governance and service to tribal citizens. The remaining five Vice Presidents are no longer numbered or ranked and serve equally in their roles. The Assembly also welcomed Indian Gaming Association Chairman David Z. Bean as keynote speaker. Bean recognized the significance of Tlingit & Haida opening Two Coppers Casino on July 1, 2026, and spoke about Tribal gaming as an exercise of sovereignty and self-determination that can create jobs, career pathways, business opportunities and revenue to advance Tribal priorities. Bean also emphasized the importance of Tribal Nations standing together to protect sovereignty and jurisdiction. “No Tribal Nation should have to defend their rights alone. Indian Country is strongest when we stand together,” Bean said.

Indian Gaming Association Chair, David Z. Bean

91ST TRIBAL ASSEMBLY ELECTION RESULTS Delegates attending the 91st Tribal Assembly conducted elections for Executive Council leadership and other key positions. Results include: President: Chalyee Éesh Richard Peterson First Vice President: Clinton E. Cook Vice Presidents: • Michelle D. Martin • Will Micklin • Frances Mills • Rob Sanderson, Jr. • William A. Ware Associate Justice: Cheryl Demmert Fairbanks Emerging Leader: Shania R. Murphy Citizen of the Year: Jennifer Cordova-James

Full Video Day I 91st Tribal Assembly Full Video Day II 91st Tribal Assembly Full Video Day III 91st Tribal Assembly

THE PRESIDENT’S AWARDS BANQUET AND EDUCATION FUNDRAISER BROUGHT IN MORE THAN $100,000 THAT WILL GO TO SUPPORT TLINGIT & HAIDA’S EDUCATION CAMPUS

91ST TRIBAL ASSEMBLY ADVANCES THE BUSINESS OF THE TRIBE Delegates heard updates on the Tribe’s continued growth, programs and services, economic development efforts, and priorities that will help guide Tlingit & Haida into the future.

Gunalchéesh, Háw’aa to all

Delegates, tribal citizens, Elders, leaders, staff and guests who participated in the 91st Annual Tribal Assembly and helped carry forward this year’s theme: Unbreakable Unity, Ancestral Strength.

It was a wonderful night to celebrate the awardees for their contributions to their community. Gunalchéesh, Háw’aa to everyone who donated items to the silent auction and to the Smokehouse Catering team for their hard work in the kitchen. Lifetime Achievement: Edward K. Thomas Caring for Our Children: Raven Hunter Cultural Ambassador: Israel Shotridge Culture Bearer: Carolyn Noe Emerging Leader: Brandon Gomez Hold Each Other Up: Wayne Price Inspiring Educator: Joshua Jackson Language Warrior: Sarah Peele Small Tribal Business: Joe Williams Storyteller: Moirah H. Hayes Tribal Ally: Aparna Dileep-Nageswaran Palmer Youth Mentorship: Láaganaay Tsiits Git’anee 6

TRADITIONAL FOODS LAND CONNECTION THROUGH TRADITIONAL HARVESTING Traditional harvesting is a great way to spend time outdoors, stay active and connect with the land and knowledge that has sustained our people for generations. Getting out to gather traditional foods can also be a simple way to support wellness in mind, body, and spirit. Walking through the woods or muskeg gets the body moving, giving a chance to slow down and truly feel the environment. Harvesting with family and the community can also create opportunities to share more knowledge and continue to stay connected to traditional foods and practices. One traditional plant harvested throughout Southeast Alaska is Xíl Kagán (Xaad Kíl) or S’ikshaldéen (Lingít), commonly known as Hudson Bay Tea, Swamp Tea or Labrador Tea. Its leaves can be picked, dried and steeped to make tea. Land-based education is important for our Indigenous children. Preschoolers in Tlingit & Haida’s Haa Yoo X’atángi Kúdi Lingít language immersion program had the chance to get out on the land to harvest with kids from the Tlingit Culture Language and Literacy program in Juneau. The leaves they picked will be dried for tea they can share with friends and family during cultural gatherings. Tlingit & Haida’s Traditional Food Security Department produced a video walking through the process of harvesting Xíl Kagán. In the video, Claude Young visits a muskeg near Hydaburg with his 5-year-old son and demonstrates what to look for when identifying the plant, how to carefully pick the leaves and how to prepare them for tea. The same muskeg holds a special connection for Claude. It is where his grandfather, Claude Morrison, taught him how to harvest Xíl Kagán when he was young. Now, Claude can pass that knowledge to his own son, continuing a practice that was once shared with him. Whether learning to harvest Xíl Kagán for the first time or brushing up on knowledge already known, Tlingit & Haida’s traditional food harvesting videos are a great resource to revisit before heading out. Ready to get outside? Watch the Hudson Bay Tea Picking video to learn how to identify, gather and process the tea, and explore what other traditional foods may be available to harvest in your area.

Gunalchéesh, Háw’aa to Newman’s

Own Foundation for supporting Tlingit & Haida’s traditional food harvesting videos and helping preserve and share this knowledge.

EDUCATION UPDATE SETTING CHILDREN UP ON A PATH TO SUCCESS BEGINS WITH AN INVESTMENT IN THEIR EDUCATION. In Juneau, Tlingit & Haida now has all of its early learning programs under one roof at Floyd Dryden. The consolidation means the Early Education Department can expand programming to give parents more options and wrap around services for their kids. “This is a long time dream coming true because we are a cultural program,” said Early Education Senior Director Ethan Petticrew. “We are heavily involved in teaching culture and this will allow us, now that we’re together, to borrow and use from each of our programs because we each have different strengths.” The Little Eagles and Ravens Nest child care center was the first to move in last year, followed by the Head Start administrative staff, teachers and students. Down the hall, the kids in the Haa Yoo X’atángi Kúdi (HYXK) preschool class are immersed in the Lingít language. “We’ve created an environment where the children are ‘Nestie Besties’ and they create a bond with each other that’s irreplaceable,” said Lingít Immersion Director Daaljíni Cruise. For the Lingít preschool program, class is in session Tuesdays through Thursdays which leaves some of the students in need of child care on Mondays and Fridays. Daaljíni said, with the LEARN program in the same building, families can keep their routines and have an easier time getting kids from one program to another after the school day ends. The new space at Floyd Dryden has given Head Start the ability to expand from preschool for kids ages 3-5 and add an Early Head Start classroom for little ones ages 18 months to 3 years.

“Once you enroll in early head start you are automatically able to transition to Head Start, so that carry over of care and reapplication process is fluid,” explained Head Start Director Kayla Tripp. Tlingit & Haida’s long-term plan is to build an education campus that takes kids from early learning to higher education, with curriculum built surrounding the Southeast Tribal Values. “The bottom line for us is we feel that culture heals. If our kids are immersed in cultural education throughout their life then we know we will grow up a strong people with healthy families and that’s our ultimate goal,” Petticrew said. 8

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COMMUNITY NAVIGATORS Tlingit & Haida launched the Community Navigator program in May 2022 to serve as local liaisons connecting tribal citizens with essential programs, resources and tribal enrollment services. Role: Community Navigators act as direct links between community residents and the Tribe, helping people find and apply for financial assistance, housing, training, and employment.

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FEHB Medical Health Insurance Comprehensive health coverage Access to a multitude of plans No pre-existing condition clauses Coverage for self, spouse, dependents T&H covers 70% of actual plan cost

Dental & Vision Insurance T&H covers 75% of plan cost Annual dental and vision exams are covered at 100% Annual $200 allowance for contacts/glasses

Flexible Spending Accounts Medical health spending account Dependent care spending account

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Principal 401k Retirement Plan Automatic plan enrollment at 5% of gross pay Up to 5% employer match Pre-tax and Post-tax plan options Contribute up to 75% of your pay 5 year vesting schedule Free access to our financial advisor

Covered Leave Parental Leave Bereavement Leave Civil Service (Jury or Military)

Tribe Provided Coverages Group Life Insurance, up to $50,000 AD&D coverage for $10,000 Long Term Disability - 60% of pay

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