Ketchikan, AK — Ketchikan Indian Community (KIC) is thrilled to announce that Ketchikan has been officially reclassified as a “Rural” community on the Federal Register by the Federal Subsistence Board. This long-awaited change restores many of our Tribal citizen’s traditional harvesting rights, granting priority subsistence rights to all Ketchikan’s rural residents on federal public lands and waters in Alaska, effective immediately. After decades of advocacy amid ongoing legal and environmental challenges, this restoration of rights empowers KIC members to reclaim traditional practices essential to their cultural heritage, food security, and community resilience—addressing gaps left by the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) of 1971 and the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) of 1980.

KIC’s successful petition to the Federal Subsistence Board reclassified the community as rural under ANILCA’s Title VIII, granting priority for subsistence resources like deer and berries on federal lands (90% of Revillagigedo Island) during shortages. This shift allows traditional harvesting, extended seasons, and community sharing, previously restricted by the urban designation. It supports nutritional needs, strengthens cultural bonds through shared traditions, and addresses declining resources amid climate change and the urban-rural divide.

“This reclassification is a profound step toward reclaiming our Tribal citizens’ food sovereignty and ensuring the continuation of our Haida, Tlingit, and Tsimshian cultures,” said KIC Tribal President Burns. “For generations, we’ve fought to restore our ability to harvest and share our traditional foods with our families and community, honoring the ways of our ancestors. This breathes new life into ‘Our Way of Life,’ allowing us to pass down knowledge and sustain our people in the face of modern challenges like resource threats and historical injustices.”

President Burns also extended heartfelt gratitude to the dedicated individuals who have championed this cause through KIC since ANCSA was passed in 1971. ANCSA settled land claims but extinguished indigenous hunting and fishing rights without explicit subsistence protections, stripping local Natives of their traditional and customary usage rights and their ancestral lands, without ever providing the promised payments or land entitlements to Ketchikan’s Native people—one of the five “Landless Tribes” of Alaska, alongside Haines, Petersburg, Tenakee Springs, and Wrangell. “To everyone who has worked tirelessly on this strategic goal for nearly 50 years—our Elders, leaders, staff, and advocates—thank you for your unwavering commitment. Your efforts have turned a historic injustice into a beacon of hope for future generations.”

While this federal determination primarily affects federal lands and waters, the majority of waters surrounding Ketchikan fall under state regulation. The state manages subsistence separately through the Alaska Board of Fisheries and the Joint Board of Fisheries and Game, which oversee nonsubsistence areas (including the current Ketchikan Nonsubsistence Area) and set guidelines based on criteria like population density, economic factors, and resource dependency. Following a federal rural reclassification, communities can petition the Joint Board to review and potentially adjust state nonsubsistence boundaries or subsistence regulations. This process involves submitting proposals, public comment periods, and board meetings, which occur periodically (typically every 1-3 years for relevant cycles). KIC and community leaders will now begin developing the proposal that will be submit for Ketchikan according to the board schedules.

It is important to note, that although Ketchikan has been designated rural by FSB, it is not considered rural by NOAA. This means that although SHARC cards continue to be available for subsistence halibut harvest for customary and traditional use to Ketchikan Indian Community Tribal members, they are not available to nonnative residents of Ketchikan.

KIC encourages Tribal citizens and Ketchikan residents to prepare for the changes impacting this hunting season on federal lands, focusing on benefits such as:

• Priority Access: When resources are limited, rural residents get first dibs on federal lands and waters for subsistence over sport or commercial uses.
• Longer Seasons and Higher Bag Limits: With more time to harvest and the ability to take more at once to feed our families.

These changes enable local hunters to sustainably harvest deer—a key traditional food—closer to home on Revillagigedo Island without the additional time and expense of traveling off island. Resident can also support community events and Elder care through priority harvests. A federal “Designated Harvester” permit, less restrictive than the state’s “Proxy Hunting,” allows qualified rural residents to hunt for others (e.g., Elders) and hold up to two harvest limits. State hunting licenses and harvest tickets are still required for state-regulated lands or waters.

Tribal citizens and community members interested in embracing our traditional way of life under current subsistence harvesting regulations—with a focus on the current deer season—are invited to join KIC on Tuesday, August 5, at 6:00 p.m. at the Discovery Center with presentations from agency experts Robert Cross, USFS Subsistence Biologist; and Ross Dorendorf, ADFG Deer Biologist, beginning at 6:20 p.m.

For the full Federal Register notice, visit https://kictribe.info/OfficiallyRural. For additional subsistence details and future updates, please follow KIC’s social accounts.

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