Kichx̱áan (Ketchikan), Alaska — Ketchikan Indian Community (KIC) has been awarded its full $5 million funding request through the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) to further the development of the Salmon Falls Healing Center, which will expand access to healing and recovery services in Southeast Alaska.
KIC applied for $5 million. KIC received $5 million. The full award reflects the urgency of bringing additional treatment and recovery resources to rural Alaska. KIC understands that urgency. Behind every statistic is a person, a family, and a community. When someone is ready to seek help, access to care can mean the difference between continuing in addiction, beginning recovery, or losing a life.
KIC’s $5 million award will support the Tribe’s continued work to transform the former Salmon Falls Resort into a Tribally led healing and recovery campus where people can receive care while remaining connected to their families, community, culture, lands and waters.
“Our culture has always taught us that healing happens together,” said President Gloria Ilsx̱ilé Stáng Burns. “We find strength in our families, our community, our lands and waters, and in remembering who we are and where we come from. Salmon Falls gives us the opportunity to create a place where those connections are part of the healing journey. I am so thankful to our community for believing in this dream, to our staff who have worked tirelessly to carry it forward, and to every person who has shared their story and helped us understand what our people need. This belongs to all of us. Together, we are creating a place where our people can reconnect, heal, and know that they are loved and valued.”
KIC acquired the 11-acre waterfront Salmon Falls property in late 2025 with the vision of creating a comprehensive healing and recovery center in Southeast Alaska. Since then, KIC Tribal Council, leadership, and staff have worked aggressively to move the project from an idea into reality, including securing critical zoning approval from the Ketchikan Gateway Borough in April 2026.
“We know that when someone is ready for healing, we cannot ask them to wait,” said Tribal Administrator and CEO Emily Tlaa Kíl Xants Edenshaw. “We also know how difficult it is for families when someone has to leave their community and travel hundreds of miles away to receive care. Our vision for Salmon Falls has always been that healing can happen at home, surrounded by the people and places that remind us who we are. I want to sincerely thank the Deputy Commissioner, the Alaska Community Foundation, and everyone who recognized both the urgency of this need and the potential of Salmon Falls. We asked for $5 million because we understood the scale of what it will take to do this right, and we are incredibly grateful to have received the full $5 million. We are no longer just talking about what could be possible. We are putting our dreams into action.”
The Salmon Falls Healing Center is envisioned as an integrated campus that brings together evidence-based treatment, behavioral health and recovery services with culturally grounded approaches to healing. The natural environment surrounding Salmon Falls provides an opportunity to incorporate connection to land and water, traditional knowledge, culture, family, and community into the recovery experience. For Southeast Alaska, the impact reaches beyond the individuals who will eventually walk through the doors.
Substance use disorder affects parents, children, grandparents, friends, coworkers, and entire communities. Helping one person enter recovery can strengthen a family. Strengthening families strengthens communities. And providing treatment when someone is ready can save a life. That is why KIC has approached Salmon Falls with urgency.
“The RHTP federal investment we have just received for the Ketchikan Indian Community project at Salmon Falls marks a monumental turning point for addiction recovery services in our community. The programs we offer will impact generations to come,” said Salmon Falls Administrator Carolyn Fry. “With this $5 million grant, we can further develop mental health and addiction residential and outpatient treatment capabilities. This expansion assists with ensuring that individuals seeking a path to healing have access to hope and care that honors their heritage. Our services will focus on embracing the whole person, building on their strengths and abilities, and providing meaningful interactions that help shift the narratives underlying past difficulties and challenges. We are deeply grateful for this support, which allows us to increase our evidence-based programs, enhance our therapeutic environments, and ultimately save lives. This funding is a powerful validation of KIC’s long-term mission and vision. Our team is energized and ready to elevate the standard of care for lasting, sustainable recovery that has an impact for many generations to come. We are so thankful for this support. As the Administrator of Salmon Falls, I can’t help but do a happy dance!”
The Tribal Council had the dream; the Tribal Council and staff are making it a reality, and healing is coming home.
Note: This project is supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through a subaward as part of a financial assistance award of $5,000,000, representing a portion of the total award of $272,174,855.72 made to the State of Alaska Department of Health, with 100% funded by CMS/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by CMS/HHS or the U.S. government.
