Tlingit and Haida’s second-in-command challenges its long-standing president in elections this week

Tlingit and Haida’s First Vice President Ku.seen Jacqueline Pata and President Chalyee Éesh Richard Peterson speak at the grand opening of Two Coppers Casino on Douglas Island on July 1, 2026. (Photos by Yvonne Krumrey/KTOO)
Southeast Alaska’s largest tribal government might see its leadership change this week. The Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska annual tribal assembly meeting and leadership elections starts Wednesday at Elizabeth Peratrovich H