Protecting Culturally Significant Grave Sites in Chitina

Thank you to the Native Village of Chitina (NVC), Ahtna Inc. and the State of Alaska for finding common ground this spring to protect the culturally significant grave sites discovered in the Chitina area. These sites are in the path of the Copper River dipnet fishery, and it was time to protect them.

The discoveries were formally documented during recent resource work by the State of Alaska in the O’Brien Creek Area of Wood Canyon, although this is not new information. Unfortunately, this location has been known to be a burial site by local Ahtna people for over 100 years. As early as 1910, Chief Goodlataw of Taral filed the first lawsuit against the federal government to protect these sites. He had found a family burial site desecrated by the Copper River & Northwestern Railway workers during early construction at O'Brien Creek.

Many years have passed, but there’s always time to do the right thing.

The burial sites are along the high-traffic undeveloped road that extends south from Chitina. With dipnet season opening in early June each season, it was imperative to find a solution to protect these sites to prevent any more damage.

As of June 7th 2024, temporary boardwalks have been built between O'Brien Creek and Eskilida Creek to allow traffic to bypass culturally sensitive areas. Hopefully we can work together to find a permanent solution to this issue.

While the Chitina Subdistrict Subsistence and Personal-Use Dipnet fisheries are incredibly important to Alaskans all along the road-system, we all owe it to the NVC to honor these grave sites.

As Alaskans, we have to respect each other as we seek to share the natural resources from our lands and waters.

The Native Village of Chitina asks all individuals to leave artifacts undisturbed and report their findings to the NVC at (907) 823-2215.

Youth dipnetters at Haley Creek June 2024

Haley Creek below Wood Canyon