Thirteen Sitka Graduates Launch America’s First Indigenous Rights Movement
In 1912, Alaska was a harsh place for Natives. They couldn’t vote, own land, or even eat in the same spots as white folks.
Then on November 5, thirteen bold graduates from Sheldon Jackson School met in Sitka to change things. Led by Peter Simpson, they formed the Alaska Native Brotherhood, America’s first Indigenous civil rights group.
The rules were strict – members had to be Christian, stay sober, and skip traditional potlatches. Yet this group fought hard for basic rights when no one else would.
The historic ANB Hall still stands on Sitka’s waterfront, telling a story of courage that shaped Alaska forever.
School Grads Teamed Up to Fight Unfair Treatment
Thirteen Alaska Natives from Sheldon Jackson Training School joined forces in 1912 to create the Alaska Native Brotherhood.
The school’s Presbyterian teachers pushed students to drop traditional ways and act more “civilized. ” All founders knew how to deal with white society while keeping their Native identity.
The school offered their only path to citizenship through adopting mainstream culture. These educated Alaska Natives saw the unfair treatment of their people and decided to do something about it.
“Whites Only” Signs Started a Movement
“Whites only” signs kept Alaska Natives out of restaurants, movies, and public places across the territory. Native kids couldn’t go to white schools, and families lived completely apart from whites.
Alaska Natives couldn’t speak against white people in civil courts, leaving them with no legal protection. Most Americans thought Alaska Natives were “at the bottom of the ladder of civilization.”
This daily unfair treatment pushed the founders to create a group that could fight for basic human respect.
Alaska Natives Had No Basic Rights
In 1912, Alaska Natives weren’t U.S. citizens, couldn’t own land, and couldn’t send their kids to local schools. They couldn’t vote on issues that affected them or claim mining areas.
Others took away their rights to traditional land and fishing and hunting grounds. The Mining Act of 1874 only let American citizens and people wanting to become citizens stake claims.
Alaska Natives found themselves pushed aside in their own homeland with no legal standing.
November 5th Marked a Big Meeting
Eleven Alaska Native men and one Alaska Native woman formed the Alaska Native Brotherhood on November 5, 1912. They met in W.G. Beatty’s office, who ran the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Alaska.
The group from Sheldon Jackson Training School wrote a charter for their new group.
This meeting became a turning point for Native rights in America, creating the first Native civil rights group that still exists today.
Peter Simpson Led the First Members
The founders included George Fields, William Hobson, James Jackson, Eli Kalanvok, Seward Kunz, Paul Liberty, Frank Mercer, Marie Moon Orsen, Frank Price, James Watson, Chester Worthington, and Ralph Young.
Peter Simpson, a Tsimshian man, served as the first president and many call him the “father of the ANB. ” All ten founders belonged to Presbyterian churches and were seen as top leaders in church work.
Some missionaries from Sitka helped with the start and gave advice.
Membership Rules Showed Outside Influence
The first charter said members must speak English, matching the 1884 ban on Native languages in schools. Members had to be Christian, promise not to drink, avoid potlatches, and commit to service.
The founders urged Alaska Natives to stop using their traditional languages and customs, a stance the group changed in the 1960s.
The focus on Christian values showed how Presbyterian missionary teachings shaped the early group.
Getting Citizenship Topped Their List
The ANB worked to build Native unity, get U.S. citizenship, end racial bias, and gain economic fairness. The first members wanted Alaska Natives to get education and improve their standing in society.
They fought for recognition of Indian land rights and mineral claims, as well as protection of salmon. Their goals grew from helping people advance as individuals to lifting up all Native people through group action.
Local “Camps” Created a Strong Network
The ANB copied its structure from a non-Native group called the Arctic Brotherhood, a fishing union. Local ANB chapters called “camps” started in Native communities across Alaska.
A main hub called the Grand Camp kept ANB members in touch with each other. Members held a yearly meeting of all camps each November to plan their work for the coming year.
Helping Sick People Became Their First Job
Early on, the ANB set up a “sick committee” to visit ill members and give practical help. The group used its money to help pay for anyone who needed to travel to town for medical care.
The brotherhood led boycotts against businesses that treated Alaska Natives unfairly. ANB members carried banners showing American flags next to the ANB logo to show they wanted U.S. citizenship.
Sitka Waterfront Became Their Home Base
The Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall went up in 1914 on the waterfront in Sitka. The two-story wooden building measured about 40 feet wide and 60 feet long.
Most of its length stretched out over water, supported on pilings.
This became the first facility owned by the organization and served as headquarters for their growing civil rights work throughout Alaska.
America’s First Indigenous Rights Organization Still Stands
The ANB remains the oldest continuously active Indigenous rights organization in the United States. For the first half of the 20th century, they were the only groups working for the civil rights of Alaska Natives.
The significance of the ANB led to their hall being designated a National Historic Landmark.
Their work paved the way for later successes, including the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971, which returned 44 million acres of land and nearly $1 billion to Alaska Natives.
Visiting Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall, Alaska
The Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall at 223 Katlian Street is a National Historic Landmark where thirteen Alaska Natives founded America’s oldest Indigenous civil rights organization in 1912.
This Craftsman-style building extends over water on wooden pilings in Sitka’s traditional Tlingit village waterfront area.
You can attend social events and community activities throughout the year, as the hall welcomes visitors for various educational and social gatherings.
This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.
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