100 Years of Alaska Native Brotherhood

Next year will mark the 100 year anniversary of the founding of the Alaska Native Brotherhood (ANB). For the first half of the 20^th century, ANB and its partner organization, the Alaska Native Sisterhood (ANS – founded 1926), were at times the only organizations representing Native and civil rights in Alaska. ANB and ANS were also some of the first organizations fighting for land claims in Alaska. ANB claims to be the oldest still practicing Native organization in the United States.

Photo Credit: Group photograph of ANB/ANS members at the 1954 Grand Camp Convention, Juneau. Photograph attributed to William L. Paul, Jr. PO064: Item 3, Sealaska Heritage Institute.

The accomplishment list of ANB and ANS is long, but some of the main accomplishments credited to the organizations are: voting rights for Alaska Natives prior to the Citizenship Act of 1924, civil rights reform such as the Anti-Discrimination Act of 1945, land claims extinguishment efforts leading to ANCSA, and societal reform such as improvement of health care, education, and other social safety nets for Alaska Natives.

According to the international library catalog WorldCat.org, Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) contains the largest collection of ANB records in the world. These papers are open to the public for research and educational purposes. While SHI contains few historical ANS records, SHI hopes in the future ANS donors will contribute their historic papers to SHI to better preserve ANS and ANB’s histories.

From the historic records of ANB, SHI recently compiled a list of ANB Grand Presidents and the locations of ANB Grand Camp Conventions (a list of ANS Grand Presidents is forthcoming). This list is provided below, since SHI occasionally receives inquiries for this information. SHI seeks to promote the study of ANB and ANS’s history.

Sealaska Heritage Institute is a regional nonprofit representing the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian people of Southeast Alaska. Its mission is to perpetuate and enhance Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian cultures.

List of ANB Grand Presidents and Locations

of Grand Camp Conventions, 1912-2010.

Compiled by Zachary R. Jones

Sealaska Heritage Institute Archivist

YEAR              Convention Location                           ANB Grand President

1912                Juneau                                                 Election slated for 1913

1913                Juneau                                                 Peter Simpson

1914                Sitka                                                    Peter Simpson

1915                Metlakatla                                            Peter Simpson

1916                Wrangell                                              Peter Simpson

1917                Juneau                                                 Ralph Young

1918                no convention                                       Ralph Young

1919                Juneau                                                 Ralph Young

1920                Wrangell                                              Louis F. Paul

1921                Douglas                                               Louis F. Paul

1922                Klawock                                              Andrew Hope

1923                Kake                                                   Peter Simpson

1924                Hoonah                                                Peter Simpson

1925                Hydaburg                                             Frank Price

1926                Klukwan                                              Samuel C. Davis

1927                Angoon                                                Louis F. Paul

1928                Sitka                                                    William L. Paul

1929                Haines                                                 William L. Paul

1930                Ketchikan                                             Louis Shotridge

1931                Yakutat                                                Frank G. Johnson

1932                no convention                                       Frank G. Johnson

1933                Juneau                                                 Frank Booth

1934                Saxman                                                Cyril Zuboff

1935                Wrangell                                              Cyril Zuboff

1936                Metlakatla                                            Frank G. Johnson

1937                Kake                                                   Cyril Zuboff

1938                Sitka                                                    Cyril Zuboff

1939                Sitka                                                    Louis F. Paul

1940                Klawock                                              Roy Peratrovich

1941                Hydaburg                                             Roy Peratrovich

1942                no convention                                       Roy Peratrovich

1943                Hoonah                                                Roy Peratrovich

1944                Kake                                                    Roy Peratrovich

1945                Angoon                                                Alfred Widmark

1946                Wrangell                                              Cyril Zuboff

1947                Hydaburg                                             Cyril Zuboff

1948                Sitka                                                    Cyrus Peck Sr.

1949                Klawock                                              Frank Peratrovich

1950                Craig                                                    Harry Douglas

1951                Ketchikan                                            Joseph C. Williams

1952                Hoonah                                                Joseph C. Williams

1953                Sitka                                                    Patrick J. Paul

1954                Juneau                                                 Patrick J. Paul

1955                Petersburg                                            Patrick J. Paul

1956                Hoonah                                                Mark Jacobs Sr.

1957                Kake                                                   Thomas L. Jackson

1958                Sitka                                                    Thomas L. Jackson

1959                Yakutat                                                Alfred Widmark

1960                Angoon                                                Alfred Widmark

1961                Klukwan                                              Alfred Widmark

1962                Sitka                                                    John Hope

1963                Wrangell                                              John Hope

1964                Hoonah                                                Alfred Widmark

1965                Kake                                                    Frank See

1966                Hydaburg                                             Walter A. Soboleff

1967                Ketchikan                                            Walter A. Soboleff                 

1968                Juneau                                                 Walter A. Soboleff

1969                Kake                                                   Walter A. Soboleff

1970                Petersburg                                            Richard J. Stitt

1971                Sitka                                                    Steven V. Hotch

1972                Ketchikan                                            Steven V. Hotch

1973                Wrangell                                              Frank Nelson

1974                Yakutat                                               Frank Nelson

1975                Haines                                                 Frank Nelson

1976                Hoonah                                                Walter A. Soboleff

1977                Hydaburg                                             Frank O. Williams, Jr.

1978                Sitka                                                    Frank O. Williams, Jr.

1979                Juneau                                                 Walter A. Soboleff

1980                Angoon                                                Herbert Hope

1981                Ketchikan                                             Robert Martin, Sr.

1982                Kake                                                    Robert Martin, Sr.

1983                Juneau                                                  Ronald D. Williams

1984                Sitka                                                     Ronald D. Williams

1985                Klawock                                               Ronald D. Williams

1986                Haines                                                  Ronald D. Williams

1987                Sitka                                                     Richard Stitt

1988                Juneau                                                  Richard Stitt

1989                Hoonah                                                 Richard Stitt

1990                Kake                                                    Richard Stitt

1991                Ketchikan                                            Albert Kookesh

1992                Klawock                                              Albert Kookesh

1993                Angoon                                                Dan Johnson, Jr.

1994                Juneau                                                 Ronald D. Williams

1995                Hydaburg                                             Alfred McKinley, Sr.

1996                Yakutat                                               Alfred McKinley, Sr.

1997                Sitka                                                    Richard Stitt

1998                Wrangell                                              Richard Stitt

1999                Saxman                                                Samuel Jackson

2000                Juneau                                                 Samuel Jackson

2001                Kake                                                    Richard H. Jackson

2002                Hoonah                                                Richard H. Jackson

2003                Ketchikan                                            Samuel Jackson

2004                Sitka                                                    Samuel Jackson/Ronald D. Williams

2005                Juneau                                                 Dewey Skan

2006                Hoonah                                                Brad Fluetsch

2007                Sitka                                                    Dewey Skan

2008                Ketchikan                                            Willard Jackson

2009                Juneau                                                 Brad Fluetsch

2010                Saxman                                               Willard Jackson

2011                Klawock                                              Richard Jackson
2012                Sitka                                                    Dennis Demmert