Metlakatla, Alaska's Only Native Reservation, Fights to Preserve Its Fishing Culture

The Indigenous Tsimshian village has maintained its commercial fishing industry while others in Alaska have seen their fleets decline.

Apr. 10, 2026 at 8:21am

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A brightly colored, high-contrast silkscreen print featuring multiple images of a fishing boat in a grid pattern, using flat, vibrant neon colors and heavy black outlines to create a modern pop art representation of the everyday fishing vessel.Vibrant silkscreen prints of Metlakatla's fishing boats celebrate the community's thriving commercial fishing culture, a stark contrast to the industry's decline in much of rural Alaska.Ketchikan Today

Across Alaska's coastline, many rural and Indigenous communities have seen their commercial fishing industries decline, with abandoned boats lining the shores. But in the village of Metlakatla, the only Native reservation in Alaska, fishing remains a thriving part of the local culture and economy. This is due to Metlakatla's unique history - the community stayed out of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act in the 1970s, allowing it to maintain its reservation status and exclusive fishing rights around Annette Island. Now, Metlakatla is engaged in a legal battle to expand those fishing rights, facing opposition from the state, other tribes, and the commercial fishing industry.

Why it matters

Metlakatla's ability to sustain its fishing culture stands in stark contrast to the decline seen in many other rural, coastal Alaska Native communities. The village's story serves as an example of how maintaining tribal sovereignty and fishing rights can help preserve a way of life, even as global market forces and state policies have eroded commercial fishing in much of the state. Metlakatla's fight to expand its fishing grounds could have broader implications for how Alaska manages its fisheries and the rights of Indigenous communities.

The details

In the 1970s, when the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act terminated most Native reservations in the state, Metlakatla stayed out of the deal, preserving its reservation status and exclusive fishing rights around Annette Island. This has allowed the 1,600-person community to maintain a thriving commercial fishing industry, with dozens of active vessels that harvested over 1.3 million salmon in 2024. Any Metlakatla tribal member with a boat and $25 can buy a permit to fish in the Indigenous-managed fishery. In contrast, residents of other coastal Alaska Native villages often have to pay $100,000 or more for a state-issued permit to access nearby waters. Now, Metlakatla is engaged in a six-year legal battle to expand the waters available to its tribal fishermen, arguing that an 1891 federal law entitles them to harvest anywhere within a day's travel of the reservation. The lawsuit faces opposition from the state, other tribes, and the commercial fishing industry.

  • In the 1970s, the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act terminated most Native reservations in the state, but Metlakatla stayed out of the deal.
  • In 2020, Metlakatla filed a federal lawsuit asserting its right to expand its fishing grounds beyond the 3,000-foot strip around Annette Island.
  • A decision on Metlakatla's lawsuit could come as soon as this year.

The players

Metlakatla

The only Native reservation in Alaska, located on Annette Island, that has maintained a thriving commercial fishing industry through its exclusive fishing rights.

Albert Smith

The mayor of Metlakatla, who says the village's lawsuit could help revive its tribally owned fish processing plant.

Doug Vincent-Lang

The Alaska fish and game commissioner, who has opposed Metlakatla's lawsuit, arguing it could set a precedent for other tribes seeking to expand their fishing rights.

David R. Boxley

A Metlakatla artist and former tribal council member who says the village's fight to maintain its fishing culture is aligned with its decision a century ago to move from Canada to Alaska.

Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida

A group of other Southeast Alaska tribal governments that filed a motion to dismiss Metlakatla's lawsuit, arguing the Tsimshian residents were infringing on traditional Tlingit and Haida harvest rights.

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What they’re saying

“We'd already lost a Metlakatla. We had to build two communities — one was basically taken from us. Why would we do that again?”

— David R. Boxley, Metlakatla artist and former tribal council member

“We're going to see this through to the end.”

— Doug Vincent-Lang, Alaska fish and game commissioner

“We don't see the need for the island fishery to be expanded.”

— Tom Meiners, Leader of a trade group representing Southeast Alaska's seine boat fleet

What’s next

A decision on Metlakatla's lawsuit to expand its fishing rights could come as soon as this year. The outcome of the case could have broader implications for how Alaska manages its fisheries and the rights of Indigenous communities.

The takeaway

Metlakatla's ability to maintain a thriving commercial fishing industry, in contrast to the decline seen in many other rural Alaska Native communities, highlights the importance of preserving tribal sovereignty and fishing rights. The village's fight to expand its fishing grounds is a testament to the community's determination to control its own economic future and sustain its cultural identity as the 'salmon people'.