“From Self-Governance to Self-Made Futures: Metlakatla’s Next Chapter”
Post:
Metlakatla, Alaska has always been more than just a dot on the map—it’s a story of resilience, sovereignty, and vision.
From our earliest days, we have stood apart as a self-governing, self-sustaining community. Guided by leaders who carried deep wisdom and clarity of purpose, we built a home grounded in shared values, spiritual strength, and cultural pride. For decades, we thrived through industries that suited our land and waters—timber, fishing, canning. We didn’t just survive—we built, we led, we governed ourselves.
But times change.
Markets shift. Global demand for timber and fisheries has waned or rerouted. The industries that once sustained our families and funded our futures are not what they once were. And so now, just like our ancestors did generations ago, we stand at another crossroads. Another moment of reckoning—and possibility.
We are once again being called to be trailblazers.
This time, it may look different. It may look like small businesses, like digital creators, like food sovereignty projects, local tourism, artisan crafts, technology, and cultural exports. It may mean turning inward to invest in our young people’s ideas, or turning outward to build bridges with global markets that respect our values.
Whatever the path—we must create it.
Entrepreneurship isn’t just for the big cities. It belongs here too—in the soul of a people who have always carved their own way forward. Is it scary? Yes. Is it risky? Of course. But risk has never stopped us before. From crossing oceans to forming new systems of governance, to asserting our rights as the only federal Indian reservation in Alaska—we’ve always moved forward.
The next generation of Metlakatla leaders, builders, and visionaries is already among us. They’re watching. Listening. Learning. They need to see us take that first step toward new ideas, new businesses, new industries—rooted in who we are, and bold about where we’re going.
We are a community with the heart of pioneers. Let’s keep pioneering.
Let’s build again. Let’s lead again. Let’s dream—and do—together.
Call to Action:
Now’s the time to step up.
✅ Got a business idea? Share it with a mentor, or start sketching out a plan.
✅ Interested in entrepreneurship? Attend the upcoming Community Innovation Workshop at the Civic Hall (date TBD—stay tuned).
✅ Know a young person with a spark? Encourage them. Uplift them.
✅ Let’s talk, brainstorm, and build—together.
Drop a comment below with your ideas, or message me directly if you want to collaborate. Our future is still ours to shape—let’s make it bold.
Notes from Alex 