Introduction
Kasaan is located on the east side of Prince of Wales Island on Kasaan Bay, 30 miles northwest of Ketchikan, and is located in the Ketchikan Recording District. The area encompasses 5.3 square miles of land and 0.9 square miles of water. Other communities linked with Kasaan on the extensive island road system are Thorne Bay, Hollis, Craig, Klawock, Hydaburg, Naukati, Coffman Cove and Whale Pass. The Kasaan area features numerous historical, prehistoric and cultural treasures, including a traditional tribal long house and Totem Park. Originally, Tlingit territory, Kasaan gets its name from the Tlingit word meaning "pretty town." Haida people migrated north to Kasaan from the Queen Charlotte Islands in the early 1700s. Kasaan was traditionally a Haida village, but the population has become mixed. Subsistence activities remain a major part of village life.
Like most communities on Prince of Wales Island, Kasaan was founded on a natural resource extraction economy. Throughout the 19th century and into the 20th, lumberyards, salmon canneries and the nearby Copper Queen mine provided jobs and abundant wild food sources ensured a good standard of living.
During the last half of the twentieth century, declining natural resources and new regulations imposed on them caused traditional employment to dry up. As jobs left the community, people reluctantly did the same. Population in 1900 was 150. The 2000 Census recorded 39 people living in the village, even though the tribal census—, which tracks the people who would be members of the tribe if they lived in Kasaan—consists of more than 125 individuals. Now, there are eleven jobs in Kasaan. The Tribal Administrator has a list of families looking for a way to move back home, but lack of jobs and housing prevents them from doing so.
The City of Kasaan was incorporated in 1976. The Organized Village of Kasaan (OVK), a federally recognized Indian tribe, was established in 1934 to promote the protection, preservation and education of its village and members. After lying dormant since the late 1980s, it was reactivated in 1995, and members have energetically pursued a mission of self-determination for Kasaan since that time. The Tribal President and Administrator for the last five years has been Richard Peterson, who also serves as the City of Kasaan’s Mayor. The membership on the OVK council has been consistent, with five of the seven board members serving for five or more years through re-election, reflecting broad support for their leadership.
The OVK has provided the driving force and administrative structure behind many of Kasaan’s recent development projects. In 1997, OVK and City personnel jointly secured and managed resources for the linkage to Prince of Wales’ road system, and they have continued to work together to secure much-needed road construction within village boundaries. Kasaan’s Overall Economic Development Plan resulted from their combined efforts, and together they attained grant funding for the existing community hall, library/resource center, and emergency medical training for community members. The ongoing process of developing this plan has been open to the public and benefited greatly from their input.
Infrastructure needs rose to the top of the Village’s Overall Economic Development Plan, and since 1996, many projects have been planned, prioritized and completed. Of particular concern are the water, sewer and utilities extensions needed for housing and business development. At this time, OVK is working with Alaska Native Health Corporation to extend water and sewer services to encourage individual owners to build homes. OVK has also purchased three-1/4 acre lots to build a four unit housing complex in partnership with Tlingit and Haida Regional Housing Authority. The proposed project is the gateway component of the Overall Economic Development Plan
The Organized Village of Kasaan is located in the Kaigani Haida region in the southern tip of the Southeast Alaskan Panhandle, near the northern coast of British Columbia. Organized Village of Kasaan is located on the Prince of Wales Island. (click on maps to see larger images).
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