Realty Services
Services for owners of BIA-restricted property in and around Sitka
Sitka Tribe of Alaska provides realty services under contract with the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs for landowners who have legal interests in BIA-restricted property in and around Sitka. Our Realty Officer will work with owners of restricted property on realty transactions such as sales, gift deeds, rights of way, partitions, leases, federal probate, and permits. We are also available to provide help on land rights protection, including trespass discovery and abatement and arranging for appraisals and land surveys. The Realty Officer is available to assist Tribal citizens with Last Will and Testament preparation to facilitate disposition of restricted properties. The Tribe can only offer these services to restricted property owners when the land is located in and around Sitka.
For Last Will and Testament preparation, please fill out the Will Intake Form prior to your meeting.
Connect with our Realty Officer by phone: 907-966-9648 or email: realty@sitkatribe-nsn.gov
With the exception of the community of Metlakatla, there are no Indian reservations in Alaska, and the body of U.S. law that applies to “Indian Country” typically does not apply in Alaska. There are, however, two types of “Native” property in Alaska with some of the characteristics of Native land in the Lower 48: Native allotments and Native townsites. These properties are restricted by the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the federal laws and regulations that apply to this type of land ownership are complex and evolving.
Generally, restricted property cannot be sold or transferred without prior approval of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. When an owner passes away, the restricted property can only go through probate with the federal government. Sheet’ká Kwáan Tribe/Sitka Tribe of Alaska has a self-governance compact with BIA to assist owners of restricted property in and around Sitka with specific needs relating to this type of land ownership.
Native Allotments
The Alaska Native Allotment Act of 1906 was enacted on May 17, 1906 to permit individual Alaska Natives to acquire titles to up to 160 acres of land. The Allotment Act was repealed in 1971 when the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act was passed. The Dingell Act of 2019 created an opportunity for eligible Alaska Native Vietnam-era veterans and their heirs to apply for federal allotments in Alaska through December 29, 2030. There are no lands available in Southeast for the Alaska Native Vietnam-era veterans allotment program.
Native Townsites
Townsite Acts were the way the cities in Alaska first got land from the federal government. Congress passed the second land grant to Alaska Native people through the 1926 Alaska Native Townsite Act, which was a special type of Townsite designed to give Alaska Natives small lots under their homes in villages in a restricted status. There was no payment for these lots, and they were created to be nontaxable and inalienable, meaning they could not be taken away or sold without approval of the federal government.
Both Native Allotments and Native Townsites are a special form of private property ownership that gives owners fewer rights than most property owners. It can be confusing to understand these rights due to the way the federal government granted lands to Native peoples. A professional real estate agent cannot easily assist owners of BIA-restricted property. In addition, often a single parcel of restricted property is owned by multiple people, making it complicated to understand the scope of rights held by any one person. Sheet’ká Kwáan Tribe/Sitka Tribe of Alaska does not typically own restricted property, and does not have rights associated with property ownership. The Tribe cannot sell restricted property, or regulate activities on allotments or Native Townsite land.