Doyon is one step closer to reclaiming a sacred piece of Alaska Native heritage with the introduction of the Geese House Site Conveyance Act. This proposed legislation directs the U.S. Secretary of the Interior to convey a culturally significant site — known as the Geese House Site—to Doyon, fulfilling a decades-long effort rooted in the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA).
“The Geese House Site is more than land — it is memory, tradition, and spiritual strength for our people,” said Sarah Obed, Senior Vice President of External Affairs at Doyon. “This legislation honors not only our rightful claim, but our deep and enduring relationship with the land itself.”
A Site of Deep Cultural Significance
The Geese House Site is not a man-made structure, but a geological formation of longstanding cultural and spiritual significance to the Athabascan people. Located near Lake Minchumina in Interior Alaska, the site had been used for generations for cultural, social, and ceremonial purposes and is central to oral traditions within the Upper Kantishna region.
Although selected by Doyon in 1978 as part of its ANCSA land entitlement, the site was never conveyed. Over time, these lands became part of the northwestern boundary of Denali National Park and Preserve through the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) in 1980. Today, they remain under federal management by the National Park Service, despite their proximity to lands already conveyed to Doyon.
Legislative Remedy for a Longstanding Oversight
The Geese House Site Conveyance Act seeks to correct this oversight by authorizing the transfer of selected lands to Doyon. The Act exempts the conveyance from existing federal land withdrawal restrictions, including several Public Land Orders and provisions of ANILCA, ensuring that the land transfer can proceed unimpeded.
Specifically, the bill requests that the Secretary of the Interior convey the lands selected under ANCSA, which collectively cover over 21,000 acres. These lands, though never officially conveyed, have long been recognized by Doyon and Alaska Native communities as essential to their cultural identity.
Cultural Reconnection Through Land
The passage of this legislation would not only resolve a technical legal issue — it would represent a meaningful return of ancestral lands to the Native people of the Doyon Region. As the bill states, the conveyance would be considered an official ANCSA action, thereby restoring the integrity of the original settlement’s intent: to empower Alaska Natives through the recognition and stewardship of their traditional homelands.
To learn more about Geese House, visit www.doyon.com/in-search-of-a-legend/.
