Former state Sen. Albert Kookesh has died. The Angoon Democrat served his community in the Alaska Legislature for 14 years. He was 72 year old.
Albert Kookesh represented Angoon in the Alaska House of Representatives from 1997-2004, before moving over to the Alaska Senate for another seven years from 2005-2012.
Kookesh’s senate territory was a huge, mostly-rural district that covered Metlakatla to the Bering Sea, and was quickly branded “The Iceworm District,” for its resemblance to the long, skinny relative of the common earthworm that lives in glacial ice.
The Iceworm District was split during redistricting in 2012, when Southeast Alaska lost its third senator to population growth in the Mat-Su. Senate colleagues Albert Kookesh and Sitka’s Bert Stedman were forced into a showdown that year that neither really wanted.
“Albert and myself had several conversations well before the election campaigning even started,” said Stedman, “and one of the things we wanted to make sure didn’t happen was that no matter who was selected as a senator in Southeast, that we didn’t have a divisive election and a divided senate district.”
Stedman won the seat, and Kookesh ended his legislative career — but his influence didn’t end. Sen. Stedman says former Sen. Kookesh remained a prominent voice in Southeast issues.
“When he was out of the senate, we’d have conversations about policy issues also,” said Stedman, “because he grew up in Southeast and knew the country very, very well.”
A Statement on the passing of Sen. Albert Kookesh, from the Sealaska Heritage Institute
We are devastated to say that our dear friend, the great Tlingit leader Albert Kookesh, has Walked Into The Forest. He was 72.Albert was Eagle of the Teiḵweidí (Brown Bear) clan, Child of the L’eeneidí (Dog Salmon) clan. His Tlingit name was Kaasháan. Albert was a true Aan Yadí — a noble person — and his leadership was felt everywhere. He received his B.A. from Alaska Methodist University and his Juris Doctorate in Law from the University of Washington. He helped form Sealaska and was an early director, elected as an independent candidate in 1976. And his legacy there touched everyone. He was a guiding force in helping Sealaska settle its final land entitlement; he helped pass legislation that allowed shareholder descendants born after 1971 to enroll in the corporation and claim their birthright and to provide special benefits to Elders; he advocated for a scholarship endowment that has since helped thousands of Native people attain a higher education. He was also instrumental in establishing the Alaska Native Brotherhood (ANB) endowment. His leadership paved the way for monetizing Sealaska’s timber without harvesting it through the sale of carbon credits, which brought significant revenues to Sealaska. He led the way as the chair of Sealaska for so many years. Albert spent time in the trenches, working for our people. He was an advocate for Alaska Native affairs for many years, starting with the ANB Grand Camp, where he served as Grand Secretary and Grand President and honed his leadership skills. Albert also served as a member and later co-chair of the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) for 16 years. As co-chair of AFN, he helped protect subsistence rights when opponents were trying to strip federal protections and advocated for the recognition of Alaska tribes. He was an instrumental supporter of the construction of Sealaska Heritage’s Walter Soboleff Building, and he, as a state senator together with state representative Bill Thomas, helped secure $5 million for its construction.He served our people on so many levels: Through Sealaska, AFN, and ANB; as a director of First Alaskans Institute; as a lawmaker who served in the House and Senate for 16 years; as vice president of Sealaska Heritage’s board of trustees.SHI President Rosita Worl, who campaigned with Albert on many issues and considered him a dear friend, addressed him at a recent ceremony held in Angoon just prior to his passing, where she, on behalf of Sealaska, presented him with a ceremonial headdress with Bear ears and abalone —known as g̱̱angóosh in Tlingit — in gratitude for his service. “Your footsteps are everywhere. Your leadership is everywhere. You went through some hard times when you were penalized for standing up for our rights. You were the one to take the brunt of it,” Worl said, referring to a time in 2009 when the state cited three Southeast Native fishermen, including Albert, accusing them of taking more sockeye than their permits allowed.Albert, who embraced the battle, and the other fishermen fought the case all the way to the Alaska Supreme Court, where they argued the 15-fish bag limit allowed by the permit was arbitrary and failed to account for the traditional approach to sockeye harvest in Angoon. The court agreed in 2015 and dismissed the case, which set an important precedent in favor of subsistence rights.He was a man of the people, always there to help when people asked for his assistance. He was like a godfather in that way, always giving favors whenever he could. He even took children into his home for years when they needed support. Among his greatest legacies are his gifts to his family and his home community. He chose to remain in Angoon to ensure that his children were grounded in their culture. At the same time, he instilled in them the value of seeking higher education, and many are now serving the Native community as educators and organizational executives. “These are the legacies. These are the legacies that you have bequeathed to our children and to our future generations,” Worl said. “Gunalchéesh, Albert. Your name will always be remembered.” Condolences to Albert’s family, his clan, and all of the people he touched along the way.
Kookesh was a 1967 graduate of Mt. Edgecumbe High School, and a Gold Medal basketball player. He went on to earn a Bachelor’s degree from Alaska Methodist University in 1971, and a Doctorate in Law from the University of Washington in 1976.
Kookesh never practiced law, however, a fact he was always quick to point out to reporters: He was a legislator, he would say, not a lawyer.
Kookesh divided his time between his legislative duties and service on the boards of both the regional Native corporation, Sealaska Inc., and the village corporation for Angoon, Kootznoowoo, Inc.
The Alaska House Majority Coalition issued a statement recognizing the extraordinary legacy of Kookesh: Former Speaker of the House Bryce Edgmon wrote, “Albert was a lifelong advocate for his people, a force in Alaska politics, and a legendary Alaska Native leader. He achieved the trifecta of serving in the Senate, as co-chair of the Alaska Federation of Natives, and as president of the Sealaska board.” Edgmon concluded, “My thoughts are with his wife, Sally, his entire family, and the community of Angoon.”
