The U.S. government should prioritize the return of rights and recognition to the Saskinax̂ am Alaiit Indigenous community as a sovereign nation. This involves acknowledging their historical sovereignty, addressing past injustices, and engaging in meaningful dialogue to ensure their rights are upheld. Recognizing their status can lead to better governance, cultural preservation, and the restoration of traditional lands and resources, fostering a more equitable relationship between the government and Indigenous peoples. It is essential to approach this process with respect and a commitment to reconciliation.

Our children, born of an amazing Indigenous community, Saskinax̂ am Alaiit, are stripped of their birthright. They are denied the joy of fishing for salmon, halibut, and harvesting berries in their ancestral home. In 1942, our people were forcibly removed from our traditional lands, a loss that still echoes through our generations. We continue to live in imposed exile, our human rights inaccessible, our identity unrecognized.

Our plea is simple but profound: We ask the United States Government to acknowledge us as a Sovereign Nation and reduce to removing the militarization of our ancestral homelands. We ask for the return of our cultural items that were unjustly taken away during this forceful displacement. We were once a tribe, but after 1942 that sovereignty was stripped of us. 

The environmental damage inflicted by World War II activities on our traditional lands also needs to be addressed. It is essential that environmental remediation be carried out to restore the land to its previous state for our children and future generations. It is a huge environmental injustice for the true victims of World War II, our indigenous people, who are the ones seeking environmental remediation. This is the only location in the United States where this war was fought and as such the only location where this type of ecological restoration work needs to happen. 

This isn’t just about returning our land and material possessions it is recognizing our identity, our history, and our place in this country. We thereby seek justice, acknowledgment, and the chance to reintegrate our community in its rightful place. 

The time has come for our voices to be heard. But not just heard but it is time for action. Sign the petition to demand the recognition of our Saskinax̂ am Alaiit Indigenous community as a Sovereign Nation.