Executive Council

{mb_administrator_short_bio @fallback:Chalyee Éesh Richard Peterson is a lifelong resident of Southeast Alaska with a long history of leadership rooted in service to his community. He has served as Tlingit & Haida President since 2014. In this role, Peterson has been a vocal advocate for Indigenous land management, traditional food sovereignty, and strengthening government-to-government relationships with federal agencies. In 2023, he signed a historic co-stewardship agreement with the U.S. Forest Service for the Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Center, advancing tribal sovereignty, shared stewardship, and Indigenous leadership in the management of ancestral lands. Economic and tribal sovereignty have been central to Peterson’s leadership. He has promoted tribally owned enterprises and diversified revenue streams to reduce reliance on external funding and enhance the Tribe’s capacity for self-governance. Through strategic business development, government contracting, and partnerships that respect tribal authority, he has built sustainable economic capacity that directly supports services, cultural programs, and community priorities.Peterson believes thriving tribes are essential to thriving communities, and that economic progress must advance cultural preservation, environmental stewardship, and sustainable food systems for future generations. By aligning Indigenous values with modern economic and governance strategies, he has fostered forward-looking partnerships across federal, state, tribal, and municipal governments, earning national recognition for...}