𝗜𝗻 𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿 & 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗝𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗦𝗿.

Tlingit & Haida mourns the passing of our beloved tribal citizen, elder, and Delegate, James Jack Sr. We lift our hands in gratitude for his life of service, leadership and unwavering commitment to our people.

James faithfully served Tlingit & Haida for more than four decades, first as a Hoonah Delegate from 1981 to 1994, and then as a Juneau Delegate from 1994 until his passing. In 2012, he was seated as Chair of the Finance Committee, a role he carried with great care, integrity, and responsibility for the well-being of future generations.

He was a graduate of Mt. Edgecumbe High School and spent many formative years seining alongside his father and brothers aboard the F/V Tennessee and North Cape. Following high school, James attended Haskell Institute in Lawrence, Kansas, continuing a lifelong pursuit of learning and service.

In August 1964, James was drafted into the United States Army, serving honorably for two years, including 18 months in Germany. After his military service, he attended the University of Alaska Anchorage, where he studied psychology.

For more than 50 years, James dedicated his life to serving the Native community in both his hometown of Hoonah and his adopted home of Juneau, where he lived for the past 37 years. He was widely known and deeply loved for his remarkable sense of humor—an essential gift that brought calm, balance and perspective, even in the most challenging moments.

James was—and continues to be through his example—a respected mentor to emerging tribal leaders. He served as Naa Kani for many koo.éex’ and regularly represented the Wooshkeetaan clan at memorial services and important tribal gatherings, carrying himself with dignity and respect for both ancestors and living relatives.

While living in Hoonah, James served as President of Alaska Native Brotherhood Camp 12, completed 13 years as a Tlingit & Haida Hoonah Delegate, and served two terms on the Huna Totem Corporation Board of Directors. For the past 30 consecutive years, he served as a Tlingit & Haida Juneau Delegate and as a member of the Juneau Tlingit & Haida Community Council, including time as Council President. He chaired Tlingit & Haida’s Finance Committee for 13 years and served nearly nine years on the SEARHC Board of Directors, always guided by responsibility to community.

We honor James Jack Sr. for the path he walked, the wisdom he shared, and the legacy he leaves with our people. His life reflects the strength of our clans, the importance of balance, and the responsibility we carry to one another. He will be deeply missed and forever remembered.

James Jack Sr. (Glaathsoon), was Tlingit, Cha’áak (Eagle), Wooshkeetaan (Shark) clan. His Tlingit name was K’aatl’ soon gaet. He is a child of the Tak’deintaan clan. James was born in Tenakee Springs and raised in Hoonah, Alaska, grounded in the values, teachings and relationships that shaped his life of service.