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the right to vote. The ANB took it upon itself to correct this discrimination. ANB made a "test case" out of this, went to the courts, and the courts upheld the ANB's position that we were citizens and therefore entitled to exercize all the privileges granted to all citizens. 

It was during the 1924 or 1929 annual convention of the ANB-ANS that the subject of our land claims was brought to the attention of the convention. This always interested me, as the seed was planted at that convention not by Tlingit or Haida, but by a Tsimsian of Metlakatla who was married to one of our Tlingit women. He urged and warned the people that if they did not take action they would stand to lose all their land.

It is a matter of record that the ANB planted the seed of suing the Federal Government for lands that were taken from us without just compensation. ANB and ANS fostered the idea and devoted time at our annual convention in discussing and promoting the land claims. Through the efforts of these organizations, Congress passed a jurisdictional act in 1935 which gave us authority to sue the government for lands taken from us. The first Central Council of the Tlingit and Haidas was organized in Wrangell in April, [[strikethrough]] 1941 [[//strikethrough]] 1938 & later 1941. The ANB and ANS, because of our dues paying set up in our organization, had to create a new organization. It continued, however, to support this effort which finally bore fruit.

My first observation of our leaders performing on our behalf was during the early '30's while working on a missionary boat called "The Princeton." We stopped off in Juneau for a few days. Unbeknownst to me, a bill was up before the legislature which would have prohibited the sale of liquor to our Indian people. I heard about

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