Photo: Wrangell City Hall on June 26, 2024. (Colette Czarnecki/KSTK)

The City and Borough of Wrangell in Southeast Alaska is pausing work at a housing project after archaeologists confirmed artifacts at the site.

KSTK’s Colette Czarnecki has more.

While excavating a subdivision development site on Wrangell Island, construction crews uncovered a shell midden.

Middens are ancient sites made up of shells and other remains. They help tell the story of who lived there and how they lived.

The borough government owns the property and is pausing work near the midden until a state-approved mitigation plan is complete.

Wrangell Borough Manager Mason Villarma says development will continue carefully.

“This has been a 30-year pursuit in some cases. We’re into a $4 million investment. This is an opportunity for 20 housing lots, but being cognizant of any culturally significant artifacts is top of mind.”

Currently, the Office of History and Archaeology and the State Historic Preservation Office are working on a treatment plan for recovery of the site. That will involve further investigation and excavation.

The property has a complicated history. It was once the site of the Wrangell Institute, an Alaska Native boarding school known for punishing students for speaking their language and other abuses.

Albert Rhinehart, the administrator for the local tribal government, Wrangell Cooperative Association, says the site carries deep meaning.

“There’s a long history of colonization that includes the Wrangell Institute — what we prefer now to call the Alaska Native boarding school. A lot of families got separated in that time … even my own family. There was a lot of trauma.”

In August, excavators found remnants of the old boarding school — a footbridge, concrete, and utility lines.

Construction was paused until the state historic office determined last month that the infrastructure would not be on the National Register of Historic Places.

The 134-acre Alder Top Village site will eventually include 20 home lots.

The public land sale auction is continuing and closes on December 1.

A new bull riding champ was recently crowned at the Indian National Finals Rodeo (INFR) in Las Vegas.

And as KJZZ’s Gabriel Pietrorazio reports, he now has an automatic chance to go pro with the Professional Bull Riders (PBR), unlike other tribal athletes before him.

“Cole Brewer has it won by one point. He’s got a gold buckle to take home, but he is not here to take it by default.”

The announcer’s proclamation of his victory qualified the Cheyenne River Sioux from South Dakota, to try out at the New York Mavericks training camp. It’s a change the PBR made last year, according to the team’s GM Chris Pantani.

“Our relationship with the INFR is really opening up a lot of doors for these kids,”

“It’s giving that extra shot, but those five days of competition are daunting. It’s grueling, five big bulls to the championship.”

Past INFR champs have a presence in the PBR today. Window Rock’s Cody Jesus won it in 2016.

“It’s a straight path to where you want to go.”

And in 2023, fellow Arizona Navajo JaCauy Hale from Ganado grabbed gold. He’s happy Brewer is getting a shot in the PBR.

“It’s a good opportunity, wish I had that when I won it.”

The Mavericks are also looking to bring back last year’s champ, Teigan Gray, who is also Cheyenne River Sioux from South Dakota, adds Pantani.

“If Teigan accepts, you’ll have the reigning champion coming down, you’re going to have the past champion coming down, fighting for a spot on the team.”

A post shared by Cole Brewer (@colebrewer_11)

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