The Alaska Native Brotherhood (ANB) and its counterpart, the Alaska Native Sisterhood (ANS), are two nonprofit organizations founded to address racism against Alaska Native peoples in Alaska. ANB was formed in 1912 and ANS founded three years later. For the first half of the 20th century, they were the only organizations working for the civil rights of Alaska Natives in the territory and state.
The ANB Hall, built in 1914 on the waterfront in Sitka, was the first facility owned by the organization. For the significance of the ANB, the hall has been designated a National Historic Landmark. In 1915, the Alaska Native Sisterhood (ANS) was formed by women in Wrangell, Alaska. ANS worked with ANB on civil rights and voting rights issues.
Founded in Sitka in 1912, the Alaska Native Brotherhood fought widespread discrimination against Natives. The Brotherhood, initially a Tlingit organization, operated through local camps, of which this one in Sitka was the first. Built in 1914 by Sitka Camp No. 1, this Craftsman-style structure is a two-story, wood-framed building extending out over the water. As a symbol of the political power of the Natives, this building has interest far beyond its architecture. ~ from the Society of Architectural Historians.