APRIL 6, 2025 — The Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska is considering granting posthumous membership to Benny Benson, designer of Alaska’s state flag, according to KUCB.
It would be the first time the tribe has extended membership to someone who has died, according to tribal officials.
Historian and tribal member Mike Livingston submitted an enrollment form and resolution on Benson’s behalf. He co-authored a 2022 paper that challenges the longstanding belief that Benson was Alutiiq or Sugpiaq, presenting evidence that he was Unangax̂, with family from Unalaska.
“I think it’s important that we get the facts as best we can,” said Livingston. “If Benny Benson was indeed a member of the Qawalangin Tribe, which I believe he was, then it needs to be clearly documented.”
Tribal Council President Shayla Shaishnikoff said the request came from a current member and will go to the enrollment committee before any vote is held. She noted the case’s “uniqueness” may delay a decision.
According to Alaska Public Media, Benson was born in Chignik in 1912 and raised at the Jesse Lee Home in Unalaska and Seward. He designed the Alaska state flag in 1927 at age 14, not 13 as previously believed. He later lived in Kodiak and worked as an airplane mechanic before dying in 1972.
