Annette Island

Since the late 19th century, it has been the base of the Annette Island Reserve of the Metlakatla Alaska Native Community, composed mostly of Tsimshian people.

The federally recognized Metlakatla Indian Community was founded by an unordained Anglican missionary William Duncan and Tsimshian followers who moved with him from their community of Metlakatla in British Columbia after he developed new doctrine and schismatized from his church.

Since the late 19th century, the entire island has been an Indian reserve, a status enacted by Congress when the Tlingit agreed to let the Tsimshian use this territory.

After the Second World War, the airfield was used as a United States Coast Guard Search and Rescue base.

It served commercial aircraft as well until the 1970s, when the new Ketchikan Airport was built at Gravina Island in the Inside Passage.

The lower elevations of Annette Island have a Marine west coast climate (Köppen Cfb), with windy and wet weather year-round, cool winters, and mild summers, and straddle the border between USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 7 and 8.

Precipitation falls on most days during the winter, and the seasonal total snowfall of 33.5 inches (85 cm) occurs mostly from November to March, with some accumulation during April.

Precipitation averages more than 103 inches (2.62 m) annually, with June and July being the driest months and October and November the wettest.