Module IX-Alaska Governance and Contemporary Issues

Essential Question—Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act 1971 - Discuss two ways that this legislation has impacted Alaska, and two specific ways that it has impacted Alaska Natives.

Signing of ANCSA

In 1971, President Nixon signed ANCSA into law. Alaska Natives gained 43.7 million acres of land and 962.5 million dollars in compensation for surrendering remaining claims. Before the act was passed, the Natives had been protesting and fighting for the land that was historically claimed to be their land. They never received the compensation they felt they deserved. The government proposed projects (AEC & Yukon River damn construction) that would threaten Native food and homes. In response, Native leaders established the first Native organization, the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) to advocate for themselves as well as a newspaper (Tundra Times) to highlight the issues. Federal and state governments finally reached an agreement with the Native people and they outlined terms for the ANCSA settlement.

When oil was discovered in Prudhoe Bay, oil companies needed a pipeline to carry the oil across the state of Alaska to the port of Valdez allowing for easier access to the Lower 48. Establishment of the Alaskan pipeline was a result of the settlement. The oil industry needed to know who owned the land they wanted to build upon. After the settlement, they were able to get a permit to begin construction. The state gets 90% of its general fund from oil and gas royalties. Citizens pay no state income or sales tax and get a cash dividend from the royalty fund.

Meeting about ANCSA in Minto

The Natives received 43.7 million acres of land and $962.5 million in compensation for surrendering land claims. Because the money needed to last forever, regional and village economic development corporations were established (12 regional corporations, 1 out-of state corporation, and over 200 village corporations). Natives choosing to enroll became shareholders in these corporations. Money is invested and profits are given back to shareholders in the form of a dividend.

However, not all natives are shareholders. Author Cathy Brown (Juneau Empire), states in her article "The Next Generation", that the division of power among younger natives has been a very controversial topic among the various corporations. According to Brown, "the question of whether to issue shares to the youngest Natives exemplifies the clash ANCSA created between the Western profit-making value and the traditional priority of sharing."

As discussed by (honorary) Dr. Willie Hensley at the Rural Alaska Honors Institute (RAHI) last July, ANCSA "was a very significant event in Alaska's history. More land went to native Alaskans than in any other native settlement act". While celebrating the 40th anniversary of ANCSA, he stated it was a tremendous asset to the native people of Alaska, but stresses that there have been and will be many pitfalls due to the settlement.

Examine Question—Identify the Alaska Native regional corporation in the area of Alaska where you live. Examine its website and describe its mission and current business ventures.  

Doyon, Limited



The corporation for the interior region is Doyon, Limited (http://www.doyon.com/).

Mission:
Doyon's mission is to continually enhance our position as a financially strong Native corporation in order to promote the economic and social well-being of our shareholders and future shareholders, to strengthen our Native way of life and to protect and enhance our land and resources

Doyon has a great respect for employees and shareholders and their commitment to long-term preservation and prosperity remains their key focus. As the largest private landowner in Alaska, they have more than 12.5 million acres of land. The corporation’s 18,500 shareholders & 13 board members pride themselves in being one of the top ten Alaskan-owned businesses.

Doyon’s business ventures include oil and gas services, government contracting, and tourism. They also receive donations to help fund potlatches, drug & alcohol awareness programs, and other varieties of programs that help support their mission.



Alaska Native Corporations Map

 

Oil & Gas Services: Doyon Drilling, industry leader in arctic drilling, is the largest subsidiary of the group. They operate 7 rigs on the North Slope, some of the most technologically advanced rigs in the world. Other oil field services include providing security to critical infrastructure, catering, housekeeping & maintenance, engineering & consulting, and construction. These wide ranges of services make Doyon an eminent leader in the oil and gas industry.

Government Contracting: Some of these services to the federal government include project management, logistical support, engineering, consulting, IT, utility services, etc.

Tourism: Doyon provides many tourists opportunities at Denali National Park. Kantishna Roadhouse, Denali River Cabins, and the Kantishna Wilderness Trails are available through Doyon. They also offer tours through Doyon/ARAMARK Joint Venture. I, for one, was pretty surprised about this. I have been to Denali many times and never knew that Doyon played such an important role in some of these great accommodations and activities.

Doyon Foundation (a separate non-profit charitable organization by Doyon, Limited) has been very supportive of our school district (YKSD). They have many opportunities available for our students including on the job training programs, internships, scholarships, recognition of achievement, etc. As a counselor, I work with seniors every year to get their applications finalized and submitted. I know they really appreciate the support Doyon has provided them over the years.

Modules I’ve Visited—

The Alaskan Adventure—Lane added a personal touch into his blog. He shares about serving as a member of the Alaska National Guard.

Crossing Alaska—Kristi has an excellent timeline of the Aleutian Campaign. Very clear and concise information.

Investigate Alaska—Betty had great information on how WWII affected her area in Dillingham. Seems to have hit very close to home for her.

Evaluation—

This module was very informative and helpful to me. I have studied a little bit about tribal governments and corporations but much of what I knew was from prior experience in the villages. This was a good opportunity to sit down and read the facts & resources. Now I have a much better idea of how the corporations came to be and how the land was divided up. I definitely learned a lot from this week’s module that will come in handy with the population of students that I serve.