Alaska native corporations strengthen communities and economy in the last frontier.

• Author: Mackenzie, Kathryn
• Position: FROM THE EDITOR

The Alaska business community does not exist without Alaska Native regional and village corporations. Since their inception more than forty-five years ago, Alaska Native corporations have contributed billions upon billions of dollars to the state's economy through a vast variety of endeavors; from oil and gas, construction, and real estate to resource development and tourism; there are very few industries that are not touched by Alaska Native companies and their subsidiaries.

A few months ago I was fortunate enough to participate in a tour of Hughes, a small Interior village north of Fairbanks where community leaders worked for more than a year to conceptualize and launch their own tourism company called Koyukuk River Tribal Tours (KRTT). "This business is an important step to grow our economy, employ our community members, enhance our tribal services, and move away from our reliance on federal funding. We've finally reached this important milestone with the arrival of our first tour group and we remain committed to seeing this business succeed for years and decades to come," says First Chief Wilmer Beetus. The group says the village has big plans for KRTT eventually including resort-style accommodations and tours to the local hot springs and gold panning. KRTT is designed to introduce visitors to the Koyukon Athabascan way of life through several days of total cultural immersion. As a tribady owned- and operated-business, KRTT has set itself apart by stressing the importance of its connection to the land and water that sustain this subsistence-based community.

In 2016, the twelve operating Alaska Native regional corporations reported gross revenue of about $8.2 billion, down slightly from $8.5 billion in 2015. Given the challenges most businesses in Alaska are facing as the...