Alaska's Native Regional Corporations.

• Author: MARRS, CARL
• Position: Brief Article

From where I sit, the future of Alaska's Native regional corporations looks very bright. Native corporations are becoming driving forces in Alaska's economy, and I believe we now have the economic muscle to continue to grow and thrive.

There will be many changes as time goes on. You will see more and more partnerships between corporations in areas that make economic sense. You will see more resource development on Native lands. Tourism will become one of the mainstays for corporations for some time to come.

As the Native corporations continue to grow and our investment in the rest of the country--and world-increases, you will see more and more of the money coming back into Alaska in the form of dividends and re-investments. We will be the entities to open the eyes of the rest of the world's investment community to Alaska's vast opportunities. We will bring our partners from throughout the world to invest with us in Alaska.

Let me stress, however, that while we can't predict the future, I am cautiously optimistic. And I am aware that there are challenges out there that are good and not so good.

In looking to the future, we have to take a moment to review the past, as well take stock of where we currently are. To set the stage, we need to consider what Congress may have intended these entities become. In reviewing the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, it is very clear we have at least two intended goals-- to address both the economic and social needs of Alaska Natives. Now those are two very lofty and sometimes conflicting goals, and each of the regional corporations has viewed them in differing ways.

I can say without question that all of the regional corporations and most of the village corporations have come a long way in all respects since the passage of ANCSA in 1971. We have all grown to better understand what the political and economic systems mean to us collectively and individually. More importantly, we are learning how to use the system to better ourselves. We also openly express our pride in who we are, and we know how important it is to understand our past. We have learned through experience that our elders were right--education in today's economic society is critical. Our elders, who are steeped in the traditions of our Native cultures, know first-hand that knowledge means survival.

We have come a very long way from where we were 30 years ago, but we still have a tremendous...