Alaska's Native Village Corporations.

In 1971, the U.S. Congress enacted the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act and created 12 regional Native corporations. The law divided 43.7 million acres of land between those corporations.

Each regional corporation selected land in 12 geographic regions and represents a group of Alaska Natives. Each region's boundaries were drawn up to distribute land in tracts large enough to preserve historic subsistence lifestyles.

A 13th Native corporation was created for the benefit of Alaska Natives living outside the state.

The act also distributed $962.5 million among the 13 corporations.

Within the 12 Alaska regions, Native villages that were located on reserves were given the option of receiving title to the surface and subsurface rights of their land, in lieu of a cash settlement; or accepting remuneration and fee simple title to their land and subsurface rights.

Villages taking part in the settlement formed profit-making village corporations, some of which have grown into profitable corporations with multimillion dollar revenue streams.

Regional and village corporations have corporate bodies composed of elected officers, directors and staffs who manage the corporations' land and finances.

Of the more than 200 Native villages affected by ANCSA, only seven--Arctic Village, Venetie, Elim, Tetlin, Klukwan, Gamble and Savoonga-- chose not to participate.

These seven received the land they historically occupied as reserves, which was not part of the roughly 44 million acres set aside for the 12 regional corporations.

In 1976, Klukwan Natives sidestepped their original decision not to participate in the ANCSA settlement and through statutory amendment selected land and received its cash entitlement.

Alaska Natives--at least one--quarter Aleut, Eskimo or Indian--born before December 18, 1971, were eligible for enrollment in regional and village corporations.

Resident Natives received 100 shares of stock in their regional and village corporations.

Some individuals, whose residence in particular villages was not established, were allowed to enroll in a regional corporation on an at-large basis. At-large shareholders did not receive any shares of stock in village corporations.

Below are listed Alaska's 12 regional Native corporations and village corporations known to be in business in those regions.

Ahtna Inc. Region Chitina Native Corp.

Aleut Corp. Region

Akutan Corp.

Atxam Corp.

Belkofski Corp.

Chaluka Corp.

Isanotski Corp.

King Cove Corp.

Ounalaska Corp.

St. George Tanaq Corp.

Sanak Corp.

Shumagin Corp.

Tanadgusix Corp./Anchorage

Tanadgusix Corp./St. Paul Island

Arctic Slope

Atqasuk Corp.

Regional Corp. Region

Cully Corp.

Kaktovik Inupiat Corp.

Kuukpik Corp.

Olgoonik Corp.

Tigara Corp.

Ukpeagvik Inupiat Corp.

Bering Straits

Brevig Mission Native Corp.

Native Corp. Region

Council Native Corp.

Golovin Native Corp.

Inalkik/Diomede

King Island Native Corp.

Koyuk Native Corp.

Mary's Igloo Native Corp.

Shaktoolik Native Corp.

Shishmaref Native Corp.

Sitnasuak Native Corp.

Solomon Native Corp.

Stebbins Native Corp.

St. Michael Native Corp.

Teller Native Corp.

Wales Native Corp.

White Mountain Native Corp.

Unalakleet Native Corp.

Bristol Bay

Alaska Peninsula Corp.

Native Corp. Region

Aleknagik Natives Ltd.

Bay View Inc.

Becharof Corp.

Chignik Lagoon Native Corp.

Chignik River Ltd.

Choggiung Ltd.

Ekwok Natives Ltd.

Far West Inc.-Chignik

Igiugig Native Corp.

Illiamna Natives Ltd.

Kijik Corp.

NATIVE REGIONAL CORPORATIONS

The 13 Alaska Native Regional Corporations are wealtheir and own more private land in the state than any other sector in Alaska. And their subsidiaries--close to 200 of them--span the state and the globe.

These regional corporations are involved with everything from services to construction, from timber to security, from real estate to government contracting, from tourism to telecommunications. They have their hands in the heartbeat of Alaska.

The...