n December 18, 1971, President Richard Nixon signed the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) into law. Fifty years later, it’s impossible to measure the innumerable effects this legislation has had on the state of Alaska.

It created regional and village corporations that provide goods and services in every industry Alaska Business covers, which is why we treat them as their own economic sector. They are some of Alaska’s largest companies by revenue, they are some of Alaska’s largest employers, and they have national and international business interests.

Because of their dual mandate to make a profit and to care for their people and lands, they are politically active when necessary and they have a deliberate focus on community, education, and philanthropic activities across the state, without exception.

Historic photos courtesy of the following:
1) Karl Armstrong, Jacob Wick & Thomas Kleppe, 1976, Armstrong Archive (AM71), KANA Collection, Courtesy of the Alutiiq Museum & Archaeological Repository
2) Ahtna, Incorporated
3) Sealaska
4) NANA
5) Doyon, Limited
6) Chugach Alaska Corporation
7) Karl Armstrong, Jacob Wick & Thomas Kleppe, 1976, Armstrong Archive (AM71), KANA Collection, Courtesy of the Alutiiq Museum & Archaeological Repository
8) Bristol Bay Native Corporation
9) CIRI

We celebrated the 50th anniversary of ANCSA in our September cover story “50 Years of ANCSA.” This year, in this special section, we’re looking to celebrate Alaska Native corporations on a more individual level. While ANCSA was passed in 1971, most of the Alaska Native regional and village corporations were incorporated in 1972, which means they are celebrating their individual 50th anniversaries throughout 2022.

We are taking a special look at the activities and history of two important organizations: the ANCSA Regional Association and the Alaska Native Village Corporation Association. While every Alaska Native corporation has individual goals that aren’t uniformly shared, they often have united interests, and these two organizations work daily for the advancement of those goals and interests.

We’re also very excited to feature several of the Alaska Native regional corporations; some articles were written by the corporations themselves, others were written by Alaska Business at their direction.

While the themes of the individual stories may vary, one message is consistent: Alaska Native corporations have been working hard to meet their dual mandate, and they aren’t even close to finished.