Alaska Native Corporations & Impact

Since 1971, Alaska Native corporations have provided economic, social and cultural benefits for their shareholders, communities and the greater state of Alaska.

ANCSA History

Richard Rinehart gazes off into the distance. He is adorned in regalia. In the background sits a crowd, many of whom are also adorned in regalia.

In 1971, the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act transformed Alaska Native land ownership and Alaska’s economy as a whole. Returning 44 million acres of land and $973 million to newly organized Alaska Native corporations, ANCSA gave Alaska Natives the agency to meet the unique needs of their communities while also helping the state's economy, contributing billions of dollars yearly to our gross domestic product. 

Community Impact

A small child laughs while sitting in the palm of a totem statue. They are adorned in regalia, and an adult also in regalia on the right laughs as well while they hold the child steady.

Alaska Native corporations are the backbones of their communities. They contribute more than $2 million per year to Alaska Native student scholarships, and also provide paid internships, vocational and trade school assistance, as well as local leadership opportunities. 

Alaska Native corporations provide funding for culture camps, language programs and other educational resources that include traditional values, practices and concepts to increase the reclamation of Indigenous teachings. For example, Alaska Native corporations fund their own heritage foundations that impact people far outside their shareholder base through exposure to Alaska Native goods and culture.

Beyond increasing monetary return to their communities, Alaska Native corporations are also the actual constructs of land ownership for the shareholders they represent. On behalf of — and with the help of — their Alaska Native owners, these corporations steward, foster and safeguard the traditional lands of their people, just as it always was, and as it should be far into the future. This is their primary goal: autonomous self-determination.

Economic Impact

The top of a totem.

This innovative self-determination has made Alaska Native corporations Alaska’s number one private employer, generating thousands of jobs both within the state and across the globe. Through dedication and hard work, Alaska Native corporations have grown from their 1971 beginnings to become an integral part of the Alaska economy, driving a variety of industries:

  • Sustainable foods

  • Tourism

  • Environmental services

  • Technology services

  • Construction

  • Government contracting

  • Natural resource development

  • Real estate

Alaska Native corporations and their subsidiaries bring diversity to the Alaska economic landscape and create opportunities that both impact their communities and extend far beyond their shareholders and descendants. In addition, Alaska Native corporations create new infrastructure in their communities that allow the monetary flow between community and corporation to grow and circulate. They also contribute to nonprofits that serve all Alaskans. What’s good for Alaska Native people is good for all people.