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In
December 1971, Congress enacted the Alaska Native Claims
Settlement Act, a historic measure intended to resolve
the long-standing issue of aboriginal land claims in
Alaska. ANCSA had another purpose, to create a mechanism
for economic development in Alaska, particularly in
rural areas. It was Congress’ intent that Alaska
Native people, the shareholders of private corporations
created by the Act, would guide this development.
NANA
Regional Corporation, based in Kotzebue in the Northwest
part of Alaska, is one of 12 Native-owned regional corporations
created in Alaska by ANCSA. NANA’s predecessor,
the Northwest Arctic Native Association, played a key
part in the effort to secure passage of the Claims Act.
Under
the 1971 Act, Congress created the 12 regional corporations
and more than 200 village corporations. A 13th corporation,
based in Seattle, Washington, also was formed. Both
land and cash were involved in the settlement. The corporations
were formed to receive approximately 45 million acres
of land transferred from federal to private ownership
and to manage investment of $962 million appropriated
by Congress as the cash part of the settlement. An exception
to this is that the 13th corporation received no land.
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