ANCSA at 50

The documentary was released by the Ted Stevens Foundation to commemorate ANCSA’s 50th anniversary.

Last in a series on the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act at 50: An investment in Barnacle Foods, while small, is a potent symbol of the corporation’s new vision. Other corporations are taking similar steps.

" I am a champion of culture by rebelling against boundaries.”

The privatization of our culture through ANCSA was only created to tap the untold trillions of dollars’ worth of oil.

‘ANCSA is a fundamentally different system than a reservation’ #ANCSA50

Fourth in a series: Shares mean dividends, identity and a say in what corporations do. Many Alaska Natives under 50 are waiting to be included.

‘I would like future generations to not have to defend their identity as much’

Now, as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of ANCSA, we can commemorate some of the leaders who made it possible.

Third in a series: Ambivalence about the Ambler road and mine projects extends across the Upper Kobuk River region, where jobs could support subsistence but development could jeopardize it.

50 years later, it seems Inupiat culture has once more proven that it is stronger than the outside forces that have pressed in on it.

What’s remarkable to me is how ordinary all this seems today to most Alaskans.

Second in a series: The mine has brought wealth to Northwest Alaska, supporting Alaska Native communities and culture. But its relationship with the only village downstream is fraught, and the mine is running out of ore.

First in a series: While the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act created monetary wealth for Alaska Native shareholders, it also came at a huge cost.

Not only did ANCSA generate vital economic development in Alaska, it also helped drive cultural revitalization and self-determination.

The large contributions made by the Native community to the overall economy of our state are often overlooked.

As we look back at five decades of ANCSA, this agreement was – and continues to be – transformational.