Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act

The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act was signed into law on December 18, 1971, and the largest land claims settlement in American history was concluded.

The federal government allotted mineral and surface rights on 44 million acres (178,000,000 km²) to the Alaska Natives of Alaska. ANCSA created regional corporations (12 within the state and one at-large for non-residents). These Native Corporations were funded with many millions of dollars and designed to be profit-making.

Ahtna, Inc.
Aleut Corporation
Arctic Slope Regional Corporation
Bering Straits Native Corporation
Bristol Bay Native Corporation
Calista
Chugach Alaska Corporation
Cook Inlet Region, Inc.
Doyon, Limited
Koniag, Inc.
Nana Corporation
Sealaska Corporation
Thirteenth Regional Corporation

Also, most of these corporations set up nonprofit corporations of their own. Many separate village corporations were also created by ANCSA.

Land selection by the State of Alaska under the Statehood Act and for the regional and village corporations has continued through the present.