ANCSA is an experiment, but that experiment isn’t over. The act has been amended dozens of times… Why does all this matter? Because thousands of square miles are owned by for-profit regional corporations…
As private corporations, the ANCSA regional corporations’ decisions on resource development can be made by boards that aren’t willing to trust the owners, and may not have legal obligations to disclose information. Publicly traded corporations in other states, however, are required to disclose information because of their proximity to municipal governments, such as counties.
So what’s the solution? Perhaps we need a revolution in corporate and legislative action…
thumbnail image courtesy nlm.nih.gov – Alaska Natives meeting with Secretary of Interior Walter Hickel, Fall 1970.
