Alaska’s Federally Recognized Tribes
The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 (ANCSA), which conveyed 45.5 million acres of land to Alaska Natives, authorized the creation of regional for-profit corporations, regional non-profit corporations, and village corporations for the benefit of Alaska Native shareholders. ANCSA authorized tribal members to become shareholders. These lands are not tribal trust lands, and forest management is addressed by both regional for-profit and non-profit corporations. In some cases, regional non-profits provide forestry services to village corporations both within and outside of their geographic region. ANCSA Corporation land holdings are fee simple lands, for which the federal government does not have a trust responsibility. Many of the tribes feel that ANCSA was an act that abrogated claims of Alaskan Native sovereignty by not allowing these lands into trust. The Metlakatla Tribe in Southeast Alaska is the only federally managed “trust” lands in Alaska outside of the individually owned Native allotments. IFMAT IV found that NIFRMA states “The Secretary, in consultation with the village and regional corporations … shall establish a program of technical assistance to promote sustained yield management of their resources. Such technical assistance shall also be available to promote local processing and other value-added activities with
such resources.” The IFMAT IV team observed examples of regional non-profits assisting villages with securing funding through BIA programs and other sources for firewood processors, biomass heating units and training to manage wood lots for woody biomass. These same non- profits are also assisting regional and village corporations to enter and maintain carbon projects. The important Native land status in Alaska is the individually owned Native allotments, which are technically “restricted” lands, and managed as trust lands by the federal government.
Native allotments are under the jurisdiction of the U. S. Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Alaska Regional Office. Native allotments administered by the BIA Alaska Regional Office are “restricted” lands because the titles to these parcels are held by individual Alaska Natives with restrictions affecting the title defined by federal regulations. The restrictions are against alienation and taxation and the title is restricted and requires the Secretary’s review and approval usually delegated to the Regional Director. For all other purposes, Native allotments are managed
A discussion on the impacts of more frequent wildfire on permafrost areas during the Tanana Chiefs Conference site visit tour in Alaska. PHOTO CREDIT: VINCENT CORRAO
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