ANCSA (Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act)

The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA), enacted in 1971, is a law that resolved land claims of Alaska’s Indigenous peoples—such as the Iñupiaq, Yup’ik, and Aleut communities—by transferring about 44 million acres of land and nearly $1 billion in benefits to regional and village corporations. Instead of demanding formal tribal land titles, ANCSA provided a financial settlement and established corporations to manage land and resources, supporting economic development and self-governance for Alaska Natives. It fundamentally shifted how land claims were addressed, emphasizing compensation and corporate management over traditional reservation-based approaches.