The cautious optimism many in Alaska were feeling in 1971 as the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) was signed into law in December, closing out the year and bringing a resolution—though not an end—to the aboriginal claims of Alaska Natives across the state.
Half a century later, we have a little more insight into what Perry Eaton calls one of the largest social experiments of the 20th century, a milestone deviation from previous US policies in terms of Indigenous ownership. As Rex A. Rock Sr., President, and CEO of Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, says in our cover feature 50 Years of ANSCA, “Along the timeline of Alaska Native history, fifty years is a short timeframe upon which to judge success. I believe we have yet to see the true potential of ANCSA realized because it is a living law that is constantly evolving.”
