This bill officially recognizes Alexander Creek, Incorporated, as a Village Corporation under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act and establishes a process for settling its land claims.
Dan Sullivan
Senator
AK
This bill officially recognizes Alexander Creek, Incorporated, as a Village Corporation under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, regardless of prior eligibility requirements. It mandates the immediate negotiation of a land and claims settlement agreement for Alexander Creek, Incorporated, comparable to those of other Village Corporations. The legislation also adjusts how shareholder payments are distributed, redirecting future resource payments from the Cook Inlet Region to the newly recognized Village Corporation.
Alaska Bill Grants Alexander Creek Special Corporate Status and Changes Shareholder Payouts Immediately
This bill amends the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) to formally recognize Alexander Creek, Incorporated, as a Village Corporation. This is a big deal because it grants them this status immediately, even though they didn’t meet the usual deadlines for recognition. Essentially, this legislation cuts through the red tape to settle a long-standing corporate status issue for the community.
The Land Claim Clock is Ticking
Once this bill is enacted, the clock starts on some serious negotiations. Within 30 days, the Secretary of the Interior has to start talking with Alexander Creek, Incorporated, to settle all of their aboriginal land claims against the U.S. government. Critically, the corporation must sign this final settlement agreement within 13 months of the law passing to maintain its new Village Corporation status. The bill specifies that the value of this agreement should be "worth about the same as similar agreements made with other Village Corporations." That phrase—“worth about the same”—is where things could get interesting, as valuation is rarely simple, and a tight 13-month deadline could put pressure on the negotiations.
Special Access to Federal Property
One of the most unique parts of this bill is how it handles federal property transfer. For the purpose of receiving surplus federal property, Alexander Creek, Incorporated, will be treated "as if it were a State and a State agency" under specific federal codes (Section 549(a) of title 40, U.S. Code). This is a significant legislative carve-out. It means the new corporation gets special eligibility to acquire real estate that the federal government has declared surplus, a process usually reserved for state and local governments. This special status makes it much easier for them to secure the land they need for the village’s development and operation.
The Change in Your Payout
For members of the Alexander Creek village, this bill immediately changes how they receive resource payments. Before this bill, many members were likely receiving payments directly from the Cook Inlet Region, Incorporated (the Region), as "at-large shareholders" under section 7(m) of ANCSA. The moment this bill becomes law, those direct payments stop. Instead, all future resource payments that the Region receives will now be routed directly to Alexander Creek, Incorporated, under section 7(j). The money still flows, but the recipient changes from the individual shareholder to the corporation itself. This shifts the financial control and distribution of those funds entirely to the new Village Corporation. For the Region, the bill offers a layer of protection: it states the Cook Inlet Region, Incorporated, will not be held legally responsible for any damages related to stopping those direct individual payments, essentially shielding them from potential lawsuits over the change in payment structure.