A bill to amend the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act to provide that Alexander Creek, Incorporated, is recognized as a Village Corporation under that Act, and for other purposes.
This bill would amend the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) to recognize Alexander Creek, Incorporated (ACI) as a Village Corporation, rather than a Group Corporation, and to recognize the Alexander Creek village as a Native village. It would require ACI to convert its corporate charter from a Group Corporation to a Village Corporation (and update governing documents as needed) and to enter into a settlement agreement with the Secretary within 13 months to resolve ACI’s aboriginal land claims and any other claims against the United States. The bill also aims to align ACI with treatment and property policies afforded other Village Corporations, including potential transfers of surplus federal property and coordination with federal property rules. It would shift certain payments from individual members to the village corporation and set constraints on land entitlement changes for ACI. In short, the bill extends the ANCSA framework to formally recognize Alexander Creek as a Village Corporation, creates a path for settlement negotiations and property transfers, and reorganizes the financial and land-entitlement relationships between Alexander Creek, its regional corporation, and the United States.
Key Points
- 1Recognition and status: Alexander Creek, Incorporated is recognized as a Village Corporation under ANCSA, and the Alexander Creek village is recognized as a Native village, with the Cook Inlet Region, Incorporated (CIRI) as its Regional Corporation.
- 2Charter conversion: Alexander Creek, Incorporated must convert from a Group Corporation to a Village Corporation and, if needed, align its governing documents to meet the terms of the new status.
- 3Settlement agreement timeline: The Secretary must enter into negotiations with ACI within 30 days of enactment to settle aboriginal land claims and any other claims, with a target to complete an agreement within 13 months and to strive for parity in value with similar village agreements.
- 4Federal property and status: ACI would be treated as a State and State agency for certain federal property purposes, and be eligible to receive surplus real property under 40 U.S.C. Section 1303 as part of the settlement; the Secretary would coordinate with the General Services Administration in transfers.
- 5Shareholder payments and land entitlements: ACI would shift future resource payments from region-wide at-large shareholders to the village corporation, while existing land entitlements for ACI as a Group Corporation would not be reduced by this section. The region would not be liable for damages related to the cessation of payments to former at-large shareholders.