The Native Corporation Discussion

Based on your reading in the webtext, select one of the following thesis statements. Your response should be two to three paragraphs in length.

1. The Alaska Native Regional Corporations (ANCSA) and the Native corporation system have been good for Alaska Natives.

OR

2. ANCSA and the Native corporation system have been bad for Alaska Natives.

Next, revise the statement you have chosen to reflect the complexity of the historical events surrounding this issue. Provide specific examples of how ANCSA and the Native corporation system have had a positive or negative impact—or perhaps both—on Alaska Natives. Further illustrate the complexity of this issue by showing how the passage of ANCSA was contingent on at least three historical events or forces.

In response to your peers, reflect on their revised statement. Describe the ways you find it shows the complexity of the event, and provide a suggestion for how they can further develop the statement or the supporting examples.

To complete this assignment, review the Discussion Rubric document

peer 1:

Hello everyone.  I hope everyone is doing well.

The thesis statement I have chosen is the Alaska Native Regional Corporation (ANCSA) and the Native corporation system have been good for Alaska Natives.  My revision of this statement to show complexity is; Despite hardships in the beginning, the Alaska Native Regional Corporation (ANCSA) and the Native corporation system have been good economically for Alaska Natives.

For at least the first twenty years of operation, from 1973 to 1993, the economic performance of the regional corporations was surprisingly poor.  Through 1993, these corporations as a group lost about $380 million, or more than eighty percent of their original cash endowment, in direct business operations.  But in 1992, this measure of adjusted net income switched from being generally negative to generally positive and growing.  Between 1992 and 1998, they earned $710 million.

The Alaska Native Regional Corporations was contingent upon many different events.  One of them was Russia selling Alaska to the United States.  Another is the Atlantic-Richfield Company discovering oil at Prudhoe Bay on Alaska’s Arctic Coast.  Finally, the formation of the Alaska Federation of Natives that was founded to advocate for a fair and comprehensive settlement to the land-claim issue.  These three events were all contingent of the Alaska Native Regional Corporation.

I hope everyone has had a great term and good luck in future classes.

peer 2:

Greetings Classmates,

The statement that I chose: The Alaska Native Regional Corporations (ANCSA) and the Native corporation system have been good for Alaska.

The revised statement is: The Alaska Native Regional Corporations (ANCSA) and the Native corporation system along with the trans Alaskan pipeline, have increased economic growth so that the Natives could transition to a modern economic society.

The oil pipeline provided Natives significant economic benefits to be divided among the shareholders, the rate at which the economy fares is dependent on how well the oil does. However, many corporations have done very well, with 7 of the top ten businesses in 2004 being the Native Regional Corporations. The dividends in which were distributed to the Native shareholders were $117.5 million, and another $5.4 million was given in scholarships for Native students. Depending on the location of the village corporation, some have done better than others, those with access to outside markets tend to have more success than those located in extremely rural areas. The more successful corporations have been able to establish nonprofits to provide healthcare and social services to the Native shareholders. Alaska has had an increase in the states economic growth since the construction of the trans Alaskan pipeline, which has helped to transition the Natives to a modern economic society. The passage of ANCSA was contingent on the following three events:

1) Alaska became the 49th state of the Union on Jan. 3, 1959, the government transferred 104.5 acres to the state and the Alaska Federations of Natives was founded to advocate fair land settlement issues.

2)In 1968 at Purdue Bay, oil was discovered and the economic status of Alaska was changed, prompting land resolution to become a priority in order that the massive trans Alaskan pipeline could be constructed, which would carry the oil to the lower 48 states.

3) On Dec. 18, 1971 congress passed the Alaska Claims Settlement Act, which was the largest land settlement in United States history, as a result 12 regional and 200 village corporations were established.