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

I chose the first statement: The Alaska Native Regional Corporations

(ANCSA) and the Native corporation system have been good for Alaska

Natives.

I would revise the thesis statement to say: The Alaska Native Regional Corporations and the Native corporation system have been good for Alaska Natives financially, but have come with a social loss to tribes. In the long run, the ANCSA has been very good to native Alaskans as well as non-native residents. Millions of dollars in yearly dividends have been paid out to people on a yearly basis as well as the corporations providing good jobs for people. The ANCSA gave control to Alaskans through these corporations that they could become part of and develop their lands as they want.

Financially, the Alaskan people improved as a result. But the need to manage corporations ultimately required outside support. Traditional tribal governments were not equipped to manage multi-million dollar corporations and outside executives were brought in to run the businesses. Tribal leaders and tribal elders lost some of their power and their meaning was somewhat diminished. Tribal goverment has been replaced by corporate structure.

The passage of the ANCSA was contingent on a number of significant historical events. The first, and probably foremost, was the previous treatment of natives when land issues arose. In order to not repeat previous failings (Trail of tears for example), the federal government wanted to provide a fair deal to natives. Another contingent event was the discovery of oil at Prudhome Bay in 1968. This valuable resource needed to be brought to the lower 48 states via a pipeline on land that was under native control. A third contingent event was the Alaska Statehood Act that was signed in 1959. The act said that any existing Alaskan native land claims would be unaffected by the statehood of Alaska. Through this act, over 100 million acres of public land was now under control of the new state and the rest remained under control of the natives.