ABSTRACT
The 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) constitutes the largest land claims settlement with Indigenous peoples in U.S. history. The terms of the settlement included the termination of Aboriginal title in exchange for land and cash and the creation of for-profit Alaska Native corporations to manage landed assets and generate monetary wealth for their Alaska Native shareholders. ANCSA was novel for its time and served as an early reference point for Inuit in Canada, who settled four land claims agreements between 1975 and 2005. However, unlike ANCSA, Inuit land claims agreements are comprehensive, affirming specific rights that enable Inuit representative organizations to play a more dynamic and efficient role in creating prosperity for their beneficiaries. In this chapter, I draw on specific examples to argue that Inuit land claims agreements serve as useful reference points for Alaskan Inuit seeking to remedy the lasting challenges created by ANCSA. I argue that Inuit self-determination is an evolving story that cannot be confined to any one agreement or piece of legislation and that bold actions and ideas are required in Alaska and other regions of Inuit Nunaat to enact governance models that create the best possible outcomes for our people.
