Alaska Native Corporations
The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) of 1971 was motivated in large part by a desire of the federal government to allow the development and extraction of Alaska's oil reserve without the challenge of legal claims by Alaska's Native Tribes. Under ANCSA, Alaska Natives agreed to extinguish all land claims based on their federally recognized aboriginal rights. In return, Alaska Natives collectively received $463 million from the U.S. Treasury and a future commitment for an additional $500 million in revenue sharing related to the extraction of oil, gas, and minerals. A transaction that has proved enormously beneficial to the United States, delivering several hundred billions of dollars of goods, services, and taxes to the federal government. In addition to the revenue sharing, ANCSA also included a provision whereby Congress would develop economic programs which empowered the Native Tribes with opportunities to engage in business and become financially self-sufficient. The ANCSA settlement also provided the capital necessary for the creation of Alaska Native Corporations (ANC), assisting Alaska Natives in entering the field of federal contracting.
ANCs fund an annual budget that ensures the tribal rights, village resources, and protection of cultural historic sites. ANCs also provide shareholder education, scholarships, and training, as well as corporate donations to the Russian Orthodox Church and for culture and language preservation.
Chenega Corporation
As the most successful Alaska Native Village Corporation, Chenega Corporation figures prominently in the diverse government services contracting marketplace, and in the forefront among other Alaska Native Corporation's service to their Shareholders and their community. Founded in 1974 as a result of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA), the Corporation represents the interests of the Chenega people, an Alutiiq people with ancient roots in the Prince William Sound region of South Central Alaska. To this day, the Chenega people continue to reside in this general area, with many still maintaining a subsistence way of life.
The Chenega Corporation began to participate in government services marketplace in 1997. Today it performs on more than 275 federal contracts through a combination of negotiated best-value and full and open competition vehicles. Chenega Corporation companies book more federal contracting business than any other native corporation (ANC, Hawaiian, Lower 48). Chenega Corporation's diverse corporate capabilities and numerous contract vehicles, accommodate a myriad of customer requirements and partnership scenarios. With access to Chenega Corporation's database of over 5,700 talented and 2,300 security-cleared employees, Chenega’s business model adopts a corporate-wide strategy of hiring extraordinary people who consistently deliver exceptional contract performance to our customers.
Promoting Self-Sufficiency and Self-Determination
The Small Business Administration (SBA), 8(a) Business Development Program (named for Section 8(a) of the Small Business Act), was enacted in 1958 to help small disadvantaged businesses compete in the American economy, and more specifically, in the Federal contracting arena. To qualify for this Program, a firm must be a small business, unconditionally owned and controlled by one or more socially economically disadvantaged individuals, and demonstrate a potential for success. Alaska Native Corporations' and Tribes' participation in the 8(a) Program is a component of meeting the Federal Government's ANCSA agreement to provide for a sustainable Native economy as required by treaties, the Constitution, statutes, and court cases.