ANCSA at 50 infographic

After a lengthy history of debate and litigation about whether Alaska Native people had aboriginal claims to ancestral lands and resources, the U.S. Congress answered in a very distinctive way. On December 18, 1971, Alaska Native aboriginal claims were ‘settled’ and extinguished by an Act of Congress and signed by President Nixon through the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA), the largest land claims settlement in U.S. history. 

BLM Alaska has a responsibility to Alaska Natives to fulfill our obligations under the ANCSA. Since its passage in 1971, BLM Alaska has transferred ownership of more than 44 million acres to Alaska Native Village and Regional Corporations. 

Learn more about ANCSA conveyances

Download ANCSA at 50 infographic