This appendix provides information on the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA), which differentiates Alaskan tribes from “reservation-based” tribes in the lower 48 States. The appendix also provides an example of one of the corporations, the Alaska Native Medical Center (ANMC), and supplies specific information on interviews conducted at the ANMC.

Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act

Unlike the lower 48 States where the United States established reservations for Native people, the U.S. Government took a different approach toward Alaska Natives. In 1971, the ANCSA authorized more than 200 Alaska Native villages and 13 regional corporations (see figure A-1) to take lands and become financial institutions. On the day the law was passed, all people of at least one-quarter Native blood quantum who enrolled to participate in ANCSA were issued shares of stock in Native corporations. Despite many challenges, these corporations have succeeded over the years, becoming leading business entities within Alaska.¹

Source: http://litsite.alaska.edu/uaa/aktraditions/ancsa.html

Figure A-1: Thirteen Alaska Native Regional Corporations.

Southcentral Foundation

The Cook Inlet Region, Incorporated, established a nonprofit regional health corporation, Southcentral Foundation (SCF), in 1982 to help the Native community within its geographic area to achieve physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellness. SCF was able to build programs specific to Alaska Native health issues, such as the Community Health Representative program, which brings care directly to the homes of Elders lacking mobility; the first fetal alcohol syndrome prevention program in the Nation; and the only minority organ and tissue program in Alaska. SCF also was able to deliver family medicine, dental care, and optometry programs directly to villages.

Alaska Native Medical Center

Partnering with the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (which manages statewide health services) and obtaining a self-governance agreement with the Indian Health Service, SCF built the culturally sensitive Alaska Native Medical Center (ANMC), which is beautifully decorated with Alaska Native art to inspire healing. (See figure 1 in the body of this report.)

The largest primary care clinic in Alaska, the Anchorage Native Primary Care Center of the ANMC, also was built by SCF. It is located across the street from the ANMC. (See figure A-2.) This care clinic features architecture inspired by Alaska’s rivers, forests, and mountains. Alaska Natives from all over the State travel to the ANMC for a spectrum of health care, including traditional healing, chiropractic care, massage therapy, and acupuncture.

Source: Southcentral Foundation Report to the People 2002

Figure A-2: Air shot of Alaska Native Medical Center (in the background)
and Anchorage Native Primary Care Center (in the foreground).

The ANMC offers patients a large health information center (see figure A-3) with 6 computers and 2 kiosks with CD-ROMs for searching health information. To the left of the health information center is the main lobby, which has an Internet café. The area to the right of the health information center houses the traditional healing program. Patients and their families relax in the lobby area, where a table is provided for people to hook up their laptops or for artisans to sell their crafts.

Source: Leslie Hsu, 2002

Figure A-3: Health Information Center with six computers,
only two visible here.

Interviews

Both 1-hour and 15-minute interviews were conducted in Alaska at the ANMC. We also visited Chickaloon Village.

One-hour interviews in Alaska

• Dr. Ted Mala is Director of Tribal Relations, SCF, and Director of Traditional Healing, ANMC.
• Marcia Anderson is the Program Manager in the Health Education Department of the ANMC.
• Anne Girling is the librarian at the ANMC.
• Dorothy Hight is the coordinator of the Community Health Aid Program at the ANMC.
• Patricia Cochran is Executive Director of the Alaska Native Science Commission.
• India Hunter is a field nurse at the ANMC.

Fifteen-minute interviews in Alaska

A total of 21 Alaska Native patients were interviewed at the ANMC’s Primary Care Center Health Information Center. Seven were male and 14 female, representing Aleut, Athabascan, Holikachuk, Inupiat, Tanacross, and Yupik tribes.

Chickaloon Village

Dr. Mala arranged a visit to Chickaloon Village about one hour north of Anchorage. Interviewers were given a tour of the school (see figure A-4) and the health care clinic. The school recently won an award from Harvard University for outstanding achievement. Its seven students have access to two computers. The clinic has two computers available for public use, but they are restricted to job searches since unemployment is extremely high. All clinic staff members appear to have their own Internet access.

Source: Leslie Hsu, 2002

Figure A-4: Chickaloon Village school.

¹McClanahan, AJ. Growing Up Native in Alaska. Anchorage: The CIRI Foundation, 2000.

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