AHS Blog

ANCSA@50 Film Series

ANNOUNCING ANCSA@50: THE JOURNEY CONTINUES, A SERIES OF BROADCASTS TO COMMEMORATE THE 50th ANNIVERSARY OF THE LANDMARK LEGISLATION

From the earliest days of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA), cameras were rolling, capturing
a high-stakes drama that changed Alaska forever. The Alaska Native Media Group (ANMG) felt these were moments in time that needed to be shared on the 50th anniversary of the settlement, and invited other organizations to help them find films and video—new and old—that best tell the story of ANCSA.

With support from the Alaska Native Village Corporation Association (ANVCA), several organizations teamed up with ANMG, including KTOO, the Alaska Moving Image Preservation Association (AMIPA), and the UAA/APU Consortium Library, to produce, ANCSA@50: The Journey Continues, a series of programs to be aired over seven weeks, starting on Thursday, November 4 through Thursday, December 16, 2021 culminating in a marathon re-broadcast on the actual date of the anniversary— Saturday, December 18, 2021. See the schedule below.

The series will air on the statewide KTOO 360TV channel on broadcast, cable, streaming services and satellite television statewide. The service is broadcast over-the-air on digital TV channels, including KAKM 7.3 in Anchorage, KUAC 9.9 in Fairbanks, KYUK 15.3 in Bethel and KTOO 3.3 in Juneau. Home viewers with basic cable service see KTOO 360TV in 38 markets, mostly on channel 15. The channel is also on Dish Network and AT&T’s DirecTV and on a full-time channel on the
transmitters of the state’s rural television network, ARCS. You can also stream KTOO 360TV online at ktoo.org/360tv.

For a list of channel information, please visit:
ktoo.org/360tv/where-to-watch/

For additional information about the series, please contact:
Kevin Tripp, AMIPA
kntripp@alaska.edu
907.786.4980

PROGRAM SCHEDULE

NOV. 4, 8:00–10:00 PM
“The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act” (1986)
A 5-part series, hosted by Nellie Moore, that outlines the history of ANCSA, the challenges of implementing the legislation, early impacts, and an overview of future challenges.

—
NOV. 11, 8:00–10:00 PM
“The Missing Chapter: Women Behind the Act” (2011)
Panel discussion: Nellie Moore, moderator, with Brenda Itta, Marlene Johnson, and Frances Degnan, tell of the important role women played in ANCSA.

—
NOV. 18, 8:00–10:00 PM
“The Early Days – Doyon, Limited” (2021)
Doyon, Limited, an ANCSA regional corporation, produced a history video to highlight the significant achievements and struggles leadership faced as they fought for Alaska Native land claims and the formation of Doyon as the Native regional corporation for Interior Alaska. Athaspascan leaders Emil Notti, Tim Wallis, Patrick Frank, Jules Wright, Melvin Charley, Georgianna Lincoln, Mike Harper, Sam Demientieff, and others share the importance of land, subsistence, early corporate investments, and the continuous process of learning.

“ANCSA: Diversity of Village Corporations” (2018)
Panel discussion: Hallie Bissett, moderator, with Gerad Godfrey, Afognak Corporation; Nathan McGowan, St. George Corporation; and Jeane Breinig, Kavilco, Inc., discuss how each corporation has its own unique story to tell of operations, investments, and relationship with shareholders.

—
NOV. 25, 8:00–10:00 PM
“A Matter of Trust” (1984)
Oscar Kawagley and other Yupik leaders express their concern about how ANCSA will impact their way of life, and whether the federal government can be trusted to hold up their end of the bargain.

“Thoughts on ‘A Matter of Trust’” (2021)
Panel discussion: Hallie Bissett, moderator, with Sam Kito II, former AFN President; John Shively, former NANA executive; Nathan McGowan, CEO St. George Corporation; and Melissa Kookesh, CEO of Kootznoowoo, Inc., reflect on the concerns expressed by the Yupik leaders, how the issues were addressed, and the challenges still to come.

—
DEC. 2, 8:00–10:00 PM
“Ten Years of ANCSA: Frank Berry Looks Back” (1982)
Frank Berry, President of the Alaska Native Foundation, reflects on ANCSA following the 1981 AFN Convention, which marked the tenth anniversary of ANCSA. Includes excerpts from several speeches made at AFN, by: Frank Ferguson, Gov. Jay Hammond, Lloyd Meads (delivering a speech on behalf of Sen. Henry M. “Scoop” Jackson), Emil Notti, Willie Hensley, William “Spud” Williams, Sen. Ted Stevens, and Rep. Don Young. Program ends with Berry in conversation with a group of men and women, in Nome. (Appears to be a draft form of a program that may never have been completed, or perhaps is otherwise “lost” at this point; title not original).

“Alaska Native Corporations in Context: Advancing Alaska Natives and Communities” (2021)
Mike Sfraga, Director of the Wilson Center, a non-partisan policy forum, and co-host Kim Reitmeier, ANCSA Regional Association, talk with Nathan McGowan, CEO of St. George Corporation; Jaeleen Kookesh, Secretary of Sealaska Corporation; and Jason Metrokin, CEO of Bristol Bay Native Corporation, on how the corporations serve their shareholders today.

—
DEC. 9, 8:00–10:00 PM
“ANCSA Moments from the Archives” (1968-2001)
Historic film & video documenting ANCSA from the Alaska Moving Image Preservation Association (AMIPA). Includes film from a US Senate committee hearing on land claims in Anchorage, and other recently discovered footage.

—
DEC. 16, 8:00–10:00 PM
“ANCSA: Caught in the Act – The Struggle” (1987)
An Alaska Native Foundation production with Diane Benson talking of the struggles of the Alaska Natives in the fight for ownership of their traditional land.

“Thoughts on ‘The Struggle’” (2021)
Diane Benson and Alice Glenn in conversation.

“Paddle Hard: ANCSA, Unity, and the Future” (2021)
Willie Hensley addresses the 2021 Youth and Elders Conference.

—
DEC. 18, (times TBA)
A re-broadcast of ANCSA@50: The Journey Continues
On the occasion of the December 18, 2021, 50th anniversary of ANCSA, a marathon of all of the ANCSA@50: The Journey Continues programming presented from Nov. 4 through Dec. 16.