Last Updated: 10 months

The Metlakatla Indian Community is the only Native Reservation in Alaska. There are many other indian tribes in Alaska,  but most Alaskan natives have a different land system than the tribes in the continental US.

There is only one Alaska Indian Reservation

Alaska Natives were not given title to land under the Dawes Act but were instead treated under the Alaska Native Allotment Act until it was repealed in 1971.

Another characteristic difference is that Alaska Native tribal governments do not have the power to collect taxes for business transacted on tribal land, per the United States Supreme Court decision in Alaska v. Native Village of Venetie Tribal Government because Alaska Natives (except for Tsimshians) do not hold reservations.

The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, commonly abbreviated ANCSA, was signed into law by President Richard M. Nixon on December 18, 1971, the largest land claims settlement in United States history. ANCSA was intended to resolve the long-standing issues surrounding aboriginal land claims in Alaska, as well as to stimulate economic development throughout Alaska.

In 1968, the Atlantic-Richfield Company discovered oil at Prudhoe Bay on the Arctic coast, catapulting the issue of land ownership into headlines. In order to lessen the difficulty of drilling at such a remote location and transporting the oil to the lower 48 states, the best solution seemed to be building a pipeline to carry the oil across Alaska to the port of Valdez, built on the ruins of the previous town. At Valdez, the oil would be loaded onto tanker ships and sent by water to the contiguous states.

The plan was approved, but a permit to construct the pipeline, which would cross lands involved in the native dispute, could not be granted until the Native claims had been settled.

With major petroleum dollars on the line, there was a new urgency for an agreement, and, in 1971, the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act was signed into law by President Nixon, which abrogated Native claims to aboriginal lands. In return, they received up to 44 million acres (180,000 km²) of land (1/9th of the land in Alaska) and were paid $963 million.

The land and money were divided among regional, urban, and village corporations. The settlement compensated the Natives for the collaborative use of their lands and opened the way for all Alaskans to profit from oil, one of the state’s largest natural resources.

The settlement extinguished Alaska Native claims to the land by transferring titles to twelve Alaska Native regional corporations and over 200 local village corporations. A thirteenth regional corporation was later created for Alaska Natives who no longer resided in Alaska.

The Tsimshians were not included in the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act

The Tsimshians did not receive any payment for thier lands. They expressed an interest in preserving their villages and fishing sites on the Skeena and Nass Rivers as early as 1879, but were not able to begin negotiating a treaty until July 1983.

A decade later, fourteen bands in Alaska and in British Columbia, Canada  united to negotiate under the collective name of the Tsimshian Tribal Council. A framework agreement was signed in 1997, and the Tsimshian nation continues to negotiate with the BC Treaty Commission to reach an Agreement-in-Principle.
 
Instead of large reservations, Alaskan Natives live in mostly small tribal communities ruled by a village corporation. They are:

1. Village of Afognak
2. Native Village of Akhiok
3. Akiachak Native Community
4. Akiak Native Community
5. Native Village of Akutan
6. Village of Alakanuk
7. Alatna Village
8. Native Village of Aleknagik
9. Algaaciq Native Village (St. Mary’s)
10. Allakaket Village
11. Native Village of Ambler
12. Village of Anaktuvuk Pass
13. Yupiit of Andreafski
14. Angoon Community Association
15. Village of Aniak
16. Anvik Village
17. Arctic Village (See Native Village of Venetie Tribal Government)
18. Native Village of Atka
19. Asa’carsarmiut Tribe (formerly Native Village of Mountain Village)
20. Atqasuk Village (Atkasook)
21. Village of Atmautluak
22. Native Village of Barrow Inupiat Traditional Government (formerly Native Village of Barrow)
23. Beaver Village
24. Native Village of Belkofski
25. Village of Bill Moore’s Slough
26. Birch Creek Village
27. Native Village of Brevig Mission
28. Native Village of Buckland
29. Native Village of Cantwell
30. Native Village of Chanega (aka Chenega)
31. Chalkyitsik Village
32. Village of Chefornak
33. Chevak Native Village
34. Chickaloon Native Village
35. Native Village of Chignik
36. Native Village of Chignik Lagoon
37. Chignik Lake Village
38. Chilkat Indian Village (Kluckwan)
39. Chilkoot Indian Association (Haines)
40. Chinik Eskimo Community (Golovin)
41. Native Village of Chistochina
42. Native Village of Chitina
43. Native Village of Chuathbaluk (Russian Mission, Kuskokwim)
44. Chuloonawick Native Village
45. Circle Native Community
46. Village of Clark’s Point
47. Native Village of Council
48. Craig Community Association
49. Village of Crooked Creek
50. Curyung Tribal Council (formerly Native Village of Dillingham)
51. Native Village of Deering
52. Native Village of Diomede (AKA Inalik)
53. Village of Dot Lake
54. Douglas Indian Association
55. Native Village of Eagle
56. Native Village of Eek
57. Egegik Village
58. Eklutna Native Village
59. Native Village of Ekuk
60. Ekwok Village
61. Native Village of Elim
62. Emmonak Village
63. Evansville Village (AKA Bettles Field)
64. Native Village of Eyak (Cordova)
65. Native Village of False Pass
66. Native Village of Fort Yukon
67. Native Village of Gakona
68. Galena Village (AKA Louden Village)
69. Native Village of Gambell
70. Native Village of Georgetown
71. Native Village of Goodnews Bay
72. Organized Village of Grayling (AKA Holikachuk)
73. Gulkana Village
74. Native Village of Hamilton
75. Healy Lake Village
76. Holy Cross Village
77. Hoonah Indian Association
78. Native Village of Hooper Bay
79. Hughes Village
80. Huslia Village
81. Hydaburg Cooperative Association
82. Igiugig Village
83. Village of Iliamna
84. Inupiat Community of the Arctic Slope
85. Iqurmuit Traditional Council (formerly Native Village of Russian Mission)
86. Ivanoff Bay Village
87. Kaguyak Village
88. Organized Village of Kake
89. Kaktovik Village (AKA Barter Island)
90. Village of Kalskag
91. Village of Kaltag
92. Native Village of Kanatak
93. Native Village of Karluk
94. Organized Village of Kasaan
95. Native Village of Kasigluk
96. Kenaitze Indian Tribe
97. Ketchikan Indian Corporation
98. Native Village of Kiana
99. Agdaagux Tribe of King Cove
100. King Island Native Community
101. Native Village of Kipnuk
102. Native Village of Kivalina
103. Klawock Cooperative Association
104. Native Village of Kluti Kaah (AKA Copper Center)
105. Knik Tribe
106. Native Village of Kobuk
107. Kokhanok Village
108. New Koliganek Village Council (formerly Koliganek Village)
109. Native Village of Kongiganak
110. Village of Kotlik
111. Native Village of Kotzebue
112. Native Village of Koyuk
113. Koyukuk Native Village
114. Organized Village of Kwethluk
115. Native Village of Kwigillingok
116. Native Village of Kwinhagak (AKA Quinhagak)
117. Native Village of Larsen Bay
118. Levelock Village Lesnoi Village (AKA Woody Island)
119. Lime Village
120. Village of Lower Kalskag
121. Manley Hot Springs Village
122. Manokotak Village
123. Native Village of Marshall (AKA Fortuna Ledge)
124. Native Village of Mary’s Igloo
125. McGrath Native Village
126. Native Village of Mekoryuk
127. Mentasta Traditional Council (formerly Mentasta Lake Village)
128. Metlakatla Indian Community, Annette Island Reserve
129. Native Village of Minto
130. Naknek Native Village
131. Native Village of Nanwalek (AKA English Bay)
132. Native Village of Napaimute
133. Native Village of Napakiak
134. Native Village of Napaskiak
135. Native Village of Nelson Lagoon
136. Nenana Native Association
137. New Stuyahok Village
138. Newhalen Village
139. Newtok Village
140. Native Village of Nightmute
141. Nikolai Village
142. Native Village of Nikolski
143. Ninilchik Village
144. Native Village of Noatak
145. Nome Eskimo Community
146. Nondalton Village
147. Noorvik Native Community
148. Northway Village
149. Native Village of Nuiqsut (AKA Nooiksut)
150. Nulato Village
151. Native Village of Nunapitchuk
152. Village of Ohogamiut
153. Village of Old Harbor
154. Orutsararmuit Native Village (AKA Bethel)
155. Oscarville Traditional Village
156. Native Village of Ouzinkie
157. Native Village of Paimiut
158. Pauloff Harbor Village
159. Pedro Bay Village
160. Native Village of Perryville
161. Petersburg Indian Association
162. Native Village of Pilot Point
163. Pilot Station Traditional Village
164. Native Village of Pitka’s Point
165. Platinum Traditional Village
166. Native Village of Point Hope
167. Native Village of Point Lay
168. Native Village of Port Graham
169. Native Village of Port Heiden
170. Native Village of Port Lions
171. Portage Creek Village (AKA Ohgsenakale)
172. Pribilof Islands Aleut Communities of St. Paul & St. George Island
173. Qagan Toyagungin Tribe of Sand Point Village
174. Rampart Village
175. Village of Red Devil
176. Native Village of Ruby
177. Village of Salamatoff
178. Organized Village of Saxman
179. Native Village of Savoonga
180. Saint George (See Pribilof Islands Aleut Communities of St. Paul & St. George Islands)
181. Native Village of Saint Michael
182. Saint Paul (See Pribilof Islands Aleut Communities of St. Paul & St. George Islands)
183. Native Village of Scammon Bay
184. Native Village of Selawik
185. Seldovia Village Tribe
186. Shageluk Native Village
187. Native Village of Shaktoolik
188. Native Village of Sheldon’s Point
189. Native Village of Shishmaref
190. Native Village of Shungnak
191. Sitka Tribe of Alaska
192. Skagway Village
193. Village of Sleetmute
194. Village of Solomon
195. South Naknek Village
196. Stebbins Community Association
197. Native Village of Stevens
198. Village of Stony River
199. Takotna Village
200. Native Village of Tanacross
201. Native Village of Tanana
202. Native Village of Tatitlek
203. Native Village of Tazlina
204. Telida Village
205. Native Village of Teller
206. Native Village of Tetlin
207. Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes
     1. Traditional Village of Togiak
     2. Native Village of Toksook Bay
     3. Tuluksak Native Community
     4. Native Village of Tuntutuliak
     5. Native Village of Tununak
     6. Twin Hills Village
     7. Native Village of Tyonek
     8. Ugashik Village
     9. Umkumiute Native Village
     10. Native Village of Unalakleet
     11. Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska
     12. Native Village of Unga
     13. Village of Venetie (See Native Village of Venetie Tribal Government)
     14. Native Village of Venetie Tribal Government (Arctic Village and Village of Venetie)
     15. Village of Wainwright
     16. Native Village of Wales
     17. Native Village of White Mountain
     18. Wrangell Cooperative Association
     19. Yakutat Tlingit Tribe