Alaska natives have been given a second opportunity to be enrolled under the Alaska Native ·claims Settlement Act, Commissioner of Indian Affairs Morris Thompson said today.
Commissioner Thompson said that legislation (P.L. 94-204) enacted January 2, 1976, re-opens the rolls for one year for those persons who missed the original enrollment deadline of March 30, 1973.
"Almost 2,000 persons submitted applications after enrollment had been closed," the Commissioner said. "This new legislation makes it possible for them and other Alaska natives to be enrolled and to receive benefits under the Act."
The Settlement Act which was signed into law by President Nixon on December 18, 1971, granted Alaska natives 40 million acres of land and close to a billion dollars.
Persons enrolled under the new legislation will receive stock under the Settlement Act and a pro rata share of all future distributions.
Eligibility for enrollment now is the same as it was for the first enrollment. In general, this means that a person should be at least one quarter degree or more of Alaska Indian, Eskimo or
Aleut blood -- or a combination thereof -- and living on December 18, 1971. Alaska native children born after December 18, 1971 are not eligible for enrollment under the Act.
Persons seeking to enroll should write to Enrollment Coordinator, Pouch 7-1971, Anchorage, Alaska 99501. Application forms and instructions will be provided as soon as they are available.
Information or assistance can also be obtained by contacting any Bureau of Indian Affairs office or any of the Alaska Regional Corporations.
