The 13th Regional Corporation’s greatest resource is Our People. Our People come from every community and Region in Alaska. Aleut, Indian and Eskimo. We are naming all new companies that we form (ALINDESKA) which breaks down to Our People (AL=Aleut IND=Indian ESK=Eskimo A=Alaska). We have over 6,000 enrolled members all over our country, Canada and many have gone home to Alaska.

As provided under the 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA), and by a 1975 U.S. District Court ruling in Washington DC, The 13th Regional Corporation was formed under Alaska Law as a private for-profit entity on December 19, 1975. Its creation hinged on how many of the approximate 78,000 Alaska Native people eligible to be enrolled under the federal law marked section 22 of the official enrollment form with a “yes” vote. The section read “Do you elect to establish and be enrolled in a 13th Region?” A ruling from Judge Oliver Gasch overturned the Bureau of Indian Affairs initial determination that an insufficient number of enrollees voted for the creation of the 13th.

Prior to the ruling, the 4,537 persons who were later to become 13th Regional Corporation shareholders were all designated as shareholders in one of the other 12, regional corporations. Many non-residents felt betrayed and double-crossed by the “inside” corporations who pushed for a no vote on the 13th formation issue. The corporation began with 4,537 shareholders and currently has approximately 5,500 shareholders.

Five individuals were named as incorporators of the newly formed corporation to serve as directors until the first annual meeting or until their successors were elected. They were Sheila Aga of Myrtle Creek, Oregon; Axel E. Anaruk of Federal Way, Washington; William S. Jackson of Stanwood, Washington; Sam Walkoff of Highland, Indiana and James S. Williams of Oakland, CA.

While ANCSA treated the Native Regional and village corporations based within Alaska somewhat generously, the 13th was limited to a one-time only chance at fiscal survival. All corporations formed under the Act, except the 13th, were eligible to select, and have selected land in Alaska for transfer to their corporate ownership. All these corporations share in revenue generated through sales of minerals, timber and other valuable resources from these selected lands through a revenue pooling provision of ANCSA. All but the 13th continue to divide millions of dollars from this source