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Originally Posted by kansaskyle
I enjoyed the book, and I found it interesting the author touched on several things relevant to people living in Alaska that I hadn't really considered. One of which was the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) of 1971 where the Unitied States government basically bought the native Alaskan tribal hunting grounds in order to put in oil pipeline.
I got the sense the ANCSA had a largely negative impact in that it seemed to create a divide between natives and "outsiders", which led to some racism aspects in the book against the Aleut people (Aleuts are just one of many Alaskan native tribes from what I've read).
Do you think the ANCSA was ultimately a good thing for the native people, or bad? Should the "advantages" continue for natives?
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ANCSA is a recurring theme in the books, since it plays such a central role in the lives of First Nations in the state.
Do I think it's a good thing? Honestly, not my place to say or judge. Only those directly affected have that right. That being said, it's certainly worth observing that it has had far reaching impacts on First Nations in Alaska. Some probably beneficial, but others much less so. What can be said for sure is that the impact of ANCSA is, and has been, profound. As an outsider and a non-native, I honestly don't have the lens to judge what's beneficial or not.