To provide under or by amendment of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act for the late enrollment of certain Natives, the establishment of an escrow account for the proceeds of certain lands, the treatment of certain payments and grants, and the consolidation of existing Regional Corporations, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by She Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in (Congress assembled, That
(a) The Secretary of the Interior (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the “Secretary”) is directed to review those applications submitted within one year from the date of enactment of this Act by applicants who failed to meet the March 30, 1973, deadline for enrollment established by the Secretary pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (hereinafter ln this Act referred to as the “Settlement Act”), and to enroll those Natives under the provisions of that Act who would have been qualified if the March 30, 1973, deadline had been met: Provided, That Natives enrolled under this Act shall be issued stock under the Settlement Act together with a pro rata share of all future distributions under the Settlement Act which shall be issued stock under the Settlement Act which shall commence beginning with the next regularly scheduled distribution after the enactment of this Act: Provided further, That land entitlement of any Native village, Native group, Village Corporation, or Regional Corporation, all as defined in such Act, shall not be affected by any enrollment pursuant to this Act, and that no tribe, band, clan, group, village, community, or association not otherwise eligible for land or other benefits as a “Native village”, as defined in such Act, shall become eligible for land or other benefits as a Native village because of any enrollment pursuant to this Act: Provided further, That any “Native group”, as defined in such Act, shall not lose its status as a Native group because of any enrollment pursuant to this Act.
(b) The Secretary is authorized to poll individual Natives properly enrolled to Native villages or Native groups which are not recognized as Village Corporations under section 11 of the Settlement Act and which are included within the boundaries of former reserves the Village Corporation or Corporations of which elected to acquire title to the surface and subsurface estate of said reserves pursuant to subsection 19(b) of the Settlement Act. The Secretary may allow these individuals the option to enroll to a village or groups is located on an at-large basis: Provided, That nothing in this subsection shall affect existing entitlement to land of any Regional Corporation pursuant to section 12(b) or 14(h)(8) of the Settlement Act.
(c) In those instances where, on the roll prepared under section 5 of the Settlement Act, there were enrolled as residents of a place on April 1, 1970, a sufficient number of Natives required for a Native village or Native group, as the case may be, and it is subsequently and finally determined that such place is not eligible for land benefits under the Act on grounds which include a lack of sufficient number of residents, the Secretary shall; in accordance with the criteria for residence applied in the final determination of eligibility, redetermine the place of residence on April 1, 1970, of each Native enrolled to such place, and the place of residence as so redetermined shall be such Native‘s place of residence on April 1, 1970, for all purposes under the Settlement Act: Provided, That each Native whose place of residence on April 1, 1970, is changed by reason of this subsection shall be issued stock in the Native Corporation or corporations in which such redetermination entitles him to membership and all stock issued to such Native by any Native Corporations in which he is no longer eligible for membership shall be deemed canceled: Provided further, That no redistribution of funds made by any Native Corporation on the basis of prior places of residence shall be affected: Provided, further, That land entitlements of any Native village, Native group, Village Corporation, Regional Corporation, or corporations organized by Natives residing in Sitka, Kenai, Juneau, or Kodiak, all as defined in said Act, shall not be affected by any determination of residence made pursuant to this subsection, and no tribe, band, clan, group, village, community, or association not otherwise eligible for land or other benefits as a “Native group” as defined in said Act, shall become eligible for land or other benefits as a Native group because of any redetermination of residence pursuant to this subsection: Provided further, That any distribution of funds from the Alaska Native Fund pursuant to subsection (c) of section 6 of the Settlement Act made by the Secretary of his delegate prior to any redetermination of residency shall not be affected by the provisions of this subsection. Each Native whose place of residence is subject to redetermination as provided in this subsection shall be given notice and an opportunity for hearing in connection with such redetermination as shall any Native Corporation which it appears may gain or lose stockholders by reason of such determination of residence.