Doyon, Limited, is one of thirteen Alaska Native Regional Corporations created under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 (ANCSA) in settlement of aboriginal land claims. Doyon was incorporated in Alaska on June 26, 1972. [1] Headquartered in Fairbanks, Alaska, [2] Doyon is a for-profit corporation with about 18,000 Alaska Native shareholders [3] primarily of Alaskan Athabaskan (excl. Denaʼina and Ahtna) descent.
The word doyon is a loanword from (Russian:тойо́н, tr. toyón) in the Russian colonial period. It was derived from Yakut Turkic, toyon (тойон), meaning "boss, lord, master": Deg Xinag doyon̥, Holikachuk dayon̥, Upper Kuskokwim doyon̥, Koyukon doyon̥, Lower Tanana doyon̥, Dena'ina duyuq, duyəq; duyun, Ahtna dayaan; Sugpiaq (Alutiiq) tuyuq, Yup'ik tuyuq. [4]
A current listing of Doyon's officers and directors, as well as documents filed with the State of Alaska since Doyon's incorporation, are available online through the Corporations Database of the Division of Corporations, Business & Professional Licensing, Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development. [1]
At incorporation, Doyon enrolled 9,061 Alaska Native shareholders, [3] [5] each of whom received 100 shares of Doyon stock. A 1989 amendment to ANCSA granted regional corporations the right to enroll qualified Natives born after 1971, and in March 1992 Doyon shareholders voted to give stock to Native children born between 1971 and 1992, adding 5,487 additional shareholders to Doyon's rolls, [5] bringing the total number of shareholders to over 14,000. [3] [5] Shareholders at that time also voted to give an additional 100 shares of stock to 646 elders who had reached age 65 by December 1992. [5]
At the 2007 annual shareholder meeting in March 2007, Doyon shareholders voted to extend enrollment to eligible descendants of original Doyon shareholders who were born after 1992, and also to give additional shares of stock to elders who turned age 65 after 1992. [6] This will result in a potential additional enrollment of about 5,925 children by 2011; an estimated 1,227 elders who will turn age 65 by 2011 will also receive additional shares of Doyon stock. [5]
As an ANCSA corporation, Doyon has no publicly traded stock, and its shares cannot legally be sold.
Doyon's land entitlement under ANCSA is about 12.5 million acres (19,500 sq mi; 50,600 km2), making Doyon the largest private landholder in Alaska and among the largest private landowners in North America. The Doyon region encompasses a vast region in Interior Alaska, from Brooks Range in the north to the Alaska Range, and from Alaska's border with Canada in the east extending westward nearly to the shores of Norton Sound. [3] As of March 2007, about 9.8 million acres (15,000 sq mi; 40,000 km2) have been conveyed, including 6.6 million acres (10,000 sq mi; 27,000 km2) in surface and subsurface estate (fee Owned) and 3.2 million acres (5,000 sq mi; 13,000 km2) of subsurface estate corresponding to surface estate owned by villages corporations in the Doyon region. [7]
Under federal law, Doyon and its majority-owned subsidiaries, joint ventures and partnerships are deemed to be "minority and economically disadvantaged business enterprise[s]" (43 USC 1626(e)).
Doyon operates the Kantishna Roadhouse: Denali Backcountry lodge through its subsidiary Doyon Tourism, Inc. This lodge has a main lodge and dispersed cabins in the Kantishna hills region and is private property located deep inside the boundaries of Denali National Park and Preserve. It operates buses that can venture into the park into the restricted zone from mile 15 to 93, "flightseeing" tours that fly above Mount Denali, guided hikes, dog mushing demonstrations, fly fishing, and sightseeing and other activities. It is one of a few lodges deep in the park that are private property and not concessionaires with the National Park Service. [8] This region was an old gold mining region before the establishment of the park and has since been an area with various grandfathered private property within the park's boundary.
Doyon also operates a joint venture with Aramark Corporation to run the park concessions for Denali National Park and Preserve and this concession manages tour and transit buses into the park, interpretive services for Savage river cabin and Primrose rest area, the Morino grill, Riley Creek Mercantile and campground, Savage River campground, Igloo Creek campground, Sanctuary Campground, Teklanika Campground, and the Denali Bus Depot. It manages reservations for Wonder Lake campground. Along with Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, and the local coal mine, this joint venture has a significant impact on the local economy in and outside of Denali. The reservation system for this joint venture is separate from the Kantishna Roadhouse. This joint venture operates two buses that go to the Kantishna hills, the Kantishna Experience and the Kantishna transit, but these should not be confused with the Kantishna roadhouse shuttle. The buses in this operation do not go to this resort or have the same reservation system. [9]
Doyon also operates an oil and natural gas drilling subsidiary called Doyon Drilling, which according to its website operates eight drilling rigs in the state of Alaska. In 1982 Doyon formed a joint venture with another drilling corporation called Nugget Alaska, LLC. This subsidiary is said to have around 300 employees. Doyon Drilling's headquarters is not in Fairbanks like the rest of Doyon, but in Anchorage. [10]
The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) was signed into law by President Richard Nixon on December 18, 1971, constituting at the time the largest land claims settlement in United States history. ANCSA was intended to resolve long-standing issues surrounding aboriginal land claims in Alaska, as well as to stimulate economic development throughout Alaska.
Denali National Park and Preserve, formerly known as Mount McKinley National Park, is an American national park and preserve located in Interior Alaska, centered on Denali, the highest mountain in North America. The park and contiguous preserve encompass 6,045,153 acres which is larger than the state of New Hampshire. On December 2, 1980, 2,146,580-acre Denali Wilderness was established within the park. Denali's landscape is a mix of forest at the lowest elevations, including deciduous taiga, with tundra at middle elevations, and glaciers, snow, and bare rock at the highest elevations. The longest glacier is the Kahiltna Glacier. Wintertime activities include dog sledding, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling. The park received 594,660 recreational visitors in 2018.
The Ahtna are an Alaska Native Athabaskan people of the Athabaskan-speaking ethnolinguistic group. The people's homeland called Atna Nenn', is located in the Copper River area of southern Alaska, and the name Ahtna derives from the local name for the Copper River. The total population of Ahtna is estimated at around 1,427.
The Alaska Native Regional Corporations were established in 1971 when the United States Congress passed the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) which settled land and financial claims made by the Alaska Natives and provided for the establishment of 13 regional corporations to administer those claims.
Ahtna, Incorporated is one of thirteen Alaska Native Regional Corporations created under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 (ANCSA) in settlement of aboriginal land claims. Ahtna, Incorporated was incorporated in Alaska on June 23, 1972. Headquartered in Glennallen, Alaska, Ahtna is a for-profit corporation with more than 2,000 Alaska Native shareholders primarily of Ahtna Athabascan descent.
Calista Corporation is one of thirteen Alaska Native Regional Corporations created under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 (ANCSA) in settlement of aboriginal land claims. Calista was incorporated in Alaska on June 12, 1972. Although the Calista region is in western Alaska, Calista Corporation is headquartered in Anchorage, Alaska. Calista is a for-profit corporation with 34,500 Alaska Native shareholders primarily of Yup'ik descent.
Sealaska Corporation is one of thirteen Alaska Native Regional Corporations created under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 (ANCSA) in settlement of aboriginal land claims. Sealaska was incorporated in Alaska on June 16, 1972. Headquartered in Juneau, Alaska, Sealaska is a for-profit corporation with more than 23,000 Alaska Native shareholders primarily of Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian descent. In 1981 Sealaska Corporation sponsored the creation of the non-profit Sealaska Heritage Foundation, now the Sealaska Heritage Institute, which manages its cultural and educational programs. Sealaska’s primary economic drivers are natural resources, land management, environmental services and seafood.
NANA Regional Corporation, Inc. (NANA) is one of thirteen Alaska Native Regional Corporations created under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 (ANCSA) in settlement of Alaska Native land claims. NANA was incorporated in Alaska on June 7, 1972. NANA is a for-profit corporation with a land base in the Kotzebue area in northwest Alaska. Its corporate office is in Kotzebue, Alaska. NANA's Alaska Native shareholders are of Inupiat descent.
The 13th Regional Corporation is one of thirteen Alaska Native Regional Corporations created under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 (ANCSA) in settlement of Indigenous land claims. It was incorporated in Alaska on December 31, 1975. The 13th Regional Corporation is a for-profit corporation presently headquartered in Seattle, Washington, with approximately 5,500 Alaska Native shareholders of Eskimo, American Indian, and Aleut descent. Its original enrollment was of Alaska Natives who were no longer resident in Alaska.
The Aleut Corporation, or TAC, is one of thirteen Alaska Native Regional Corporations created under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 (ANCSA) in settlement of aboriginal land claims. The Aleut Corporation was incorporated in Alaska on June 21, 1972. Headquartered in Anchorage, Alaska, The Aleut Corporation is a for-profit corporation with approximately 3,410 Alaska Native shareholders, primarily of Aleut descent originating in the Alaska Peninsula, Aleutian Islands, Pribilof Islands, and Shumagin Islands of Alaska.
Bering Straits Native Corporation (BSNC) was formed in 1972 as the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) regional corporation for the Bering Straits and Norton Sound region. The corporation actively pursues responsible development of resources and other business opportunities. Through its subsidiaries, BSNC serves the federal government and commercial customers.
Bristol Bay Native Corporation, or BBNC, is one of thirteen Alaska Native Regional Corporations created under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 (ANCSA) in settlement of aboriginal land claims. Bristol Bay Native Corporation was incorporated in Alaska on June 13, 1972. Headquartered in Anchorage, Alaska, Bristol Bay Native Corporation is a for-profit corporation with approximately 9,900 Alaska Native shareholders primarily of Eskimo, Aleut, and Indian descent. BBNC states its mission as “Enriching Our Native Way Of Life" as a corporation "that protects the past, present and future of the Natives from Bristol Bay.”
Chugach Alaska Corporation, or CAC, is one of thirteen Alaska Native Regional Corporations created under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 (ANCSA) in settlement of aboriginal land claims. Chugach Alaska Corporation was incorporated in Alaska on June 23, 1972. Headquartered in Anchorage, Alaska, Chugach Alaska Corporation is a for-profit corporation with over 2,200 Alaska Native shareholders primarily of Chugach Alutiiq, Eyak, and Tlingit descent.
Cook Inlet Region, Inc. (CIRI) is one of thirteen Alaska Native regional corporations created under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 (ANCSA) in settlement of aboriginal land claims. Cook Inlet Region, Inc. was incorporated in Alaska on June 8, 1972. Headquartered in Anchorage, Alaska, CIRI is a for-profit corporation, and is owned by more than 7,300 Alaska Native shareholders of Athabascan and Southeast Indian, Inupiat, Yup’ik, Alutiiq and Aleut descent.
Koniag, Incorporated is one of thirteen Alaska Native Regional Corporations created under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 (ANCSA) in settlement of aboriginal land claims. Koniag, Inc. was incorporated in Alaska on June 23, 1972. Headquartered in Kodiak, Alaska, with additional offices in Anchorage, Koniag is a for-profit corporation with about 3,400 Alaska Native shareholders primarily of Alutiiq descent.
Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation, or UIC, is one of about 200 Alaska Native village corporations created under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 (ANCSA) in settlement of aboriginal land claims. Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation was incorporated in Alaska on April 19, 1973. Located in Utqiaġvik, Alaska, Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation is a for-profit corporation whose Alaska Native shareholders are primarily of Iñupiat Eskimo descent.
Morris "Morrie" Thompson was an Alaska Native leader, American businessman and political appointee working on matters related to Alaska Natives. Thompson was best known as the official in charge of the Bureau of Indian Affairs for the U.S. state of Alaska during the 1970s, and later as head of Doyon, Limited, the Alaska Native Regional Corporation for Interior Alaska. Following his retirement from Doyon, while returning to Alaska from vacationing in Mexico, Thompson died, along with his wife and one of his three daughters, in the crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 261.
Kantishna is an unincorporated community in Denali Borough, Alaska, United States, within Denali National Park and Preserve. Founded as a gold mining camp in 1905, it endured longer than similar communities in the area, having been constructed nearest to the source of the gold. It lies in the Kantishna Hills at the junction of Eureka Creek and Moose Creek, 3 mi (5 km) northwest of Wonder Lake, and near the mouth of the Kantishna River. Although the community was once also called "Eureka", the Board on Geographic Names officially ruled in favor of "Kantishna" in 1944, the name given to the post office that was built at the site in 1905. Its elevation is 1,696 feet (517 m).
Emil Reynold Notti is an American engineer, indigenous activist, businessman, government employee, and political candidate of Koyukon Athabaskan heritage.
