Willie Iġġiaġruk Hensley speaks during the Elders and Youth conference in 2019 at the Carlson Center in Fairbanks. (Tripp J Crouse/KNBA)

It has been called the most important legislative act since statehood. The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act is 50 years old in December and the economic effect of the Native Corporations ripples across the state, representing an increasingly larger piece of the state’s economy and jobs. What do those who helped create ANCSA think about it today? What are the biggest successes and where are the fault lines? In the first of a series of conversations about ANCSA’s legacy, guests who were there at the beginning lay out the history.

Listen here:

HOST: Lori Townsend

GUESTS:

Willie Hensley, former state legislator

Marlene Johnson, former chairmen, Sealaska Corporation

Joe Rothstein, former Anchorage Daily News editor and former chief of staff to Sen. Mike Gravel

PARTICIPATE:

Call 907-550-8422 (Anchorage) or 1-800-478-8255 (statewide) during the live broadcast.

Send an email to [email protected] (Comments may be read on air).

Post your comment during or after the live broadcast on social media (Comments may be read on air).

LIVE Broadcast: Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021 at 10 a.m. on APRN stations statewide.

LIVE Web stream: Click here to stream.