Bristol Bay Native Corporation, or BBNC, is one of thirteen
Alaska Native Regional Corporations
Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the norther ...
created under the
Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act
The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) was signed into law by U.S. President, President Richard Nixon on December 18, 1971, constituting what is still the largest land claims settlement in United States history. ANCSA was intended to reso ...
of 1971 (ANCSA) in settlement of aboriginal land claims. Bristol Bay Native Corporation was incorporated in
Alaska
Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...
on June 13, 1972.
[Corporations Database]
Division of Corporations, Business & Professional Licensing, Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development. Retrieved on 2015-04-16. Headquartered in
Anchorage, Alaska, Anchorage,
Alaska
Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...
, Bristol Bay Native Corporation is a for-profit corporation with approximately 9,900
Alaska Native
Alaska Natives (also known as Native Alaskans, Alaskan Indians, or Indigenous Alaskans) are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples of Alaska that encompass a diverse arena of cultural and linguistic groups, including the I ...
shareholders primarily of
Eskimo
''Eskimo'' () is a controversial Endonym and exonym, exonym that refers to two closely related Indigenous peoples: Inuit (including the Alaska Native Iñupiat, the Canadian Inuit, and the Greenlandic Inuit) and the Yupik peoples, Yupik (or Sibe ...
,
Aleut
Aleuts ( ; (west) or (east) ) are the Indigenous people of the Aleutian Islands, which are located between the North Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea. Both the Aleuts and the islands are politically divided between the US state of Alaska ...
, and
Denaʼina
The Denaʼina ( ; Inland Denaʼina: ; Upper Inlet Denaʼina: ; ), or formerly Tanaina (), are an Alaska Native Athabaskan people. They are the original inhabitants of the south central Alaska region ranging from Seldovia in the south to Chick ...
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
Bristol Bay (, ) is the easternmost arm of the Bering Sea, at 57° to 59° North 157° to 162° West in Southwest Alaska. Bristol Bay is 400 km (250 mi) long and 290 km (180 mi) wide at its mouth. A number of rivers flow in ...
.” The region includes 25 village corporations, 31 communities, and 31 federally recognized tribes.
BBNC's strategic goals are to build the value of BBNC's assets by increasing profitability and financial strength; to pay predictable and increasing dividends to shareholders; to promote improved employment and educational opportunities for shareholders; to position BBNC to have a major voice in the economic development of the Bristol Bay region; and to endorse a “Fish First” policy for land and resource management.
Officers and directors
BBNC is governed by a twelve-member shareholder elected Board of Directors, all of whom are BBNC shareholders. A current listing of Bristol Bay Native Corporation's officers and directors, as well as documents filed with the State of Alaska since BBNC'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.
Shareholders
At incorporation, Bristol Bay Native Corporation enrolled 5,401
Alaska Native
Alaska Natives (also known as Native Alaskans, Alaskan Indians, or Indigenous Alaskans) are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples of Alaska that encompass a diverse arena of cultural and linguistic groups, including the I ...
shareholders,
each of whom received 100 shares of BBNC stock. In 2015, BBNC had about 9,900 shareholders. As an ANCSA corporation, BBNC has no publicly traded stock and its shares cannot legally be sold.
BBNC Education Foundation
Th
BBNC Education Foundationis a nonprofit 501(c)(3), organized in the State of Alaska. Its mission is to support and encourage BBNC shareholders to pursue educational opportunities and to promote and preserve cultural heritage. The BBNC Education Foundation operates two main scholarship programs, the Higher Education/Vocational Education scholarship program and the Short-Term Vocational Education scholarship program.
Since 1986, the Foundation has awarded over 2,700 scholarships worth more than $3,500,000. Scholarship recipients have graduated with bachelor's, master's and other advanced degrees, such as a Ph.D. in anthropology, Doctorates of Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, and Law, and degrees in engineering, business administration, education, nursing, guidance counseling, environmental science, economics and philosophy.
Recognizing the value of certifications and training that enhance job skills, the BBNC Education Foundation also awards scholarships to help pay for short-term vocational training. These scholarships help shareholders achieve specialized certifications or training in order to enhance their employment or career opportunities.
Lands
The
Bristol Bay
Bristol Bay (, ) is the easternmost arm of the Bering Sea, at 57° to 59° North 157° to 162° West in Southwest Alaska. Bristol Bay is 400 km (250 mi) long and 290 km (180 mi) wide at its mouth. A number of rivers flow in ...
region encompasses of about 40 million acres (140,000 km
2), about the size of the state of
Oklahoma
Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...
. Of this, BBNC's land entitlement under
ANCSA
The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) was signed into law by U.S. President, President Richard Nixon on December 18, 1971, constituting what is still the largest land claims settlement in United States history. ANCSA was intended to reso ...
includes 101,500 acres (411 km
2) of surface estate and 2,716,000 acres (10,990 km
2) subsurface estate.
The Bristol Bay region is situated 150 miles southwest of Anchorage. The region's communities are geographically isolated from the rest of the state and in most cases from one another. Most of the communities in the Bristol Bay region are self-reliant, operating without the benefit of interconnected road and utility systems. The vast majority of households rely on subsistence fishing and hunting for a large percentage of their food. Today, 30 villages in Southwest Alaska are only accessible by air or water. The cost of fuel to heat homes ranges from $4–$10 per gallon.
Villages in the region are situated in the watersheds of the Bristol Bay salmon fishery, which provides all five species of
Pacific salmon
''Oncorhynchus'', from Ancient Greek ὄγκος (''ónkos''), meaning "bend", and ῥύγχος (''rhúnkhos''), meaning "snout", is a genus of ray-finned fish in the subfamily Salmoninae of the family Salmonidae, native to coldwater tributarie ...
.
"Fish First" policy
BBNC has adopted a "Fish First" policy and responsible development in its land management. The Fish First policy states that, 1) salmon is and always has been the principal means of subsistence for the cultures of the region and must be protected for that reason alone; 2) salmon contributes to the economic health of our state; 3) because Bristol Bay produces the world's largest wild sockeye salmon fishery, we have a global human and environmental responsibility to protect this stock.
The Fish First policy was adopted to protect the Bristol Bay region's fish and fish habitat for subsistence and traditional cultural uses. Many of the traditional customs of the Eskimo, Aleut and Indian people are still observed today. For the majority of residents living in Bristol Bay, the gathering of plants, fish and animals – subsistence – is an important source of providing Alaska Natives with food, in addition to providing for their economic and cultural wellbeing. Because the villages in the Bristol Bay region are so remote, accessible only by air or water, the goods and services in the region are expensive. Subsistence provides opportunities for food, fuel, clothing, handicrafts and more.
With worldwide interest in the 1,000-mile race to Nome, BBNC hopes its sponsorship of the Fish First Award will promote awareness of the pristine Bristol Bay region, its people and traditional cultures, as well as the region's contribution to fishing economies. BBNC has sponsored several initiatives to promote its Fish First ideals, includin
Day in Our Bay(a 15-minute video project) and The Bristol Bay Fish First Award (presented to the
Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race
The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, more commonly known as The Iditarod (), is an annual long-distance sled dog race held in Alaska in early March. It travels from Anchorage to Nome. Mushers and a team of between 12 and 16 dogs, of which at lea ...
musher who first reaches Galena or Kaltag). The Fish First Award winner receives $1,000, plus 25 pounds of Bristol Bay salmon, a commemorative jacket and a supply of Bristol Bay canned salmon and smoked salmon strips.
Business enterprises
BBNC has created a diversified portfolio of subsidiary companies specializing in five major business lines, which include oilfield and industrial services, petroleum distribution, government services, construction services and tourism. Employees receive a full suite of health benefits and, to compensate for the extreme geographic remoteness of certain enterprises, employees also access
Grand Rounds
Grand rounds are a methodology of medical education and inpatient care, consisting of presenting the medical problems and treatment of a particular patient to an audience consisting of doctors, pharmacists, residents, and medical students. It w ...
for remote clinical navigation and
treatment decision support.
Bristol Bay Resource Solutions (BBRS) provides administrative services to BBNC and its subsidiaries, as well as to select outside clients. BBRS began operations in 2013.
References
External links
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{{Authority control
1972 establishments in Alaska
Alaska Native regional corporations
Companies based in Anchorage, Alaska
Alutiiq
Denaʼina
Yupik peoples