Alaska Natives and the Law

All rights reserved. No portion of this material may be reproduced or copied without explicit permission of Frank Flavin, Director, Alaska Legal Services Corporation, 524 W. 6th Avenue, Suite 204, Anchorage, Alaska 99501.

Grade Level K - 2

Concept: Ownership of land, many uses of land

Purpose of Activities:

a. To familiarize students with the concept of ownership property

b. To familiarize students with the concept that land has many uses.

Materials: Newsprint paper or other plain paper, crayons

Activity A. 1. Ownership of Property

Take an object such as a student’s scarf or hat and ask whom it belongs to. The owner of the scarf or hat should claim it.

Discuss the following questions about the ownership of the hat or scarf -

1) Would it be right for someone else to use your hat or scarf?

2) Can the person who owns the hat or scarf decide what he wants to do with it?

3) Name some things a person could do with his hat or scarf.

a. wear it

b. lend it to a friend

c. sell it to someone else

Why can the owner of the hat or scarf do these things and not someone else?

2. Hand out the blank sheets of paper and tell students that these pieces of paper are pieces of land. Have students draw pictures of what they would do with their land. Discuss some of the possibilities for the use of land.

a. build a house on it

b. build a store or other business on it

c. hunt or pick berries on it

d. sell it to another person

3. On the chalkboard draw a map of the town - allow students to suggest what should be included on the map. Discuss all the different ways in which land has been used in the community.

4. Discuss the uses of land outside the community.

a. hunting

b. berry picking

c. camping

d. sell to other people such as oil companies

5. Explain what a deed is - a piece of paper to show that a person owns something. Make up a deed for some property - explain that deeds are needed only for important and expensive things such as land.

 

Grade Level K - 2

Concept: Alaska Native Land Claims

Purpose of Activities: To familiarize students with the concept that land ownership has become important since the A.N.C.S.A. and to give the student an understanding of why the ANCSA was necessary.

Materials: String on desks in a row to mark off areas of land - play money.

Number of students to play roles of

a. Natives who lived in Alaska a long time ago

b. White men settling in territory

c. People in the government

Activity A. Game - Claim Your Land

Explain to the students that they are going to pretend that the marked off area is land - they will play a game to learn how the land has been used over the years.

Before playing the game tell the students that each group of people has a part to play - they will act out how land has been used over the years. The groups are:

1. Natives of long ago lived all over the land - they could camp and pick berries anywhere - they were the only people on the land.

2. As the years went by more and more white people came to Alaska to settle - the white people built houses, stores and used some of the land for themselves.

3. People in the government realized that they had to decide what land belonged to whom - they passed a law called the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act - this law gave the Natives certain lands for their own and the government paid the Natives for lands which they had taken over.

Discuss with the students the three main ideas: Natives of long ago, white men coming into to settle and the government finally settling the land claims.

After the discussion of the three main ideas allow students to act out the main ideas as the teacher reads them. Students may make up a dialogue if they wish.

The three scenes might be:

1. Natives of long ago roaming the land (marked off area in the classroom) picking berries etc.

2. White men coming in, deciding where to build stores, etc.

3. Government people listening to Natives and white men explaining that it is important to know what land belongs to whom. Government officials can take more string and mark off certain areas for the Natives use and certain areas for government use - the government people can pay the Natives for the land that the government uses.

Activity B. Make an experience chart with the students allowing them to tell about their games. On the chart review the main concept of the Land Claims being settled because today it is necessary to know what land belongs to whom.

Activity C. Discuss other areas which are used for certain activities by certain peoples for example

1. Playground - do the older children play with the younger, is there a certain area for ball games?

2. In the school are certain areas used for specific purposes? (cafeteria, library, classrooms) These areas are divided up so everyone knows who belongs there and what it is used for - land has been divided up so people know whose it is and what can be done with it.

 

Grade Level K - 2

Concept: Corporations, Surface and Sub-surface rights - possible uses of land in the future.

Purpose of Activities: To familiarize students with the concept that the future of the land is in the hands of the stockholders of the corporation.

Materials: box to hold sand - to represent land with mineral resources below the surface - pebbles to be used for mineral resources.

Activity A. Corporations.

Discussion of a corporation:

1. Do you think it is easier to work all by yourself or with

some partners on a big project like building a house?

2. If three friends were building a house and they all put in some lumber, nails and all worked very hard, to whom would the house belong? (All three who worked on it)

3. Review the lesson on the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act- use the sand box for illustrating the land which the government gave to the people in the area.

a. This land belongs to a lot of people so everyone has a say in what to do with it.

b. People working together to control and decide what to do with their land are called a corporation. (students may be familiar with the work co-operation from Sesame Street - explain that a corporation is a group of people co-operating and working together to control their land)

c. Tell the students the names of the local Native corporation and the regional corporation - explain that these decide what to do with the land and land settlement money.

d. Everyone belongs to the corporation and certain people from the communities go to meetings to help decide what to do with land - Have you heard of any of the corporation meetings? Have any of your family gone to the meetings?

e. If a big company wanted to buy the corporation's land do you think one person could decide to sell? Why or why not?(land belongs to many people, have to do what the whole corporation agrees upon).

Activity B. Surface and Subsurface values.

Have a large flat box filled with sand - to be used as a large plot of land. Review with students the possibilities for using the land. Ask students where such things as gold and coal come from. Discuss with students that these resources are found under the earth's surface and are usually mined.

In the sand box bury some pebbles, marbles or other objects to represent minerals in the land. Also have students construct some houses on the land.

Discussion of Uses of Land.

1. What do you think will happen to the top (surface) of the land if a mining company wants to get the minerals in the earth?

2. Do you think the people living in the houses on the land will like it if a company starts mining on their land?

3. Who should be able to say if the mining company can take the coal from the earth? (Here review concept of ownership and membership in a corporation)

4. Students can dig through the sand box and take out the "minerals". What was the land like after the mining was finished?

5. Do you think it is important to think about what will be done with your land? Why?

 

GRADE LEVEL: K - 2

CONCEPT: Days of old, the Netsilik film series

PURPOSE: To view some aspects of how the Netsilik Eskimos once lived.

To ask who would want to live now like the Netsilik once lived. Is it possible to return to the past if one wanted to?

MATERIAL: Netsilik Film Series also called by some

Some of the titles of individual Netsilik films are:

1. Autumn River Camp
2. Building a Kayak
3. Caribou at the Crossing Place
4. Fishing at the Stone Weir
5. Group Hunting on Spring Ice
6. Jigging for Lake Trout
7. Spring Sea Ice Camp
8. Stalking Seal on the Spring Ice
9. Winter Ice Camp

Places to order the film:

1.	Alaska State Operated Schools Instructional Media Center (IMC) 640 International Airport Road Anchorage, Alaska

ASOS have catalogs, which come in several colors - yellow, red, blue - and are in 3 ring binders.

At the present time the IMC only has films 1, 3, 4, and 9. Films 3 and 9 are booked for the rest of the year. Films 1 and 4 are booked until the middle of April. You may have a chance to get films 1 or 4 if you order now. Those of you who have ordered know the difficulty in getting the film at the same time you are covering the material.

2.	Film Library 115 Eielson Building University of Alaska College, Alaska

The University has all of the films but they are all booked through the end of May. The University only services the northern and central parts of Alaska. They service north of Nunivak Island. They also charge $6.00 per film.

3.	Media Service Department University of Alaska 3211 Providence Drive Anchorage, Alaska 99504

At the present time they do not have the Netsilik film series but it is ordered and should be in their library by the Fall of ’75. They only charge you postage at the present time. You can order a catalog, price two dollars.

4.	Alaska State Library Pouch G Juneau, Alaska

This library recently received 1000 or so films from the University of Alaska; however, they do not at this time have the Netsilik film series.

5. Bethel High School has their own Netsilik films which are on 8 MM film cassettes. When they ordered Man A Course of Study material they received the Netsilik films as part of that program.

If you wish to order for next year, order now.

ACTIVITY: The Netsilik film series should be shown in order to compare the nomadic way of life to the present way of life. For those areas where permanent settlement occurred, the film could be used to show how people got along before the white man appeared.

POINTS OF DISCUSSION:

How many students would want to live now as the Netsiliks lived long ago? How come?

If it possible to return to the Netsilik old way of life?

Could a few people return to the old way?

What has caused the change from the old Netsilik way of life to the newer ways?

Will the Native land claims continue to change the life style?

Will small villages become empty of people? Or will villages become a place to go for those who tried city life and did not like that style of living?

EVALUATION:

Listed below are the main concepts which have been covered in the second unit. These are the main areas which should be covered through evaluation. The tool for evaluating the concepts has been left up to the teacher. It is hoped that the teacher will choose the means most suitable to his class, whether it be a test in multiple choice form or a student self-evaluation or testing in small groups. Use whatever method will give you the best evaluation of your class in relationship to the legal education material.

Grade Level: K - 2

1. Ownership of land
2. Uses of land
3. Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act
4. Corporations
5. Sub-surface and surface rights
6. Use of land in the future

Grade Level 3 - 4

Concept: Land - its uses and ownership of land

Purpose of Activities: a. To familiarize students with the ways land is used

b. To familiarize students with the concept of ownership of land.

c. To compare old ways of thinking about land usage and modern considerations about land.

Materials: newsprint paper or other plain paper - large pieces of butcher paper

Activity A. Land usage - Distribute a plain piece of paper to each student in the class. Explain that the piece of paper is land; have students draw pictures of what they would do with their land. Possible uses of land might be

a. build a house on the land

b. build a store or other business on the land

c. hunt on the land

d. pick berries on the land

e. save the land and possibly sell it.

After students have finished the pictures have each student explain how he chose to use his land and why.

Activity B. Ownership of land

a. Have a number of students clear a large area on the classroom floor and place the pieces of paper in the area representing the land. Some of the papers should have houses, stores, pictures of berries or animals for hunting. Appoint one student as a new-comer into the area; he would like to build a house, know where to go hunting and also possibly take his family camping. The new-comer into the territory can walk over the land, see what is there and explore the possibilities of settling in the area.

On the chalkboard write the following questions for discussion:

1. Can a person build a house on any piece of land that has no building on it?

2. How can a person show ownership of land (a person has a deed - a piece of paper showing that he owns a certain area of land).

3. Do most people let other people use their land for hunting and picking berries? If it is their private land, do they have the right to post no trespassing signs?

4. What happens when a person sells his land? What happens to the deed? (The deed is transferred to the new owner.)

Activity C. Old and new ways of thinking about land. Present the following situation and discuss how the people treated the ownership of land.

Ray was telling his grandchildren about hunting long ago before the town had grown so large and before the oil company people had come with their helicopters and set up camps. Ray was remembering how he used to go out on long trips over land which he had hunted for years. He knew the best areas to find geese. Ray took a paper and drew a map and showed his grandchildren where he used to set up his trap-line. He also showed his grandchildren where his friend Fred has his trap lines and where the people from other villages went to do their hunting. Ray’s grandchildren asked if he could hunt anywhere and didn’t he have to worry about going over someone’s private property. Ray explained that long ago there were understandings about territories and their uses - no formal deeds, but people respected one another’s hunting grounds. Today things have to be written down and people are much more aware of who owns land and what that land can be used for. Things are changing and people have to become aware of their rights as property owners so they can protect their land.

Points for Discussion:

1. How has the thinking about the use of land changed over the years? (In the past boundaries were not as well defined, people had understandings with one another about hunting territories, today people have deeds to property, oil companies have bought up some land and people have to become much more aware of property ownership.)

2. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of the new ways of regarding land?

3. Today it may become necessary to protect one’s property rights - how? (People need deeds to prove ownership so that they can do what they wish with the land.)

Grade Level 3 - 4

Concept: Alaska Native Land Claims

Purpose of Activities: To familiarize students with the concept that land ownership has become important since the A.N.C.S.A. - and to give the student an understanding of why the ANCSA was necessary.

Materials: String on desks in a row to mark off areas of land - play money.

Number of students to play roles of

a. Natives who lived in Alaska a long time ago

b. White men settling in territory

c. People in the government

Activity A. Game - Claim Your Land

Explain to the students that they are going to pretend that the marked off area is land - they will play a game to learn how the land has been used over the years.

Before playing the game tell the students that each group of people has a part to play - they will act out how land has been used over the years. The groups are:

1. Natives of long ago lived all over the land - they could hunt, camp and pick berries anywhere - they were the only people on the land.

2. As the years went by more and more white people came to Alaska to settle - the white people built houses, stores and used some of the land for themselves.

3. People in the government realized that they had to decide what land belonged to whom - they passed a law called the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act - this law gave the Natives certain lands for their own and the government paid the Natives for lands which they had taken over.

Discuss with the students the three main ideas: Natives of long ago, white men coming into to settle and the government finally settling the land claims.

After the discussion of the three main ideas allow students to act out the main ideas as the teacher reads them. Students may make up a dialogue if they wish.

The three scenes might be:

1. Natives of long ago roaming the land (marked off area in the classroom) picking berries etc.

2. White men coming in, deciding where to build stores, etc.

3. Government people listening to Natives and white men explaining that it is important to know what land belongs to whom. Government officials can take more string and mark off certain areas for the Natives use and certain areas for government use - the government people can pay the Natives for the land that the government uses.

Activity B. Make an experience chart with the students allowing them to tell about their games. On the chart review the main concept of the Land Claims being settled because today it is necessary to know what land belongs to whom.

Activity C. Discuss other areas which are used for certain activities by certain peoples, for example:

1. Playground - do the older children play with the younger, is there a certain area for ball games?

2. In the school, are certain areas used for specific purposes? (cafeteria, library, classrooms) These areas are divided up so everyone knows who belongs there and what it is used for - land has been divided up so people know whose it is and what can be done with it.

 

Grade Level 3 - 4

Concept: Corporations Surface and Sub-surface rights - possible uses of land in the future.

Purpose of Activities: To familiarize students with the concept that the future of the land is in the hands of the stockholders of the corporation.

Materials: box to hold sand - to represent land with mineral resources below the surface - pebbles to be used for mineral resources.

Activity A. Corporations.

Discussion of a corporation:

1. Do you think it is easier to work all by yourself or with some partners on a big project like building a house?

2. If three friends were building a house and they all put in some lumber, nails and all worked very hard, to whom would the house belong? (All three who worked on it)

3. Review the lesson on the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act- use the sand box for illustrating the land which the government gave to the people in the area.

a. This land belongs to a lot of people so everyone has a say in what to do with it.

b. People working together to control and decide what to do with their land are called a corporation. (students may be familiar with the work co-operation from Sesame Street-explain that a corporation is a group of people co-operating and working together to control their land)

c. Tell the students the names of the local Native corporation and the regional corporation - explain that these decide what to do with the land and land settlement money.

d. Everyone belongs to the corporation and certain people from the communities go to meetings to help decide what to do with land - Have you heard of any of the corporation meetings? Have any of your family gone to the meetings?

e. If a big company wanted to buy the corporation's land do you think one person could decide to sell? Why or why not? (land belongs to many people, have to do what the whole corporation agrees upon).

Activity B. Surface and Subsurface values.

Have a large flat box filled with sand - to be used as a large plot of land. Review with students the possibilities for using the land. Ask students where such things as gold and coal come from. Discuss with students that these resources are found under the earth’s surface and are usually mined.

In the sand box bury some pebbles, marbles or other objects to represent minerals in the land. Also have students construct some houses on the land.

Discussion of Uses of Land.

1. What do you think will happen to the top (surface) of the land if a mining company wants to get the minerals in the earth?

2. Do you think the people living in the houses on the land will like it if a company starts mining on their land?

3. Who should be able to say if the mining company can take the coal from the earth? (Here review concept of ownership and membership in a corporation)

4. Students can dig through the sand box and take out the "minerals". What was the land like after the mining was finished?

5. Do you think it is important to think about what will be done with your land? Why?

GRADE LEVEL: 3 - 4

CONCEPT: Days of old, the Netsilik film series

PURPOSE: To view some aspects of how the Netsilik Eskimos once lived.

To ask who would want to live now like the Netsilik once lived.

Is it possible to return to the past if one wanted to?

MATERIAL: Netsilik Film Series also called by some

Some of the titles of individual Netsilik Films are:

1. Autumn River Camp

2. Building a Kayak

3. Caribou at the Crossing Place

4. Fishing at the Stone Weir

5. Group Hunting on Spring Ice

6. Jigging for Lake Trout

7. Spring Sea Ice Camp

8. Stalking Seal on the Spring Ice

9. Winter Ice Camp

Places to order the film:

1.	Alaska State Operated Schools Instructional Media Center (IMC) 640 International Airport Road Anchorage, Alaska

ASOS have catalogs, which come in several colors - yellow, red, blue - and are in 3 ring binders.

At the present time the IMC only has films 1, 3, 4, and 9. Films 3 and 9 are booked for the rest of the year. Films

1 and 4 are booked until the middle of April. You may have a chance to get films 1 or 4 if you order now. Those of you who have ordered know the difficulty in getting the film at the same time you are covering the material.

2.	Film Library 115 Eielson Building University of Alaska College, Alaska

 

The University has all the films but they are all booked through the end of May. The University only services the northern and central parts of Alaska. They service north of Nunivak Island. They also charge $6.00 per film.

3.	Media Service Department University of Alaska 3211 Providence Drive Anchorage, Alaska 99504

At the present time they do not have the Netsilik film series but it is ordered and should be in their library by the fall of ’75. They only charge you postage at the present time. You can order a catalog, price two dollars.

4.	Alaska State Library Pouch G Juneau, Alaska 9980l

This library recently received 1000 or so films from the University of Alaska; however, they do not at this time have the Netsilik film series.

5. Bethel High School has their own Netsilik films which are on 8 mm film cassettes. When they ordered Man A Course of Study material they received the Netsilik films as part of that program. If you wish to order for next year, order now.

ACTIVITY: The Netsilik film series should be shown in order to compare the nomadic way of life to the present way of life. For those areas where permanent settlement occurred, the film could be used to show how people got along before the white man appeared.

POINTS OF DISCUSSION:

How many students would want to live now as the Netsiliks lived long ago? How come?

Is it possible to return to the Netsilik old way of life?

Could a few people return to the old way?

What has caused the change from the old Netsilik way of life to the newer ways?

Will the Native land claims continue to change the life style?

Will small villages become empty of people? Or will villages become a place to go for those who tried city life and did not like that style of living?

EVALUATION:

Listed below are the main concepts which have been covered in the second unit. These are the main areas which should be covered through evaluation. The tool for evaluating the concepts has been left up to the teacher. It is hoped that the teacher will choose the means most suitable to his class, whether it be a test in multiple choice form or a student self-evaluation or testing in small groups. Use whatever method will give you the best evaluation of your class in relationship to the legal education material.

Grade Level 3 - 4

l. Ownership of land

2. Uses of land

3. Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act

4. Corporations

5. Sub-surface and surface rights

6. Use of land in the future

Grade Level 5 - 6

Concept: Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act

Purpose of Activities: To familiarize students with the reasons for ANCSA and the general provisions of the Act.

Materials: Reproduce the "Land Claims Story" for individual reading by the students.

Large paper or poster board for making Land Claims Fact Board, individual strips of paper for making chronological cards - string for measuring land.

Activity A. The reading "Land Claims Story" and questions can be duplicated and distributed to students for either individual, group or class reading and discussion. The other activities will be developed from information in this reading.

The United States bought Alaska from Russia in 1867. At this time there were few white men in Alaska mostly Natives. The rights of Natives were not made clear, nobody really became concerned about Native rights until more and more white people came into the Alaska territory.

Many different agencies controlled Alaska; for a while the Army was in charge and later the Navy tried to govern the territory. The United States Congress passed the Organic Act of l884. In this Act the U. S. Government pledged to respect the claims of Alaskan Natives - these claims are called aboriginal claims because they are the claims of the first people who lived here. An aborigine is the first person to live in a place. Still though the government did not give the legal title to the land to the Natives; everyone just knew it was the Natives' land.

Since the Organic Act of 1867 was passed several other laws or acts were passed allowing people to pick out certain amounts of land such as 160 acres. Later, Natives chose land that was not all in one piece so a person could pick land for berry picking, camping and trapping. The government did not make the choosing of these lands formal and deeds were not filed so these people were not really informed about what land belonged to whom. The land issue still remained very unsettled and after Alaska became a state people realized that the Native Land Claims would have to be settled because the State was selecting lands and it had to be decided which land belonged to the State and which to the Natives.

Finally, in 1971, the U. S. Congress passed a bill to settle land ownership in Alaska once and for all. That Act of Congress is called the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. It set up rules for deciding the ownership of land. It was decided that the Natives of Alaska would have legal title to 40,000,000 acres of land. Money was paid for the rest of the land which had been taken by the government. The payment decided upon to be paid to the Natives was $962.5 million. The money and land are owned by corporations and the corporations are owned by the Natives of Alaska. We will learn more about corporations later.

Can you Answer these Questions?

l. Why didn't anyone worry about who owned the land in Alaska in the early days when it was first purchased from Russia?

2. Name some of the agencies that controlled Alaska after its purchase from Russia.

3. What made the Native people realize that they needed to legally claim their lands?

4. What was the name of the Act of Congress which finally settled Native Claims? In what year was it passed?

5. How much land were the Native Alaskans allotted?

6. Was there a settlement made for the land that the government had already taken over from the Natives?

7. What did the Natives of Alaska form to take care of the land settlement?

Activity B. On large construction paper or poster board have students make an Alaska Native Land Claims Settlement Act fact board . After reading the "Land Claims Story" and discussion have students compile a list of what they consider to be the most important facts and make a display of the important facts.

Activity C. Have students assemble a chronological chart showing the steps leading up to the Land Claims Settlement Act.

Possible steps that might be listed:

l. Alaska purchased from Russia

2. Organic Act of l884 recognized aboriginal rights

3. Governing of Alaska territory by various agencies such as the Army and Navy.

4. Alaska became a State and had claims needing to be settled.

5. Congress passed the Alaska Native Land Claims Act, 1971

Activity D. How large is an acre? Have students measure off one acre of land. Explain that an acre of land can be measured by marking off a square 208 feet on all four sides.

At each corner place a marker, a cloth attached to a stick into the ground; mark off 208 feet place another marker do this until the square is completed.

Points for Discussion:

l. Why is it important to measure land?

2. Measure the land the school is on, approximately how many acres?

3. Measure the land several houses are on, how many acres.

Do you think the owners of the land are aware of how much land they own? Would it be important to know how much land you own?

4. Can you even imagine 40,000,000 acres - the amount of land settled for in the Alaska Land Claims Settlement Act?

 b. Have students research who owns the land

l. the airport is on

2. the churches are built on

3. the schools are on

4. the community stores are on

Students can make a large map of the community labeling stores, houses, churches, schools, etc. - on the map identify who owns the land on which each building sits. The places can be labeled private, state, federally owned, etc.

Grade Level 5 - 6

Concept: Corporations

Purpose of Activities: To familiarize students with their local and regional corporations, the functions of the corporations, the place of the stockholders in the corporation.

Materials: Map of Alaska showing regional corporations (available in materials high school teachers have for reading). Poster board for making charts.

Activity A. Why Corporations?

Write the words "40,000,000 acres of land" on the board - ask who do you think controls the land settlement?

Write the word "Corporation" on the board - explain that a corporation is a group of people working together - for example if Joe wanted to start a small business in the village he might get two partners to help him, their business could be a corporation, each owning a part of the business.

Explain that the 40,000,000 acres of land that the Natives of Alaska received are in the hands of Corporations - the Village and Regional Corporations.

Make a chart with the class showing how the corporations function: Regional Corporations (find out the names of the regional corporation in your area) - the 12 are:

I. A. Regional Corporations hold surface and subsurface rights to land.

B. Regional Corporations make payments for land settlement to people in their corporation.

C. Handle the income from the land or investments and give a certain amount of the income to the village corporations.

D. Regional Corporations hold the title to sub-surface rights to land in the village corporations - sometimes conflict may arise between villages and regional corporations when they select land.

E. Regional Corporations help village corporations set up their own corporation.

II. Village Corporations:

A. Profit corporation or business corporation - village decides to invest money in a business, must pay taxes and pays dividends to the members of the corporation (stockholders).

B. Non-Profit Corporation does not have to pay taxes and can use land for such things as charities, cemeteries or hospitals - must put any money made back into the corporation, does not pay directly to stockholders.

C. Control surface rights to lands in their corporation.

D. Co-operates with the regional corporation.

III. Who Runs the Corporations?

A. Stockholders - anyone who is enrolled in the corporation.

B. Officers are elected to run both the village and regional corporations. They represent the people and decide what to do with the land and money.

Activity B. Forming a classroom corporation.

On the black board draw a large area of land and label it 5000 acres. Tell the class that they are to decide what they would like to do with the land on the village corporation level.

1. Stockholders must all register so members are known.

2. Officers of corporation should be elected

3. Meetings held to decide what to do with the land.

a. profit or non-profit organization

b. surface and sub-surface rights

Have students discuss what must be considered forming a corporation, should everyone have a voice in their corporation, does this seem the best way to handle the land received from the Settlement Act?

Activity C. Guest Speakers - If possible invite any of the officers from the local or regional corporation in to explain their job in the corporation.

Grade Level 5 - 6

Concept: Corporations, Surface and Sub-surface rights - possible uses of land in the future.

Purpose of Activities: To familiarize students with the concept that the future of the land is in the hands of the stockholders of the corporation.

Materials: box to hold sand - to represent land with mineral resource below the surface - pebbles to be used for mineral resources.

Activity A. Corporations.

Discussion of a corporation:

1. Do you think it is easier to work all by yourself or with some partners on a big project like building a house?

2. If three friends were building a house and they all put in some lumber, nails and all worked very hard, to whom would the house belong? (All three who worked on it)

3. Review the lesson on the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act - use the sand box for illustrating the land which the government gave to the people in the area.

a. This land belongs to a lot of people so everyone has a say in what to do with it.

b. People working together to control and decide what to do with their land are called a corporation.(students may be familiar with the work co-operation from Sesame Street-explain that a corporation is a group of people cooperating and working together to control their land)

c. Tell the students the names of the local Native corporation and the regional corporation - explain that these decide what to do with the land and land settlement money.

d. Everyone belongs to the corporation and certain people from the communities go to meetings to help decide what to do with land - Have you heard of any of the corporation meetings? Have any of your family gone to the meetings?

e. If a big company wanted to buy the corporation's land do you think one person could decide to sell? Why or why not? (land belongs to many people, have to do what the whole corporation agrees upon).

Activity B. Surface and Subsurface values.

Have a large flat box filled with sand - to be used as a large plot of land. Review with students the possibilities for using the land. Ask students where such things as gold and coal come from. Discuss with students that these resources are found under the earth's surface and are usually mined.

In the sand box bury some pebbles, marbles or other objects to represent minerals in the land. Also have students construct some houses on the land.

Discussion of Uses of Land.

1. What do you think will happen to the top (surface) of the land if a mining company wants to get the minerals in the earth?

2. Do you think the people living in the houses on the land will like it if a company starts mining on their land?

3. Who should be able to say if the mining company can take the coal from the earth? (Here review concept of ownership and membership in a corporation)

4. Students can dig through the sand box and take out the "minerals". What was the land like after the mining was finished?

5. Do you think it is important to think about what will be done with your land? Why?

GRADE LEVEL: 5 - 6

CONCEPT: Days of old, the Netsilik film series

PURPOSE: To view some aspects of how the Netsilik Eskimos once lived.

To ask who would want to live now like the Netsilik once lived.

Is it possible to return to the past if one wanted to?

MATERIAL: Netsilik Film Series also called by some

Some of the titles of individual Netsilik films are:

1. Autumn River Camp

2. Building a Kayak

3. Caribou at the Crossing Place

4. Fishing at the Stone Weir

5. Group Hunting on Spring Ice

6. Jigging for Lake Trout

7. Spring Sea Ice Camp

8. Stalking Seal on the Spring Ice

9.Winter Ice Camp

Places to order the film:

1.	Alaska State Operated Schools Instructional Media Center (IMC) 640 International Airport Road Anchorage, Alaska

ASOS have catalogs, which come in several colors - yellow, red, blue - and are in 3 ring binders.

At the present time the IMC only has films 1, 3, 4, and 9. Films 3 and 9 are booked for the rest of the year. Films 1 and 4 are booked until the middle of April. You may have a chance to get films 1 or 4 if you order now. Those of you who have ordered know the difficulty in getting the film at the same time you are covering the material.

2.	Film Library 115 Eielson Building University of Alaska College, Alaska

The University has all of the films but they are all booked through the end of May. The University only services the northern and central parts of Alaska. They service north of Nunivak Island. They also charge $6.00 per film.

3.	Media Service Department University of Alaska 3211 Providence Drive Anchorage, Alaska 99504

At the present time they do not have the Netsilik film series but it is ordered and should be in their library by the Fall of '75. They only charge you postage at the present time. You can order a catalog, price two dollars.

4.	Alaska State Library Pouch G Juneau, Alaska

This library recently received 1000 or so films from the University of Alaska; however, they do not at this time have the Netsilik film series.

5. Bethel High School has their own Netsilik films which are on 8 MM film cassettes. When they ordered Man A Course of Study material they received the Netsilik films as part of that program.

If you wish to order for next year, order now.

ACTIVITY: The Netsilik film series should be shown in order to compare the nomadic way of life to the present way of life. For those areas where permanent settlement occurred, the film could be used to show how people got along before the white man appeared.

POINTS OF DISCUSSION:

How many students would want to live now as the Netsiliks lived long ago? How come?

If it possible to return to the Netsilik old way of life?

Could a few people return to the old way?

What has caused the change from the old Netsilik way of life to the newer ways?

Will the Native land claims continue to change the life style?

Will small villages become empty of people? Or will villages become a place to go for those who tried city life and did not like that style of living?

EVALUATION:

Listed below are the main concepts which have been covered in the second unit. These are the main areas which should be covered through evaluation. The tool for evaluating the concepts has been left up to the teacher. It is hoped that the teacher will choose the means most suitable to his class, whether it be a test in multiple choice form or a student self-evaluation or testing in small groups. Use whatever method will give you the best evaluation of your class in relationship to the legal education material.

Grade Level 5 - 6

1. Ownership of land

2. Uses of land

3. Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act

4. Corporations

5. Sub-surface and surface rights

6. Use of land in the future