Huna Totem Corporation is owned by 1,650 shareholders whose indigenous ties are to the Village of Hoonah in Southeast Alaska.
The Corporation was formed under the terms of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) enacted by Congress December 18, 1971. Huna Totem Corporation was incorporated November 9, 1973.
ANCSA paved the way for the formation of 12 Alaska Native regional corporations and approximately 200 village corporations spread throughout 12 regions in Alaska. Under ANCSA, Huna Totem Corporation received a cash distribution and 23,040 acres of land. On July 31, 2013, HTC received the final land conveyance of 2.85 acres, resulting in 23,042.85 acres of land being conveyed to Huna Totem Corporation under ANCSA.
Alaska Native corporations operate as for-profit entities for the benefit of their owners. Huna Totem Corporation is one of the more successful Native village corporations in Alaska with business interests in tourism, investment management, commercial real estate and leasing, natural resources, and an investment portfolio.
The Corporation provides several benefits to its shareholders, including the following:
- Dividends & distribution payments from the profits of the Corporation and the Shareholders Settlement Trust
- Scholarships and heritage study grants through its affiliate, the Huna Heritage Foundation
- Jobs through the corporation’s businesses and affiliates, including seasonal internships via on-the-job training
- Special cash benefit to eligible original shareholders upon reaching age 65 through the Elders’ Benefit Trust
- Management of ANCSA lands, including historical sites, subsistence use areas, and Native municipal watersheds