Opinion: Federal business development program works for Alaskans
Published 1:30 pm Friday, March 13, 2026
Alaska is at a crossroads. The federal 8(a) Business Development Program, which enables Alaska Native corporations to compete for federal contracts, is under attack. Every Alaskan should be paying attention, because this is about more than how Alaska Native corporations generate the majority of their revenue. It is about preserving an economic engine that sustains thousands of families, stabilizes communities, and supports Alaska as a whole. We are the underdog in this fight, and the consequences of inaction will ripple far beyond boardrooms and balance sheets.
For those unfamiliar, the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) of 1971 was landmark legislation that resolved aboriginal land claims in Alaska by creating Alaska Native corporations. These entities were designed to promote economic self-sufficiency for Alaska Native people rather than dependency on federal aid. Unlike tribes in the Lower 48, Alaska Native corporations were intentionally structured to compete in the American economy. The 8(a) program became a critical tool in that mission, allowing disadvantaged businesses to compete for federal contracting opportunities and build capacity in highly competitive markets. Take into account that a majority of the ANCs created have little to no local economy to speak of, there is no other option for these businesses to create shareholder value than to leave their village, and to leave their State returning those revenues to their people in the form of dividends, scholarships, and cultural preservation programs.
That story does not belong to Alaska Native people alone. The success of Alaska Native corporations benefits the entire state. Alaska Native corporations revenues — those created outside of Alaska and returned here — typically account for over a quarter of the State of Alaska’s gross domestic product. They make up over 80% of Alaska Business Monthly’s top 49ers lists and they are some of the largest employers in the state. ANCs are some of the only companies reversing the economic model of extracting resources mostly for the benefit of far-off corporations. In a place long defined by outside companies extracting wealth from Alaska’s lands and sending the profits elsewhere, Alaska Native corporations reverse that model, generating revenue in national and global markets and reinvesting it back into Alaska’s communities, workforce and future.
In the early years following ANCSA, some corporations were taken advantage of and outright exploited by unscrupulous actors. Progress was slowed, trust was tested and lessons were learned the hard way. Over time, Alaska Native corporations built institutions with strict internal controls, rigorous oversight, and accountability to shareholders and communities. Today, these heavily regulated corporations are proud to serve the federal government and local partners across the country. Alaska Native corporations employ tens of thousands, generate billions in revenue, reinvest in communities, and stabilize Alaska’s fragile private-sector economy
Globally, Alaska Native corporations place a priority on employing veterans, operate sectors critical to the military and federal government, and consistently deliver results. Our record speaks for itself: lower rates of fraud than our bigger competitors, consistent performance and the ability to deliver valuable services wherever they are needed. There is one major difference between Alaska Native Corporations and our larger competitors — that is that ANCs are mandated by Congress to provide for their peoples’ social, cultural and economic well-being in perpetuity. We are constantly audited to ensure that our revenues and profits are providing benefits to our people; no other American corporation is held to that same standard, period.
This is a conversation that should be happening at your dinner table. If the 8(a) program is dismantled, the consequences will hit Alaska hard, risking another cycle of boom and bust that the state has weathered too many times before. Without Alaska Native corporations as a strong backbone of Alaska’s economy, Anchorage risks becoming little more than a military outpost with a thin service sector. Oil and gas alone will not sustain the state, no matter how loudly “drill, baby, drill” is cheered.
Alaska’s economy has always required diversification and long-term thinking. Alaska Native corporations are doing exactly that, building businesses while fulfilling a social mission. While other corporations in recent years have touted “corporate social responsibility,” we have provided the road map to what corporate social responsibility means for over 50 years.
Today, Alaska Native corporations are finding their footing, building disciplined, accountable institutions that serve their shareholders and communities. Recent attacks on the 8(a) program mischaracterize these corporations as being run by outsiders. In reality, Alaska Native people serve on the boards, set the strategy, and guide the work, while Alaska Native shareholders are the primary beneficiaries. We have sent our people to Ivy League schools, provided them with ground-up accelerated responsibility and developed them into the executives that hold the key positions they have today.
Alaska Native corporations are not perfect. However, extraordinary institutions have been built despite challenges and relentless scrutiny.
Alaska Native corporations are increasingly working hand in hand with Tribal governments to address critical needs and create measurable impact. Over 30 rural Alaska communities still lack running water or flushing toilets in 2026. That reality should shame a nation responsible to all of its citizens, not punish the entities striving to fill that gap.
The world is watching the Arctic. Those seeking to dismantle the SBA 8(a) program are weakening Alaska while discussing annexing Greenland. Alaska sits at the gateway to a region of growing geopolitical importance, where new shipping routes are opening, mineral and energy resources are being developed, and global powers are asserting influence. A strong Alaskan economy, anchored by Alaska Native corporations, is essential to maintain stability, protect infrastructure, safeguard national security interests, and participate credibly in Arctic diplomacy.
Alaska must speak up for itself. We cannot allow our economic strength, our people, and our strategic position in the Arctic to be ignored while others debate territorial ambitions thousands of miles away.
What is often overlooked is that the federal government’s relationship with Alaska Native people is not discretionary. It is rooted in a legally recognized trust responsibility, established through treaties, statutes, and longstanding federal policy. While ANCSA took a unique corporate approach, it did not erase the federal obligation to promote the economic well-being and self-determination of Alaska Native people. Alaska Native corporations have become the convenient target in an outrage cycle. Politicians in Washington, D.C., are framing 8(a) as a “woke handout,” turning a carefully structured program into an emotionally charged us-versus-them story. They amplify it through media channels with massive followings and then use the inevitable backlash as proof of their argument. The truth is being lost, and our story, one of hard work, accountability and service, is being misrepresented.
These attacks confuse the issues and mislead the public. Our story is one of ownership, accountability and responsibility, not DEI charity or handouts.
The question is not whether Alaska Native corporations deserve support. The question is whether Alaska, and the nation, can afford to lose them.
Economic uncertainty in Alaska’s future is not inevitable. It is entirely avoidable if the state, its people, and its leaders understand what is truly at stake and defend Alaska’s right to determine its future.
Hallie Bissett has worked with Alaska Native corporations and Native organizations for decades as a board member, advocate and leader. She previously served as Executive Director for the Alaska Native Village Corporation (ANVCA), where she worked closely with Alaska Native communities and institutions on issues affecting our people, our voices and our future.
