364 



or which meets the requirements of this cl^apter, 

 and which the Secretary determines was, on the 

 1970 census enumeration date (as shown by the 

 census or other evidence satisfactory to the Secre- 

 tary, who shall make findings of fact in each 

 instance), composed of twenty-five or more 

 Natives; 



(d) "Native group" means any tribe, band, clan, 

 village, community, or village association of 

 Natives in Alaska composed of less than twenty- 

 five Natives, who comprise a majority of the 

 residents of the locality; 



(e) "Public lands" means all Federal lands and 

 interests therein located in Alaska except: (1) the 

 smallest practicable tract, as determined by the 

 Secretary, enclosing land actually used in con- 

 nection with the administration of any Federal 

 installation, and (2) land selections of the State 

 of Alaska which have been patented or tentatively 

 approved under section 6(g) of the Alaska State- 

 hood Act, as amended (72 Stat. 341, 77 Stat. 223). 

 or identified for selection by the State prior to 

 January 17, 1969; 



(f) "State" means the State of Alaska; 



(g) "Regional Corporation" means an Alaska 

 Native Regional Corporation established under 

 the laws of the State of Alaska in accordance 

 with the provisions of this chapter; 



(h) "Person" means any individual, firm, cor- 

 poration, association, or partnership; 



(i) "Municipal Corporation" means any general 

 unit of municipal government under the laws of 

 the State of Alaska; 



(j) "Village Corporation" means an Alaska 

 Native Village Corporation organized under the 

 laws of the State of Alaska as a business for profit 

 or nonprofit corporation to hold, invest, manage 

 and/or distribute lands, property, funds, and other 

 rights and assets for and on behalf of a Native 

 village in accordance with the terms of this 

 chapter. 



(k) "Fund" means the Alaska Native Fund in 

 the Treasury of the United States established by 

 section 1605 of this title; and 



(I) "Planning Commission" means the Joint 

 Federal-State Land Use Planning Commission 

 established by section 1616 of this title. 

 (Pub. L. 92-203, § 3, Dec. 18, 1971, 85 Stat. 689.) 



§ 1603. Declaration of settlement. 



(a) Aboriginal title extinguishment through prior 

 land and water area conveyances. 



All prior conveyances of public land and water 

 areas in Alaska, or any interest therein, pursuant to 

 Federal law, and all tentative approvals pursuant to 

 section 6(g) of the Alaska Statehood Act. shall be 

 regarded as an extinguishment of the aboriginal title 

 thereto, if any. 



(b) Aboriginal title and claim extinguishment where 

 based on use and occupancy; submerged lands 

 underneath inland and offshore water areas and 

 hunting or fishing rights included. 



All aboriginal titles, if any, and claims of abor- 

 iginal title in Alaska based on use and occupancy, 

 including submerged land underneath all water 



areas, both inland and offshore, and including any 

 aboriginal hunting or fislung rights that may exist, 

 are hereby extinguished. 



(c) Aboriginal claim extinguishment where based on 

 right, title, use, or occupancy of land or water 

 areas; domestic statute or treaty relating to use 

 and occupancy; or foreign laws; pending claims. 



All claims against the United States, the State, 

 and all other persons that are based on claims of ab- 

 original right, title, use, or occupancy of land or 

 water areas in Alaska, or that are based on any stat- 

 ute or treaty of the United States relating to Native 

 use and occupancy, or that are based on the laws of 

 any other nation, including any such claims that are 

 pending before any Federal or state court or the 

 Indian Claims Commission, are hereby extinguished. 

 (Pub. L. 92-203, § 4, Dec. 18, 1971, 85 Stat. 689.) 



§ 1604. Enrollment. 



(a) Eligible Natives ; finality of decision. 



The Secretary shall prepare within two years from 

 December 18, 1971, a roll of all Natives who were 

 bom on or before, and who are living on, Decem- 

 ber 18. 1971. Any decision of the Secretary regarding 

 eligibility for enrollment shall be final. 



(b) Residence; order of priority in enrollment of 

 Natives not permanent residents; regional fam- 

 ily or hardship enrollment. 



The roll prepared by the Secretary shall show for 

 each Native, among other things, the region and the 

 village or other place in which he resided on the date 

 of the 1970 census enumeration, and he shall be en- 

 rolled according to such residence. Except as pro- 

 vided in subsection (c) of this section, a Native 

 eligible for enrollment who is not, when the roll is 

 prepared, a permanent resident of one of the twelve 

 regions established pursuant to section 1606(a) of 

 this title shall be enrolled by the Secretary in one of 

 the twelve regions, giving priority in the following 

 order to — 



( 1 ) the region where the Native resided on the 

 1970 census date if he had resided there without 

 substantial interruption for two or more years; 



(2) the region where the Native previously re- 

 sided for an aggregate of ten years or more; 



(3) the region where the Native was bom; and 



(4) the region from which an ancestor of the 

 Native came. 



The Secretary may enroll a Native in a different re- 

 gion when necessary to avoid enrolling members of 

 the same family in different regions or otherwise 

 avoid hardship. 



(c) Election of enrollment in thirteenth region, if 

 established, of Native nonresidents; dependent 

 household members as bound. 



A Native eligible for enrollment who is eighteen 

 years of age or older and is not a permanent resident 

 of one of the twelve regions may, on the date he 

 files an application for enrollment, elect to be en- 

 rolled in a thirteenth region for Natives who are 

 non-residents of Alaska, if such region is estab- 

 lished pursuant to section 1606(c) of this title. If 

 such region is not established, he shall be enrolled as 

 provided in subsection (b) of this section. His elec- 



