THE COOK INLET LAND EXCHANGE, 1972--1976.

The article focuses on the Cook Inlet Land Exchange (1972–1976), a complex three-way land trade among the United States federal government, the State of Alaska, and Cook Inlet Region, Inc. (CIRI), an Alaska Native regional corporation established under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 (ANCSA). The exchange resolved CIRI’s land entitlement issues caused by insufficient available federal lands of “character similar” near Native villages, requiring CIRI to select about half of its lands outside its region. Authorized by a 1976 Omnibus Act and detailed in a terms and conditions agreement, the exchange involved approximately 3.5 million acres, including resource-rich lands in Southcentral Alaska, and required legislative and judicial approvals. This settlement enabled CIRI to secure its full land entitlement, becoming one of Alaska’s largest private landowners, and laid a foundation for its economic development and support of other Native corporations.