Land Acquisition in the State of Alaska: Akiachak Native Community v. Salazar

Akiachak Native Community v. Salazar and the BIA’s repeal of the Alaska Exception are set to mark sweeping changes for Alaska Natives. Following the United States District Court for the District of Columbia’s holding that the prohibition of trust acquisitions in Alaska violates the IRA, and before the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit could issue an opinion on the merits, the BIA repealed its rule prohibiting such acquisitions. The potential for drastic changes to the landscape of native communities and villages in Alaska is highly likely.