Doyon and Tozitna, Limited together celebrate the transfer of the lands around Fish Lake to Tozitna, the village corporation for the village of Tanana. Fish Lake is a traditional area important to the people of Tozitna, and it is not only significant to their history, but it is crucial for subsistence hunting and fishing, and salmon spawning habitat. The lands around Fish Lake were historically selected by Doyon, Limited in a long and coordinated effort to secure the lands for Tozitna. Despite the historical importance of the lands to Tozitna; the location of the lands fell outside of Tozitna’s selection areas. Tozitna and Doyon worked together to finalize conveyances and transfers to ensure Tozitna’s ownership.
In 1994, Doyon received the interim conveyance documents from BLM for the land around Fish Lake, and on February 28th, 2026, the land transfer between Tozitna and Doyon was finalized, with Tozitna receiving title to over 4,000 acres of land surrounding Fish Lake.
“Doyon, Tozitna, and the BLM have been working to complete this land exchange for almost 50 years,” said Molly Redilla, Vice President of Lands and Natural Resources. “I’m pleased to have this exchange finally cross the finish line for Tozitna.”
The effort to secure land title to Fish Lake dates back to December 1975, when Tozitna President Hardy Peters asked Doyon to include the area in its regional deficiency selections because it fell outside the lands withdrawn for Tanana’s entitlement. In his request, he states that Fish Lake holds deep cultural significance for the people of Tanana as their traditional homeland, with remains of early settlement and historical stories about the area. It continues to be used for waterfowl and big game hunting, berry picking, and subsistence activities.
Under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA), Doyon and its 25 Interior Village Corporations were granted entitlement to more than 12 million acres of land across Interior Alaska. Alaska Native Corporations submitted their land selections by 1978, and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has been working to convey those lands ever since.
Under ANCSA, each village corporation’s acreage land selection entitlement was based on the number of Alaska Native residents living in that village in 1970, resulting in allocations ranging from 69,120 acres to 161,280 acres. Doyon was required to select even numbered townships in even numbered ranges and odd numbered townships in odd numbered ranges where available, creating the distinctive “checkerboard” pattern of land ownership seen across the region today.
There are 34 villages in the Doyon Region, and some village corporations have merged, which is why there are fewer village corporations than there are villages. To date, 21 villages have received their full land entitlement, while 13 villages remain in the process of receiving their final land entitlement. Doyon has received patents to more than 6.7 million acres of fee simple land, with 1.5 million acres still in interim conveyance status and over 300,000 acres of selected land yet to be conveyed. Doyon is also entitled to the subsurface estate beneath ANCSA lands conveyed to village corporations, and actively works with village corporations to advocate for final conveyance of village corporation lands.
For more information, contact the Lands and Natural Resources Department at 907-459-2030, 1 888- 478-4755, or lands@doyon.com.
