Election Connection
Click here to learn about this year's election

Your Questions – Answered! Spring 2022 Distribution
Tuesday, April 5, 2022

Sealaska’s spring 2022 distribution will be announced on Friday, April 8. Distributions are just one of many benefits Sealaska provides to shareholders and descendants, including educational and professional development programs like shareholder and workforce development opportunities; vocational training, scholarships and internships; and donations to community and cultural programs.

Answers to frequently asked questions about the distribution process and timeline are below. Don’t see the answer you’re looking for? Contact us at corpcomm@Sealaska.com and we’ll track down the information you need. 

Q: What is the spring distribution schedule?  

  • Friday, April 8 Distribution Announced | View pending distribution amount at MySealaska.com.   
  • Friday, April 8 Record Date | Last day to make changes to stock, gift stock, enroll, process estates or transfer shares.  
  • Monday, April 18| Last day to change shareholder banking or mailing information.  
  • Friday, April 22 | Date of distribution 

Q: How are Sealaska distributions calculated?  

All shareholders (Class A, B, C, D, E, L) receive payments from Sealaska business operations as well as the Marjorie V. Young Shareholder Permanent Fund (MVY). Beginning with the fall 2021 distribution, payments from operations and MVY were routed through the newly established Sealaska Settlement Trust.  

Urban and At-Large shareholders (Class B, C) receive an ANSCA Section 7(i) payment as well. 7(i) payments are not eligible to be routed through the Sealaska Settlement Trust and will come directly from Sealaska as they always have. For Class B and C shareholders, this means they will receive two separate payments — one from Sealaska operations and the MVY shareholder permanent fund made via the settlement trust, and one 7(i) payment from Sealaska. 

Q: Why do Urban and At-Large shareholders (Class B, C) get additional money?  

All shareholders, directly or indirectly, benefit from Section 7(j) of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA). ANCSA Section 7(i) requires that all ANCSA corporations share 70% of their revenues from natural resource development with one another. This provision was created because some regions have more lucrative natural resources than others. Section 7(j) requires that 50% of the shared resources Sealaska receives from other ANCs are distributed equally between the 10 Southeast village corporations in our region and our Urban (Class B) and At-Large (Class C) shareholders.  

Holders of Class B and C stock are not shareholders of village corporations, so they receive their 7(j) payments directly from Sealaska. It is up to the village corporations to decide how to use their ANCSA Section 7(j) payments, which can include dividends or other benefits. 

*Class “E” shareholders (Elders) and Class “L” shareholders (Leftouts) do not receive ANCSA Section 7(j) payments.  

Q: Why do Descendant and Leftout shareholders receive a smaller amount than other shareholders? 

The difference is that they do not receive ANCSA 7(i) payments. Both of these types of shareholder stock, along with Elder stock, were created after ANCSA and are not eligible for ANCSA 7(i) payments.  

Q: What is ANCSA Section 7 (i) and (j)? 

Under ANCSA the 12 regional corporations share a portion of natural resource revenues. This is known as the ANCSA Section 7(i) revenue sharing agreement. Payments from Section 7(i) are called Section 7(j) payments. 

Q: How are ANCSA Section 7 (i) and (j) Payments Made? 

  • Class A— Under ANCSA, Class A (Village) shareholders do not receive payment. The payment is directed the village corporations in the region, which decide how to use funds. 
  • Class B— Under ANCSA, Sealaska makes direct payment to shareholder. 
  • Class C— Under ANCSA, Sealaska makes direct payment to shareholder. 
  • Class D— Under 2007 shareholder vote, Class D shareholders do not receive payment. 
  • Class E— Under 2007 shareholder vote, Class E shareholders do not receive payment. 
  • Class L— Under 2007 shareholder vote, Class L shareholders do not receive payment. 

Q: How much is my check? 

Sealaska shareholders who have registered with MySealaska.com can view pending payments when a distribution is announced. The spring 2022 announcement will be made on Friday, April 8. 

Q: Will my distribution payment be lower because of the settlement trust? 

The Sealaska Settlement Trust will not change the amount of the distribution. Distribution amounts are determined under the same formula that has been in place for many years. The major benefit of the settlement trust comes from the fact that distributions made via the Sealaska Settlement Trust are not subject to federal income tax. (ANCSA Section 7(j) dividends are still subject to federal tax.) 

Q: When will shareholders receive a payment through the Settlement Trust? 

Shareholders started receiving payments through the settlement trust in the fall of 2021. The spring 2022 distribution is expected to reach shareholders with direct deposit on April 22; shareholders who receive paper checks will receive them in the mail a week to 10 days later.  

Payments from Sealaska operations and the Marjorie V. Young Shareholder Permanent Fund will pass through the settlement trust.  For example, if you receive $100 in payments from operations and MVY, you will receive $100 from the Sealaska Settlement Trust. 

If you have additional questions about the Sealaska Settlement Trust, a detailed Q&A is available here.

Q: Why is the ANCSA 7(j) payment low this time? 

Commodity pricing is affecting the income of Native corporations, so we are seeing a lower amount go into the natural resource revenue sharing pool. 

Q: I use the MySealaska app on my mobile device, but only see one pending distribution amount.
The MySealaska app is no longer supported, and is not available on Google Play and the Apple app store. The 2022 spring distribution is not displaying properly on the app because it was not designed to display distributions associated with Sealaska’s new settlement trust. If you are still using the app on your mobile device, please note that the phone app has been replaced by the mobile website. Please open a browser on your phone, go to MySealaska.com and log in.

Q: My check is a lot lower than usual. I thought the Sealaska Settlement Trust was supposed to save money. What happened? 

The Sealaska Settlement Trust will save shareholders money because distributions made as a result of earnings from Sealaska’s business operations and earnings on its investments will be routed through the trust and will no longer be subject to federal income tax.  

If you are a Class B or Class C shareholder, though, you will probably notice that your distribution this fall is lower than normal. This has nothing to do with the Sealaska Settlement Trust. Payments from ANCSA Section 7(j) are down considerably due to the impact the pandemic had on commodities prices like oil, natural gas and certain minerals. Section 7(j) payments come from the natural resources revenue earned by other Alaska Native corporations and shared collectively under ANCSA Section 7(i). With prices for resources produced by other ANCs on the decline, we can expect to see payments from ANCSA Section 7(j) decrease as well. 

News Search


20 results found

2024 Sealaska Way of Life – Capture “Our Future”, Win Prizes!

Posted 7/29/2024
Posted 7/29/2024
It’s that time of year again! Bring OUR FUTURE to life during the 2024 #SealaskaWayOfLife photo contest for a chance to win prizes. The contest begins Monday, July 29 and runs through Friday, August 30. Storytelling is at the heart of who we are at Sealaska. We want to continue to tell our story from your vantage point. Introduced in 2020 as a way to foster connection and engagement… Source

Sealaska Way of Life – Capture our core values, win prizes!

Posted 7/17/2023
Posted 7/17/2023
It’s that time of year again! Bring OUR VALUES to life during the 2023 #SealaskaWayOfLife photo contest for a chance to win prizes. The contest begins Monday, July 17 and submissions will be accepted through Friday, August 11. Storytelling is at the heart of who we are at Sealaska. We want to continue to tell our story from your vantage point. Introduced in 2020 as a way to foster… Source

2nd Quarter Board Q&A and Survey Results Recap

Posted 5/1/2023
Posted 5/1/2023
In a recent virtual Q&A session, directors provided information on their work from the recent board meeting towards shareholder priorities and shared the schedule for upcoming community meetings throughout the month of May. Our directors also provided an update from the recent shareholder survey. A record-breaking 5,437 shareholders participated in this year’s shareholder survey… Source

Sealaska Distribution Overview Recap – Fall 2022

Posted 11/9/2022
Posted 11/9/2022
Sealaska shareholders tuned in from locations around Alaska and the country yesterday to hear an overview of the fall distribution from Sealaska President and CEO Anthony Mallott. The distribution, which was issued to those with direct deposit today, is the third made through the Sealaska Settlement Trust, which was established by shareholder vote in 2021. Mallott was joined by Director… Source

BQ Resources

Posted 4/21/2022
Posted 4/21/2022
Resources This page hosts a collection of published articles by Sealaska, news organizations, academics, researchers, podcasters and others on the issue of blood quantum.  Sealaska Blood Quantum Information 1. Academic Research Original Shareholders of Sealaska and their Descendants, Estimates and Projections, by Barry Edmonston, 2005 (PDF) ...

About Blood Quantum General Overview

Posted 4/12/2022
Posted 4/12/2022
Welcome! Identity and belonging are some of the most deeply felt, emotional issues for Native people. Many of us – regardless of whether we grew up immersed in our culture and on our lands – have questioned whether we are “Native enough.” Maybe it’s because we don’t speak the language. Maybe it’s because our skin is light. Maybe it’s because we aspire to live a...

Sealaska 2021 Year in Review

Posted 12/28/2021
Posted 12/28/2021
As we welcome 2022, we at Sealaska have much to be grateful for. We end the year safe and successful, despite facing continued challenges and disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic. Sealaska continues to prioritize the health of our employees and deeply appreciates their tireless efforts to maintain COVID precautions while working to achieve business growth and enhance shareholder benefits. Source

Home Page

Posted 11/3/2021
Posted 11/3/2021
Welcome! Identity and belonging are some of the most deeply felt, emotional issues for Native people. Many of us – regardless of whether we grew up immersed in our culture and on our lands – have questioned whether we are “Native enough.” Maybe it’s because we don’t speak the language. Maybe it’s because our skin is light. Maybe it’s because we aspire to live a more traditional lifestyle than...

Fall Distribution to be First from Shareholder-Approved Sealaska Settlement Trust

Posted 10/28/2021
Posted 10/28/2021
Sealaska shareholders will receive their first distribution via the Sealaska Settlement Trust when the fall distribution is paid out on November 12. The trust was created by a vote of shareholders in June, and will benefit shareholders by exempting distributions from the trust from federal tax. Many shareholders will not notice any difference between how past distributions have occurred… Source

Your Questions, Answered: Fall 2021 Sealaska Distribution

Posted 10/26/2021
Posted 10/26/2021
Sealaska’s fall 2021 distribution will be announced on Friday, Oct. 29. Distributions are just one of many benefits Sealaska provides to shareholders and descendants, including educational and professional development programs like scholarships and internships, semiannual distributions to shareholders, and donating to cultural programs. In 2020, Sealaska paid out more than $28.5… Source

First Distribution from Settlement Trust Slated for Fall 2021

Posted 8/12/2021
Posted 8/12/2021
Sealaska shareholders approved a resolution to establish a settlement trust for Sealaska by a margin greater than three to one during the election that concluded Saturday, June 26. The trust, which is similar to those established by dozens of other Alaska Native regional and village corporations, will free Sealaska shareholders from paying federal income tax on their dividends. Source

The #SealaskaWayofLife Photo Contest is BACK! Share Your Way of Life – Win Prizes!

Posted 8/9/2021
Posted 8/9/2021
What does the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian way of life look like through your lens? Show us in a snapshot during this year’s #SealaskaWayOfLife photo contest! Sealaska is dedicated to doing our part to improve ocean health and protect our way of life. Over the past six years, we’ve advanced our twin goals of economic prosperity and environmental protection by investing in a range of… Source

Sealaska Releases 2021 Shareholder Survey Results

Posted 8/4/2021
Posted 8/4/2021
Sealaska shareholders are overwhelmingly favorable toward the company’s business platform focused on ocean health and environmental stewardship, according to the company’s 2021 shareholder survey. The survey, conducted by an independent research firm in April and May, was completed by nearly 5,000 of Sealaska’s 23,000 Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian shareholders in Southeast Alaska and beyond. Source

Sealaska Wants Your Feedback

Posted 4/25/2021
Posted 4/25/2021
Every few years, Sealaska reaches out to shareholders as part of an ongoing effort to gather shareholder opinions and feedback. Sealaska is launching the most recent shareholder survey the week of April 19. We look forward to hearing from shareholders through the work. Why commission the surveys? Surveys are a great way to engage with shareholders. Since 1981, we’ve been reaching out to… Source

Application Period for Sealaska Scholarships Open, More Funds Available

Posted 12/18/2020
Posted 12/18/2020
Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) is now accepting applications for Sealaska scholarships for the 2021–2022 academic year, and thanks to a motion by the Sealaska board in October, more funding than ever will be available. In the 2019–2020 academic year, scholarship eligibility was expanded to include both full- and part-time students attending accredited colleges… Source

Board votes to increase scholarship endowment fund

Posted 11/3/2020
Posted 11/3/2020
In a resolution adopted Friday, Oct. 30, Sealaska’s board of directors voted to add an additional $2.5 million to its scholarship endowment fund to meet the increased demand for support from students receiving postsecondary education on a part-time basis. Sealaska just started providing scholarships to part-time students for the 2019–2020 academic year, and the demand was significant. Source

Our Way of Life – PHOTO CONTEST

Posted 7/7/2020
Posted 7/7/2020
Sealaska wants to see what the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian way of life looks like through YOUR lens, and we invite you to participate in the “Our Way of Life” photo contest! This is an opportunity for Sealaska to not only engage with you directly, but also gain perspective on how our audience views our Native way of life. Creativity and freedom of interpretation is welcome and encouraged! Source

Northern California Event Helps Shareholders Get Closer to Identity

Posted 1/17/2020
Posted 1/17/2020
Katu Allen is Tlingit but she grew up separated from her traditional homelands in Southeast Alaska. Over the last few years, she has found what she calls a flotation device and beacon of knowledge that helps her reconnect with her identity. Helping Katu and many others is DonnaRae (Klinklia) James, president of the San Francisco Tlingit and Haida Community Council, and founder of CAlaska… Source

Welcome to Sealaska, New Shareholder Joseph Casulucan

Posted 12/11/2019
Posted 12/11/2019
In November 2019, Joseph (Kusataan) Casulucan received his first check as a new enrolled shareholder descendant. Joseph was motivated to enroll because he wanted to learn more about Sealaska’s origins, accomplishments, and lessons learned along the way. “I am so happy to finally be part of our amazing Regional Corporation. The work done by our leadership makes me very proud to be from Southeast… Source