Afognak Joint Venture v. Old Harbor Native Corp.

OPINION

CARPENETI, Justice.

I. INTRODUCTION

This is the second appeal in a dispute between various Kodiak area Native corporations over ownership of claims resulting from the Exxon Valdez oil spill. The Old Harbor and Akhiok-Kaguyak corporations belonged to a joint venture, along with eleven other corporations, which they formed in order to receive land on Afognak Island from the federal government. Old Harbor and Akhiok withdrew from the joint venture shortly after the Exxon Valdez oil spill of March 24, 1989. Upon withdrawal, they received shares of joint venture land and paid their shares of…