FAQs

The law allows shareholders to attend meetings of corporate boards, but it is at the discretion of the Board. It is a general policy that OC’s Board of Directors’ meetings are closed meetings due to the confidential nature of some of its proceedings, and this policy is also consistent with the law. However, OC’s Board of Directors has never denied a request for a shareholder to address the Board for a specific purpose.

OCs Board of Directors empathizes with families dealing with the final expenses of a loved one that has passed on. At their regular meeting in September 2006, OC’s Board approved a policy to help with some of those expenses when the deceased is an OC Shareholder. In October 2014 the Board of Directors voted to double the amount of assistance received by its shareholders. In order to promote the welfare of shareholders of OC, burial assistance may be provided to defray final expenses of deceased shareholders in an amount up to $2,000.

To apply for shareholder burial assistance:

• Burial Assistance Application must be applied for within 6 months of shareholder’s death and shall be on the form provided by OC. Contact us and we will send you one. A certified death certificate shall accompany an application for assistance.
• Upon approval of the application, OC will forward funds to the Funeral Home listed on the application.
• In the event a funeral home is not listed, OC will reimburse the family for final expenses of deceased shareholder up to $2,000 when timely presented with invoiced expenses
• If the shareholder is to be interred in Unalaska and the family needs assistance in building crosses, boxes, coffins or digging the grave, if the OC Maintenance crew has the expertise to do so, it will help. An invoice will be generated for the services provided by OC, and billed to OC up to $2,000.
• The Aleut Foundation has an assistance policy as well. Its application can be found on their website.
• The Bureau of Indian Affairs’ maximum benefit is $1,050 ($950 for burial, $100 for other services). You must be 1/4 Alaska Native and be a resident. This is a need-based benefit. In Alaska, call BIA Social Services at (907) 271-4137. Shareholders of 1/4 Alaska Native Blood living outside Alaska should call their local BIA office.

The Edna P. McCurdy Scholarship Foundation provides education and career assistance to OC shareholders and registered descendants. For more information or to obtain an application contact the Foundation at 907-581-1276 or email shareholderinfo@ounalashka.com.

A company makes a profit when it earns money above and beyond expenses for its operation. All or a portion of profit may be reinvested back into the company for growth, as a contribution to the business’ future performance. A portion of the profit may be distributed as a dividend to its shareholders.

OC’s Board of Directors has set a policy on this ratio to benefit the shareholders in both the short and long terms. The Board of Directors examines the financial results of OC’s business at the meeting following the close of the financial quarter. A dividend may or may not be declared, depending on OC’s financial health.

Once a dividend is declared, checks are processed at any time before the end of the month; this is dependent on the accounting department’s schedule.

Effective June 17, 2017, all distributions to Shareholders shall be made from the Ounalashka Settlement Trust. The Trustees shall endeavor to make quarterly contributions to eligible beneficiaries.

OC encourages Shareholders and Descendants to participate in their Corporation! A Shareholder Committee has been set up that includes shareholder volunteers and members of the board that serve terms of two years. The group’s goal is to help our shareholders be a direct part of OC’s growth, and bring ideas, or concerns to the board directly. Contact Shareholder Affairs for more information or if interested in volunteering by emailing shareholderinfo@ounalashka.com or calling 907-581-1276.

An individual can become a Shareholder one of two ways:

1. Inheritance
2. Gifting from a family member.

The Inter Vivos Gifting Application with complete instructions and eligibility requirements is available on this website here.

To change the name on OC records, the Shareholder or Descendant must submit a Change of Name Form. The Shareholder must include a copy of the legal document (i.e. marriage license, divorce decree or adoption degree) that changed their name. OC will notify the Shareholder or Descendant in writing that the name change has been made.

Submit a completed Descendant Application Form and provide a copy of birth certificate(s) that show proof of Descendancy to the voting Shareholder. The Descendant Program allows OC to communicate with future Shareholders and notify them of internships, scholarships, and other opportunities. Each registered Descendant is assigned a unique identification number associated with their voting OC Shareholder relative.

Each month, the Board of Directors meets to conduct business. At each meeting, the financial results of the corporation’s business are analyzed, and the Board reviews material on any number of items that might require direction to Management or Board approval. It takes a lot of preparation to be knowledgeable and effective at the meetings, and the directors work very hard. In addition, they must attend work sessions and special meetings.

Following are some duties and behavior expected of each and every director of OC.

(Abridged, from OC’s Board & Corporate Policy Manual, adopted 1998)

• When a Director has any significant personal interest in any matter coming before the Board, the Director shall disclose the nature of such interest and abstain from voting on the issue.
• Each Director will be held to the highest standards of conduct during the consideration of the Corporation’s business.
• Each Director will take all necessary and appropriate steps to familiarize himself/herself with the business affairs of the Corporation.
• Each Director has a fiduciary commitment – a trust relationship – for the benefit of the Corporation and its shareholders.
• Each Director’s duty will be to the entire body of shareholders and not to any one shareholder or group.
• Each Director must work for the benefit of the Corporation, which shall prevail over any other interest.
• Information affecting ongoing negotiations, contracts and other matters related to the Corporation’s business shall not be divulged except as required to conduct the Corporation’s business.
• Each Director must abide by Federal and State law applicable to the Corporation and the Director’s duty to the Corporation and its shareholders.
• Each Director must be in compliance with Article XV of By-laws relative to Confidentiality.

On Conduct:

• The Directors are expected to be in attendance at each meeting, prepared to conduct the serious business of the Corporation.
• Directors are expected to attend all Board meetings in their entirety. If a Director is unable to attend the full Board meeting, he or she must receive approval of the Chairman prior to the beginning of the meeting. Those Directors who do not attend the full Board meeting and do not secure the approval of the Chairman in advance will not receive any fee for attending the meeting and be responsible for the cost of their return ticket (if any).
• Any statement made by a Director expressing personal views regarding the Corporation must be clearly identified as an individual statement of opinion and not necessarily that of the Board. In any case, extreme care should be taken to protect the integrity of the Board and the confidentiality of the Corporation’s business.
• The Annual Planning Session is a mandatory meeting for all Directors.

You must be eligible to vote in elections held by OC. That means you must be a shareholder with voting shares, and you must be eighteen (18) years of age.

In the absence of a will, the Corporation will make a determination of the heirs in accordance with Alaska law.

For example:

If a Shareholder dies without a will and is married and has children, Alaska law requires that half the stock goes to the surviving spouse and the other half is divided among the surviving children. If there are no children, all shares go to the spouse.

The law also spells out what happens if there is no spouse and no children. In rare cases, if the Shareholder has no heirs, the stock reverts back to OC. This is one of the reasons why it is important to submit a valid will.

Shareholders are encouraged to provide a copy of their will to the Shareholder Affairs Department. When a Shareholder dies, OC must determine who will inherit the stock. The will should state who is to inherit their OC stock. An OC Stock Will Form is available for this purpose.

A Shareholder can also bequeath (give) OC stock in a general will so long as it includes language addressing who will inherit their OC stock or includes a residuary clause.

If there is no existing stock will or formal will, Alaska State law will determine the disposition of the deceased shareholder’s stock through intestate succession.

The laws of intestate succession dictate that:

• If the deceased shareholder was married but had no surviving issue (children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren), the surviving spouse shall receive 100% of the shares.
• If the deceased shareholder was married and has surviving issue, the surviving spouse shall receive 50% of the shares, and the remaining 50% will be divided equally between the surviving issue.
• When there is no surviving spouse, the shares of stock are divided equally between the surviving issue, and if there is no surviving spouse OR issue, then the stock is equally divided between the surviving parents of the deceased shareholder.
• If there is no surviving spouse, issue or parents, the stock is divided equally between surviving siblings. If there are no surviving spouse, issue, parents, or siblings, then the stock is equally divided between surviving nieces and nephews.

A Certificate of Indian Blood (CIB) may be obtained from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). CIB Applications are available on their website, you can read more information here. BIA is the only agency that will issue the certificate. A completed application must be mailed to the Alaska Regional office regardless of your location.

Submit the application to:

Alaska Regional Office
Bureau of Indian Affairs
3601 C Street, Suite 1100
Anchorage, AK 99503-5947
Phone: (907) 271-1536
Toll free: (800) 645-8465
Fax: (907) 271-1349