People of the Middle Kuskokwim have taken care of each other for much longer than 50 years, but the passing of ANCSA and the establishment of Alaska Native Corporations, like TKC, created new markers in time. We are celebrating 50 years as a Corporation in 2026 and we would not be anywhere if not for the backbone of everything we do – our Shareholders.
Fifty years ago, the leaders of the Middle Kuskokwim came together with a shared belief: that our communities could accomplish more together than apart. That decision created the foundation of The Kuskokwim Corporation (TKC), but it was only the beginning.
Over the last five decades, TKC has continued to grow and change alongside our people and the communities we serve. We have worked to address challenges the Middle Kuskokwim region has faced for generations while adapting to meet the changing needs of our Shareholders, wherever they are. Through it all, our work has remained rooted in the guiding principles that shape TKC today: supporting the growth and well-being of our Shareholders, caring for the land, and creating opportunities that can endure for generations.
One of the clearest examples is the work TKC has done to build opportunities for education, training, employment, cultural learning, and community building. In 1998, economic diversification and workforce development were already being identified as priorities for the region. Plans were beginning to take shape to seek funding for a training center that could help prepare people for new opportunities. Today, that vision is becoming a reality.
Through the Arviiq Regional Economic Development and Training Center and other workforce development efforts, Shareholders and community members have access to programs, services, and learning opportunities that help build skills and open doors to new careers. From GED prep and tutoring to workforce readiness services, hands-on trades, and industry certifications, these opportunities help people cut their own paths to success closer to home.
While economic diversification and workforce development are important, TKC recognizes that the well-being of our Shareholders is connected to many parts of life. Our guiding principles call on us to be good stewards of our people, our land, our resources, and our way of life.
Over the last five decades, TKC has continued to grow and change alongside our people and the communities we serve. We have worked to address challenges the Middle Kuskokwim region has faced for generations while adapting to meet the changing needs of our Shareholders, wherever they are. Through it all, our work has remained rooted in the guiding principles that shape TKC today: supporting the growth and well-being of our Shareholders, caring for the land, and creating opportunities that can endure for generations.
For our people, that means creating opportunities that support Shareholders at every stage of life. It means helping young people build confidence and skills, supporting families as they pursue education and employment, and curating space for Shareholders to learn from one another and stay connected to the culture and knowledge of the Middle Kuskokwim. It means recognizing that what strengthens one person, family, or community can strengthen the region as a whole. This work is highlighted by our TKC Nau and TKC ROOTS programs, where we raise new generations of leadership, grounded in Middle Kuskokwim values.
Being good stewards also means caring for the land and resources that have sustained our communities for generations. TKC has a responsibility to manage its lands carefully, protect the resources entrusted to us, and make thoughtful decisions about how those resources can support our communities. That includes responsible land development, supporting housing and infrastructure, exploring renewable energy, and creating business opportunities that can provide benefits without losing sight of the land and the people who depend on it.
Stewardship is also about preserving the connection between our people and this place. Our culture, traditions, language, and knowledge are part of what makes the Middle Kuskokwim home. Supporting opportunities for cultural learning and passing that knowledge between generations helps ensure those connections remain strong.
In many ways, the work happening today is the result of ideas planted years (and sometimes decades) ago. A need identified by one generation becomes an opportunity available to the next. The work may take time, but the impact can last far beyond the people who first imagined it.
Progress does not happen all at once. It is built through steady work, careful decisions, and a willingness to think beyond the immediate moment. Our leaders knew this when they chose to bring 10 communities together fifty years ago. They were not only thinking about what their communities needed at the time, but what could be possible if they worked together, setting an example for their grandchildren to do the same. Always looking ahead, TKC was one of the first corporations to open enrollment to our descendants, knowing one day they would carry the work.
That same wisdom continues to guide TKC today. The work is about supporting our Shareholders, strengthening our communities, taking care of our land and resources, and making sure the Middle Kuskokwim remains a place where people can live, work, learn, and come home to.
Fifty years of sharing the responsibility has brought us here. The next 50 years will be shaped by the work we do today. The needs of our people will continue to change, new challenges will emerge, and new opportunities will take shape. What matters is that we continue to face them together, grounded in the knowledge of those who came before us and mindful of those who will come after us.
