A free clinic helps BBNC shareholders decide who inherits their shares

When a Bristol Bay Native Corporation shareholder dies, someone inherits their shares — and if the shareholder never said who, the law decides. A free clinic in Dillingham on Thursday, Aug. 13, aims to put that choice back in shareholders' hands.

At the event, BBNC shareholders can sit down with Alaska Legal Services and write two documents at no cost — a personal will, and a stock will that names exactly who receives their BBNC shares. Without a stock will, those shares pass by default legal process, which can scatter ownership across heirs or outside a family's control — a real concern for Alaska Native corporations, where keeping shares in the family and the region matters.

The clinic pairs with other BBNC work on generational ownership. A subsidiary recently held an open house to update stock records and enroll descendants approved under a new program for adding younger family members as shareholders.

The clinic runs from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the BBNA Family Resource Center. Shareholders who complete a stock will during the event are entered for door prizes.