Titled "Na'eda," a Dena'ina Athabascan word meaning "our friends," the 128-page, paperback handbook lists the 13 Alaska Native regional corporations, 168 village corporations, 226 tribal organizations, four urban corporations, six former reserves and Alaska's only Native American reservation, Metlakatla.

Also listed are the 13 major regional nonprofit organizations and the 13 members of the Alaska Native Education Consortium.

Na'eda was compiled by CIRI historian Alexandra J. McClanahan and Hallie Bissett, a CIRI shareholder. The CIRI Foundation did a small press run so that there will be opportunities for revisions and updates of the information in the book, McClanahan said.

In addition to listing the addresses and phone numbers of 444 Native entities, the book features an explanation of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 and its key components, as well as brief descriptions of the various Alaska Native ethnic groups.

Maps are included for each region to show village locations, and there is a statewide Native cultural map and a statewide Native regional map.

"Our goal is to combine maps, a basic primer on Native issues surrounding ANCSA and a directory," McClanahan said. The book is compact and designed to be easy to use.

The idea of a directory came to McClanahan and Bissett as they were working on other publications for the CIRI Foundation that relate to Alaska Native history, McClanahan said.

"This is a reference that is of value to everyone, whether you're a lifelong resident or a first-time visitor to Alaska," she said. The book is available in local stores.

There is a need for a directory because Alaska Native corporations and tribal groups have become an important part of the Alaska economy, and Native-owned businesses are substantial employers and purchasers of goods and services, McClanahan said.

The CIRI Foundation was formed by Anchorage-based Cook Inlet Region Inc., one of the 13 Alaska Native regional corporations.