Our History

Chenega Federal Systems, LLC (CFS) is an ANC-owned subsidiary of Chenega Corporation.   CFS provides a full range of professional services to various sectors of the federal government in the areas of Engineering, Military and Intelligence Operations, and Information Technology.

Our Alaska Native Heritage 

Chenega Corporation, our parent company, ranks among the top 5 most successful Alaskan-owned businesses in the state according to the Alaska State Chamber of Commerce and Alaska Business Monthly.
The corporation exemplifies strength in its core values centered on faith, fortitude and sustainability for the benefit of future generations.

In 1971, the US Congress enacted the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA). This Act granted the original residents of Chenega village title to more than 70,000 acres of land in Prince William Sound.  The ANCSA paved the way for the establishment of Chenega Corporation in 1974.

Chenega Corporation

Chenega Corporation chose to participate in the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council Habitat Restoration Program, which protected large blocks of land harmed by the spill.  In 1997, Chenega sold a portion of its land to the United States Forest Service and the State of Alaska, the “Habitat Transaction”, for $34 Million.

The capital gained from the sale of the land allowed the corporation to develop its strategic plan, a part of which included business development in federal government contracting as part of the United States Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Business Development Program.

A Diversified Portfolio

Beginning in 1998, Chenega Corporation began to diversify its portfolio with investments in various commercial properties which today include the Clarion Suites Convention Center Hotel, the Quality Suites Downtown and the Voyager Hotel, Rodeway Inn, all in Anchorage.

The History of the Chenega People- A Story of Endurance

Chenega (cheh-nee'-gah) ≈ Beneath the Mountain

For centuries, a village on the southern tip of Chenega Island was home to the Chenega people. The word Chenega means “beneath the mountain”.  This area, in Prince William Sound, was the hub of the early history of the Chenega people.

The People of the Chenega Tribe have lived in the area of Prince William Sound for some 10,000 years, fishing the Sound’s waters and harvesting the abundance of their land. They are part of the Alutiiq (ah-loo’-tik) tribal family. The native language of the Chenega people is a dialect of Alutiiq, called Suqcestun (sooks’-.toon).

Russian trappers and explorers found their way into Prince William Sound and the Village of Chenega in the 1700’s. They were the first to introduce Orthodox Christian religious practices which were eventually adopted by the Chenega people.

The story of the Chenega people is one of tenacity and endurance in the face of astounding hardship. Two significant disasters drastically changed the lives of the Chenega people and the landscape of Prince William Sound: the Good Friday tsunami of 1964 and the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

Tsunami Destroys Village of Chenega

On Good Friday, March 27, 1964, the island village of Chenega was destroyed by a tsunami created by a massive 9.2 magnitude earthquake. Over one-third of the population lost their lives that day.  Chenega suffered the highest percentage of loss of life of any community in the earthquake. 

With the village gone, the Chenega people were relocated to Tatitlek, Cordova and Anchorage. The Chenega people would not see a new home until 1984.  It was then a group of former villages established the village of Chenega Bay on Evan’s Island in Prince William Sound.

EXXON Valdez Oil Spill Wipes Out Sole Means of Livelihood

In 1989, 25 years to the day after the tragic tsunami and the devastation of the village, the EXXON Valdez oil tanker ran aground in Prince William Sound.

Millions of gallons of oil were spilled into the ocean, wiping out the sole means of livelihood for the people of Chenega Bay - commercial fishing.  Damage to the natural environment and wildlife also crippled the subsistence of the Chenega people.

The Rebirth of a People and Their Village

Despite the setbacks caused by disasters, the people of Chenega Bay prove to be resilient over time.

The village of Chenega Bay has steadily developed to include:

• A fully operating medical clinic
• A beautiful Orthodox Christian Church
• A school and community hall
• A subsistence center
• An airport and small harbor
• A system of generator and fuel tanks for constant supply of power
• A ferry dock as part of the Alaska Marine Highway System
• A sophisticated response system for oil spills