Census 2000: Don't Be Missed Stand Up and Be Counted This Spring 2000! Answering the census helps communities obtain state and federal funding to support schools, employment services, housing assistance, road construction, hospital services, programs for the elderly, as well as valuable information for planning. Your Census 2000 questionnaire should arrive at your home in late March. If you need help filling out the questionnaire, go to the Questionnaire Assistance Center in your neighborhood, or call the toll-free number printed on the form. Census workers will also visit rural areas and make census forms available for easy pick-up and delivery to those who haven't received a form in the mail.   The Census Bureau will provide a postage-paid envelope for your convenience. If you are interviewed by a census taker, that person will be sure your answers are processed. Your answers are protected by law. For more information, visit the Census 2000 web site at www.census.gov, or call the Anchorage area Census Bureau at (907) 271-1280 or the national office toll-free at 1-888-325-7733.   Kenai Peninsula Potlatch 2000 Kenaitze Indian Tribe, Salamatof Native Association, Salamatof Tribal Council, Kenai Natives Association, Ninilchik Traditional Council, and Tanaina Corp. are hosting Potlatch 2000, titled "Honoring our Elders Past and Present." The potlatch, scheduled for June 23 through 25, is held to bring families together,

visit with friends, teach youth forgotten traditions, and relive memories of the past. A memorial in honor of passed elders is planned as well as a reburial at Historic Kalifornsky Village. The potlatch is open to all Alaska Natives and Native Americans. For more information, contact Kenaitze Indian Tribe at (907) 283-3633.   IHS Seeks Scholarship Applicants The Indian Health Service (IHS) is seeking scholarship applicants who are interested in pursuing careers in the health care field. This is an opportunity to become part of a work force that is dedicated to providing quality health care to Alaska Natives and American Indians. To request an application packet or for more information, contact Wayne Westlake, employment education program coordinator, at (907) 729-1332, or Matrona Afonin, employee development program assistant, at (907) 729-1334 or 1-800-684-8361. Completed applicantions and required documentation must be received by April 3, 2000.   Eklutna Potlatch The Native Village of Eklutna will be hosting a cultural gathering featuring traditional music, stories, dancing and food May 27 and 28. Chief Arvol Looking Horse of the Lakota Nation, who is the 19th generation of his family to become Keeper of the Sacred Prayer Pipe, has also been invited to attend. For more information, contact the Native Village of Eklutna at (907) 688-6020.

Spring Shareholder Meetings Announced CIRI shareholders are invited to attend one of several shareholder informational meetings to be held this spring prior to the annual meeting. The spring informational meetings are held to advise shareholders of CIRI's business activities. The meetings rotate to different cities each year to better serve a broader shareholder audience. Shareholders will be sent more information about these meetings as the dates draw nearer. The CIRI Foundation will review scholarship and grant opportunities from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at each meeting. The annual meeting is scheduled for June 3 in Soldotna, Alaska.   Saturday, April 15, 2000 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Doubletree Suites 16500 S. Southcenter Parkway Seattle, Washington   Saturday, May 6, 2000 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Sheraton Gateway Suites, O'Hare Airport, Chicago 6501 N. Mannheim Road Rosemont, Illinois   Sunday, May 7, 2000 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. DFW Lakes Hilton 1800 Highway 26 E. Grapevine, Texas   Saturday, May 13, 2000 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Hilton Anchorage Anchorage, Alaska

Question: Why did I receive a 1099-MISC form this year instead of a 1099-DIV?   Answer: CIRI makes two kinds of distributions to shareholders. One is the dividend, which is based on the profits of the corporation and is paid on a per-share basis on all outstanding shares. The other is the 7(j) resource revenue payment, which is a sharing of resource revenue among the 12 regional corporations as required by the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.   Resource revenue payments are not dividends and are not considered investment income. This can be an important distinction in some situations. For example, tax laws do not permit anyone who received more than $2,350 in interest, dividends, and certain other investment income in 1999 to get the Earned Income Credit. During 1999, a CIRI at-large shareholder owning 90 shares of stock would have received:   Dividends (90 shares x $25/share) $2,250.00 Resource Revenue (90 shares x $1.2785/share) $115.07   Total $2,365.07

In this case, even though the total dollar amount received from CIRI was $2,365.07, or $15.07 over the Earned Income Credit limit, this total includes $115.07 in resource revenues. Because resource revenue payments are neither dividends nor investment income, they should be excluded from the total for purposes of calculating eligibility for the Earned Income Credit. In the above example, only $2,250 should be considered when determining eligibility for the Earned Income Credit.   By switching to the 1099-MISC form, CIRI could distinguish between ordinary dividends (shown in Box 13 of your CIRI 1099-MISC form) and resource revenue payments (shown in Box 3 of your CIRI 1099-MISC form), thereby making it easier for shareholders to determine whether or not they qualify for the Earned Income Credit.