In some communities, such as in the NANA region, which has the Red Dog Mine, employment opportunities do exist, but many residents must work outside their home villages. This situation reportedly results in significant numbers of working-age males regularly being away from their villages at work sites. Many adult village residents consider their subsistence activities to be their preferred and basic work obligations, requiring an extensive commitment of time, focus and effort. The buildings and facilities of the typical village surveyed are modest by contemporary urban standards. Nearly all of the communities have a general store, usually run by the local government.
Most villages have well-maintained runways for regular air service.
Every community has an office facility for the city and, in some instances, the tribal government officials, although in one case this office is located in a nearby town. These facilities are equipped with telephones, copy and fax machines, and other office equipment. One of the most conspicuous differences between the current village situation and that found in the late 1970s in another study conducted by the Alaska State Troopers and the Justice Center is in the area of communication technology. In the late 1970s a single radio telephone in a village was not uncommon, and fax machines did not exist. A second notable difference is the increase in aircraft available for routine and emergency transportation between communities.