Back in the 1950's there was no subsidized travel.  That is why many of us learned to fly.  I bought a 
Taylorcraft for $2400.  Anchorage was about four hours away.  At 4 gallons an hour at $.050 a gallon it cost about 8 dollars to go to Anchorage.  Today you can buy a small aircraft for around $15,000 to $25,000.  Even at $7.00 a gallon a four hour trip (100 mph) and 5 gallons per hour still only costs $140 in fuel, far less than the airfare. 

I might add that in the treaty with Russia when the US purchased whatever rights Russia had to Alaska the US promised to provide education and health care to the indigenous people.  The health care to our native people has nothing to do with Indian anything, it is a treaty obligation and is not easily changed.