Kinda, I believe a lot of Arctic settlements get government funding to help keep them afloat. Some amount of it is probably a type of reparations to the native communities, and some to maintain military infrastructure, to keep a foothold in the north, otherwise it can be hard to establish bases of operation if they have to just ride in north of 60 and set up camp.

Because they're indigenous communities that were conquered and she has a right to live there. On top of that, she worked her whole life and somehow is still on public housing, that's fucked up no matter how you slice it, and she deserves to exist regardless of that even. Try doing DIY at 75 years old when subzero temps are the high.