A tax by any other name is still a tax. And taking money from business and giving it to anyone living in the state is still wealth distribution, regardless of what you want to call it.
But Royalties are not tax, regardless of your attempt to confuse them.
Alaska does have far too much tax on oil companies in addition to their royalties. It is oppressive and restricts business.
But the royalty rate is fair. Since the State was create in a far different manner than most the states, purchased by the federal government for the production of resources, there are some very distinct difference from other states. Mineral ownership makes sense, given that government paid money for the resources from Russia in the first place.