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"Tlingits were trained from an early age to be aware of and respect the community of living beings that surrounds them. This meant learning not only how to hunt, fish, gather and process key subsistence foods and other necessities, but also how to understand the behavior and roles of other species in the ecosystem, and how to successfully interact with them in sustainable ways. This knowledge was not gained in a classroom but largely passed down by elders through oral histories, songs, crafts, and practical training. With maturity, one's TEK (traditional ecological knowledge) continues to grow in unique ways through reflection and experience on the land." -Tom Thornton

Links

Regions & Communities

Pure Bristol Bay  serve as a natural resources forum for the people of Bristol Bay and beyond. The site provides information on natural resource development projects currently being explored, permitted developed within the southwestern region of Alaska.

Western Alaska Community Development Quota (CDQ) Program allocates a percentage of all Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands quotas for groundfish, prohibited species, halibut, and crab to eligible communities. The purpose of the CDQ Program is to (i) to provide eligible western Alaska villages with the opportunity to participate and invest in fisheries in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area; (ii) to support economic development in western Alaska; (iii) to alleviate poverty and provide economic and social benefits for residents of western Alaska; and (iv) to achieve sustainable and diversified local economies in western Alaska.  

Opportunities

Rural Alaska Community Action Program has over 35 community service positions designed to help rural Alaskan communities address local public health and wellness issues (BIRCH) and environmental concerns (RAVEN).

Resources

Alaska Native Knowledge Network provides documentation relating to the ways in which native people acquire and utilize knowledge related to the ecological system in which they are situated.

Alaska Environmental Resources Hub On-Line resources and online community for those who are working on environmental issues in rural Alaska.

First Alaskans Institute introduced its Community Engagement Awards in 2007. This initiative supports projects that demonstrate collaborative efforts among community organizations to plan and implement innovative, lasting programs that contribute to healthy and thriving communities.

Green Market Alaska

Qiviut - The Alaskan co-operative that has brought exquisite Qiviut items to you as a unique northern gift since 1969. Qiviut (pronounced "kiv-ee-ute"), the downy-soft underwool from the Arctic musk ox, is shed naturally each year during the spring months. Eight times warmer than wool and extraordinarily lightweight, Qiviut is one of the finest natural fibers known to man.