By the Native Village of Tazlina Council

The Native Village of Tazlina has a historic opportunity to purchase its ancestral lands and bring the story of its homelands back full circle. Where the current owner, the Archdiocese of Anchorage, operated the Copper Valley School for two decades, the Tazlina Village has a vision for the land that includes honoring the tradition of education by establishing a tribal college. Also on the land, along the shoreline of the Copper River, the Village will add a conservation easement to ensure in perpetuity that family and community fish wheels can continue to harvest salmon for the Ahtna people.

Donna Renard, member of the Tazlina village, remembers, “It wasn’t just fishing at fish camp, we learned our life lessons down there. That ground is where generations of my family walked, so everywhere I walk at fishcamp I’m walking in their footprints.”

How will the Village of Tazlina make this important purchase? With lots of help! We have identified sources of funding to help purchase these 462 acres, but we need to raise $250,000 to help leverage nearly $1,500,000. Please consider making a charitable contribution to support the Village. A gift of appreciated stock or other property can also be made.

Please visit our page at charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/tazlina-a-home-for-education-and-tradition to see the status of our campaign – we have made great progress!

Our story isn’t unique, but this opportunity is. We can be more self-reliant if we can develop a tribal college for interior Alaska. Native lands have been sold by deed for land grant colleges, for homesteaders, for boarding schools, and this is a chance for us to buy the land back, to preserve our culture.