The Ahtna people’s customary and traditional (C&T) way of life remains the cornerstone of everything that our Corporation does. For us, C&T doesn’t just refer to cultural activities like hunting, fishing, trapping and the like; it’s actually the successful continuation of a lifestyle that has existed for thousands of years – a lifestyle that is the foundation of our Corporation’s culture, values and vision.
Although the Ahtna Region is highway-accessible and fairly modernized, our people still practice a C&T lifestyle whenever possible. Our region’s abundance of fish and game and its proximity to major urban centers make it a popular location for hunting, fishing and other recreational activities, so maintaining our lifestyle can be challenging. As a result of this constant influx of outside parties, our people now have to compete more and more for the resources (game, fish and plant life) located on traditional Ahtna lands.
These resources and the cultural practices surrounding them play a significant role in maintaining our C&T way of life and, because of this, we are constantly seeking ways to continue or further that way of life through cultural education programs aimed at future generations of Ahtna; partnerships with local, state and federal agencies; consultation with our region’s tribes, villages and local organizations; and continuous dialogue with our most important constituents – our Elders and shareholders.
C&T News Bulletin
Updated November 1, 2019
If you are interested in applying for the community subsistence hunt under the Ahtna Tene Nene’ Group, go to www.hunt.alaska.gov and follow directions.
You may apply online from November 1, 2019 to December 16, 2019 – 5:00 p.m.
Before you apply online, contact Ms. Stickwan or Kathryn Martin at (907) 822-3476 to get group numbers for moose and caribou.
If you apply, you and your household will be locked in the Ahtna Tene Nene group for two years.
If you wish to receive an “Any Bull” locking tag, you will have to fill out a CSH Tier II questionnaire on the moose application. You and your household members will be scored points based upon answers given on customary and direct dependence on the game population for human consumption and mainstay of livelihood upon the game population.
Unit 13E Community Hunt Moose Bag Limit Changes by Emergency Order
AITRC Cooperative Management Agreement
The Ahtna Intertribal Resource Commission (AITRC), which was established by Ahtna, Inc., Chitina Native Corporation and the 8 federally recognized tribes of the Ahtna region, signed an agreement in 2016 with the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) Deputy to create a cooperative management demonstration project. The agreement will help maintain the Ahtna people’s customary and traditional hunting practices on Ahtna lands. AITRC is successfully building wildlife management capacity through collaboration and cooperative management programs with state and federal agencies.You can view the press release announcing the Cooperative Management Agreement signing here.
The two videos below detail the struggles of the Ahtna people to maintain their customary & traditional rights under the current system while also presenting a solution that will benefit all Alaskans.
Ahtna Voice of the Elders: A Perspective on the History of the Ahtna People’s Customary & Traditional Practices and the Need for Wildlife Co-Management:
Details of Ahtna’s Tribal Wildlife Co-Management Legislative Proposal: