"For generations, Alaska Natives have hunted, fished, thrived and survived on the land surrounding Bristol Bay. As I look forward to passing on this way of life to my children and grandchildren, I find myself fighting for the future of my culture.

The Bureau of Land Management has released a management plan for nearly 1.5 million acres of key watershed for Bristol Bay that recommends opening every acre to mineral development. This development could effectively wipe out the world's largest sockeye salmon fishery, which not only feeds my people but also contributes $200 million annually to the state economy. In addition, the caribou and other wildlife that my culture was built on will no longer have the vast land they need to feed and survive.

Nunamta Aulukestai (Caretakers of Our Land), an association of eight Bristol Bay Native Corporations, joined together for the first time and vowed to work to protect our land in the Bristol Bay watershed. In December 2007, when the BLM first opened the protest period on their final plan, we reached out to work cooperatively and create a balanced approach for the future of this land."

Get the Story:
Bobby Andrew: BLM management plan endangers Bristol Bay Native culture (The Anchorage Daily News 12/9)