Mike Williams: Respect subsistence rights for Alaska Natives

Wednesday, September 12, 2012  

"I would like to have an ongoing conversation about what is occurring to our communities and individuals that are practicing the time honored rights to our subsistence resources.

It has come to a point where our lives in the villages are being challenged by the regulations by the State and Federal Governments without efforts to have meaningful consultations with our Tribal Governments in Alaska.

As we all know, we have managed the resources for thousands of years and we have done an exceptional job in protecting our way of life by providing needed resources to feed our families.

In recent times, our fisherman on the Kuskokwim River have been cited for fishing to provide for the families and are being treated as criminals in the State Courts. Our communities must be engaged in managing the resources because of the Traditional Knowledge that many elders offer. We have followed the Traditional laws from time immemorial, and it has worked."

Get the Story:
Mike Williams: Restoration of our Hunting, Fishing and Gathering Rights (The Delta Discovery 9/12)