Native Conservancy

OUR VISION IS TO CREATE RESILIENT FUTURES FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLES BY PRESERVING, REPATRIATING AND RESTORING ANCESTRAL HOMELANDS, TRADITIONAL FOOD SOURCES AND SUBSISTENCE PRACTICES TO REVITALIZE NATIVE CULTURE, HABITAT, HEALTH AND SPIRITUALITY.

HABITAT RESTORATION: THE KELP ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM IS A MITIGATION-BASED PROJECT THAT HELPS ESTORE THE OCEAN ECOSYSTEMS IN THE EXXON VALDEZ SPILL ZONE. THIS PROGRAM INTEGRATES LOCAL AND TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE WITH SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY TO REVITALIZE INJURED HABITAT THAT IS IN DESPERATE NEED OF RESTORATION. THE ORGANIZATION HAS CONSTRUCTED AND MAINTAINED A SUSTAINABLE SEED-LINE PRODUCTION HATCHERY, SEED DELIVERY SYSTEM, AND SEED TEST LINE THAT WILL SUPPLY LOCAL KELP FARMERS, FACILITATE OCEAN RESEARCH DATA, AND CREATE A REGENERATIVE ECONOMY FOR THE REGION.

NATIVE LAND CONSERVATION: EYAK CULTURAL MAPPING STARTED FROM A COMMUNITY VISION TO BRING THE TRADITIONAL EYAK NAMES, ASSOCIATED STORIES, HISTORIC KNOWLEDGE AND LANGUAGE CONNECTIONS BACK TO LIFE THROUGH COUNTER-MAPPING. COUNTER-MAPPING CHALLENGES WIDELY ACCEPTED COLONIAL PERSPECTIVES OF LAND AND WATERS. THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES RECOGNITION AND CULTIVATES DEEPER UNDERSTANDINGS OF THE EYAK HOMELANDS, THE VALUE OF NAMES, STORIES AND SACRED SITES. THE BERING RIVER COAL ACQUISITION IS A 23-YEAR CONSERVATION CAMPAIGN TO STOP ROADS AND PROTECT THREE-MILLION ACRES OF WILD SALMON HABITAT ON THE COPPER RIVER DELTA. THE BERING RIVER COALFIELDS ARE 73,000 ACRES OF PRISTINE WILDERNESS ALONG THE EASTERN PERIMETER OF THE COPPER RIVER DELTA'S ALLUVIAL FAN THAT IS A CORRIDOR FOR CONTINUOUS WILDLIFE. THE WATERSHED IS FULLY INTACT AND SUPPORTS THE RETURNS OF THOUSANDS OF SPAWNING COHO AND SOCKEYE SALMON EACH YEAR. THE GOAL IS TO PROTECT AND SECURE THE COAL TITLE FOR THE REMAINING 11,000 ACRES OF THE BERING RIVER COALFIELDS.

FOOD SOVEREIGNTY: IN RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC THAT THREATENED FOOD SOVEREIGNTY IN THE REGION, LOCAL ELDERS WERE SURVEYED AND RESULTED IN THE NEED AND DESIRE FOR TRADITIONAL FOODS THAT WERE FAR-REACHING. THE ELDER'S ABILITY TO ACCESS WILD FOODS WAS LIMITED EVEN PRIOR TO COVID. THE GOAL IS NURTURE AND GROW THIS PROGRAM FOR LONGEVITY. LOCAL HARVESTED FOOD IS DONATED TO APPROXIMATELY 100 LOCAL NATIVE ELDERS.

OTHER PROGRAM ACTIVITIES INCLUDE CONFERENCES AND COMMUNICATIONS: THIS ACCOUNTS FOR DONOR AND GRANT OUTREACH AND MARKETING TO HELP SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION.