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Tribal Stewardship Planning
AITRC is supporting the eight Ahtna Tribes in developing Tribal Stewardship Plans for lands across the Ahtna Territory.
These plans are being shaped by Tribal citizens through respectful interviews and participatory mapping that document places, practices, and priorities that matter most
Interested in helping shape land and resource management in Ahtna Territory?
Take the quick Interest Survey.
This survey is designed to gather general information about subsistence usage in the Ahtna Territory. We are working to complete a Tribal Stewardship Planning Project and want to gather as much information as we can. If you are interested, we would like to follow up with an in-person survey and map general locations with regards to large game, trapping, fish, birds, and plants.
What is Tribal Stewardship Planning?
The Tribal Stewardship Planning Project supports the eight federally recognized Ahtna Tribes—Cantwell, Mentasta, Cheesh’na, Gakona, Gulkana, Tazlina, Kluti-Kaah, and Chitina—in creating individualized stewardship plans grounded in Ahtna knowledge, values, and community priorities.
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These plans will include:
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Community narratives (written summaries in your words)
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Detailed maps that reflect Ahtna priorities for stewardship, protection, and future planning
Guided by Community Voices.
AITRC’s Stewardship Planning Coordinator is visiting each community to gather input from Tribal citizens on:
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Sacred places
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Harvest areas and customary use areas
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Sensitive habitats and sites to be protected
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Areas appropriate for future development
Community knowledge is shared through interviews and mapping and then thoughtfully compiled into draft plans that are brought back to each village for review.
​Why this matters?
These plans will empower Tribal governments to guide resource management, cultural preservation, and land use decisions within their respective territories. They will also serve as living documents that can be updated as new priorities emerge or as environmental conditions change. By centering Indigenous knowledge systems and place-based values, the project advances a holistic model of stewardship that integrates cultural continuity, ecological health, and community resilience.
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Ultimately, the Tribal Stewardship Planning Project creates the foundation for a unified yet locally grounded vision of stewardship across the Ahtna Traditional Territory, one
that honors the generations of Ahtna people who have cared for these lands and ensures that the knowledge guiding their protection, use, and renewal remains in Ahtna
hands.