The Ahtna People have a right to obtain traditional foods to continue the Ahtna way of life, our Ahtna culture, identity, and community well-being, as well as our food security and sovereignty. We have the knowledge and experience necessary to responsibly manage the resources that have sustained our people and culture for thousands of years through our indigenous knowledge systems, traditional ecological knowledge, and the resulting values and customs inherent to the Ahtna worldview:

Nek' eltaeni takes care of our homelands.

Our homelands take care of us.

We take care of each other.

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Our culture unites us.

Our lands sustain us.

Our people are prosperous.

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While the words management and stewardship are common terms used to describe relationships between humans and the natural world, the Ahtna people recognize that we are part of the natural world, placed in this region by a higher spiritual power - Nek'eltaeni.