Photos Contributed by AVCP Community Members – Quyana
This traditional “land management” plan encompasses more than 10,000 years of knowledge. Although we are faced with climate and environmental obstacles from the harsh weather and ever-changing terrain, our communities are resilient. We pass our knowledge of the land, our values, traditions, and skills onto the next generation.
Unlike urban communities that have easy and cost-effective access to interstate roads and transportation services, communities in rural Alaska face daily challenges (high costs of foods, equipment, and energy) that are not present in urban Alaska. As a result, our region has developed a combination cash and subsistence economy, but most residents rely primarily on subsistence activities to supply food for their families. Subsistence activities such as berry picking, hunting, and fishing, are key to sustaining the livelihood of our region.
“Hunger out here looks different than the Lower 48. The cost of food is so high that if you don’t catch a moose, that makes for a tough winter.”
