A B O U T U S
Who We Serve
Learn about the people of Bristol Bay.
The People of Bristol Bay.
Bristol Bay is home to three indigenous groups, the Alutiiq/Sugpiaq, Dena’ina, and Yup’ik.
Bristol Bay is home to three Indigenous groups: the Alutiiq/Sugpiaq, Dena’ina, and Yup’ik. For thousands of years, these groups thrived through a nomadic subsistence lifestyle. While we are born into our culture, it is through our parents, extended family, community, and the history around us that we truly learn and embrace it. This includes the art and artifacts of our ancestors.
As we weave the past into the present and future, we recognize that some aspects of our customs and culture will evolve. The changing world around us brings about change within us; however, change does not have to mean loss.
We continue to learn from our family and community, but we can also embrace new and diverse approaches that help us and our children maintain our language, understand our heritage, and live our culture.
Our Homelands.
Located in Southwest Alaska, the Bristol Bay region encompasses over 27.5 million acres of land and 12 million acres of marine water.
Our homelands are not just defined by their vastness but by the depth of connection our people have to these lands and waters. The 32 communities here, with a population of roughly 7,500, including 3,918 Bristol Bay Native Corporation shareholders, embody a rich cultural heritage that has been nurtured for generations.
Our people, like their ancestors thrive in this region, their lives intricately woven with the land, waters, plants, and animals around them. The Alutiiq people describe this profound relationship as “Unguwacirpet” – a subsistence lifestyle respectfully sustained by the natural world, our way of being alive. This way of life, passed down through generations, has given rise to diverse cultural practices, including art and adornment, dance, language, medicine, spirituality, and the customs of daily living.
Our homelands are more than a physical space; they are a testament to our enduring connection to the natural world and the wisdom of our ancestors. This connection guides us as we continue to honor and preserve our cultural heritage for future generations.