sustainability, respect, and bounty-sharing

Land USE policies

Prior to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) of December 18, 1971, our Elders used the land as their survival base under the three basic directives: Keep the land clean; Don’t misuse the resources; Help one another. They lived off what the land and its waters provided them. They were independent and resourceful people. They took care of themselves through sharing and helping one another and they shared the land with neighbors without boundaries. 

Following ANCSA, Tununrmiut Rinit Corporation (TRC) was created and entrusted with the responsibility manage the land and its resources for shareholders. The Land Use Policies are simple rules to guide us on the use of our land and its resources, to create a sustainable economy to our village residents using our money, land, and its resources for becoming self-sufficient and self-resilient. 

These policies are implemented with the following guidelines in mind:

• Both subsistence and western economies are critical in supporting life in Tununak.

• The land and its resources must remain intact.

• To the greatest extent possible, subsistence resources must not be disturbed.

• Pollution must not be tolerated.

• Land will be used for a variety of purposes at the same time.

• Thinking must be long-term; and decisions made in the context of their effects on future generations.

• Application of the policies and these procedures must be practical.

The following documents outline the TRC Land Use Policies and the steps necessary for management and staff to carry-out these Policies.