The Story

For the Tlingit of Southeast Alaska, culture revolves around the land and its resources. The Tlingit believe that when they take care of the land and its inhabitants, the land in turn takes care of them. This concept is often summarized with the Tlingit phrase Haa Aaní, which means “Our Land”.

There also exists a cycle known as Xáat Kusteeyí (hut-koost-ee-yee), or "Salmon Way of Life" in English. The forests and waterways that shelter salmon runs provide an abundance for the Tlingit and Alaskan people, and are a resource to be respected. For the Tlingit people specifically, animals are viewed as members of the same social universe as the people beside them. These relationships to nature are reflected in art, dance, stories and crests. Xáat Kusteeyí, as an extension of Haa Aaní, focuses on utilizing salmon respectfully and sustainably. By protecting the salmon and its habitat, the salmon provide people with sustenance, community, and kinship in return.

The Haa Aaní Alliance