By Ya Ne Dah Ah Students

& Patricia Wade

Paul Goodlataw

Paul Goodlataw taking care of the Land by torching dead

trees in the winter.

This kept the forest clean and prevented forest fires when

lightning struck.

Grandmother Annie Nicolai with Helen and Katie in Chickaloon ~ 1924

Great Grandparents Balasculia and Frank Nicolai with Aunt Olga Ya Ah Lay

Our Ancestors were wanderers, following the caribou herds, returning salmon, furbearing animals in the winter, berries in the fall, etc.

They had camps along the rivers and streams. Sometimes they stayed for only a few days, other times longer periods of time.

They believed Creator put humans on Earth to take care of the Land, animals and each other. We were taught to be thankful for

everything and not be greedy.

US government built railroad tracks and mined for coal in Chickaloon, polluting the water with sewage and waste. It killed all the salmon in

Chickaloon River. They also brought new diseases, religion, and alcohol.

There were several hundred of our Ahtna Ancestors when 1,000 newcomers showed up to build a townsite and mine for coal. By the time they were through polluting, and pulled out in 1922, there were less than 40 Ahtna Peoples left. Some of them had left, but most of them had died. Our People are scattered up and down the highway. We now have offices in Sutton and Moose Creek. Moose Creek is where our Tribal School is located and where Usibelli Coal Mining Company wants to mine for more coal.

Chickaloon became a ghost town after the mine was shut down. According to Katie Wade, many people lost their families, tribal identities,

cultural roles and responsibilities, and their relationship with the natural world. Her Grandparents were so grief stricken

they stopped passing down their oral traditions. We still feel this loss today.

Katie Wade, Mona Barr and Larry Wade driving through the beautiful forest to check for Salmon in Moose Creek.

The Salmon came home, and they were healthy and beautiful!

Beautiful, healthy salmon

Ya Ne Dah Ah Students dance during graduation ceremonies on the Sacred Land. We must protect this land. Our Ancestors believed humans were put

on Earth to take care of the Land.

Usibelli Coal Mining Company

Underground test mine; circa 1994; coal tested in local villages Western Arctic Coal Project, Arctic Slope Regional Corporation

Rayvn

Elders, teachers and students pick tsass in the early Spring to share with other Elders and Tribal Citizens. We get

strength and good health from the Sacred Land.

Moose provides subsistence foods to help us through the long winter months. The moose deserve to drink fresh, clean water from Moose Creek.

New laws were formed and game wardens regulated fishing and hunting. Non natives hunted and

reduced the populations of animals and the animals moved further away.

Waterfall created by coal mining 80+ years ago. The salmon couldn’t get back to their original spawning ground until the original channel was

reopened, thanks to our Environmental Department working with other governmental agencies several years ago.

We acknowledge that some of our family members worked in coal mines in the past, but now we know better.

We have a good understanding of how thoughtless resource extraction can impact the Land, a People, and a way of life.

Pollution dirties the water and results in sickly salmon.

Which salmon would you rather eat for dinner?

We still struggle to maintain a balance between environment and economic development. And that is why we are so opposed to more newcomers digging for coal by Moose Creek, so close to our Ya Ne Dah Ah Tribal School.

We love this Land, We love this Land This Land is Sacred, We love this Land

We love this Land, it’s from Creator’s hands

This Land is Sacred, We love this Land

We love this Land, Let’s protect this Land This Land is Sacred, We love this Land

We love this Land, We love this Land

This Land is Sacred, We love this Land

We Love this Land By Patricia Wade

Tsin’aen ~ This presentation was created through a project carried out by the

International Indian Treaty Council and the students of the Ya Ne Dah Ah Tribal School,

with support from the Western Mining Action Network and Indigenous

Environment Network Mini Grant Program. Special Tsin’aen to my niece, Angela Wade,

for sharing her research on this issue.