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.
For thousands of years these three groups thrived living a nomadic subsistence lifestyle. We are all born into, but not with, the culture of our people. This is learned from our parents, extended family, community, and the history around us, including the art and artifacts of past generations.
As the past is incorporated into the present and future, we know that some aspects of our customs and culture will change. As the world around us changes, so do we; but change does not have to dictate loss.
We continue to learn from our family and community, but we can also incorporate new and different approaches that will help us and our children maintain our language, know our heritage, and live our culture.
B R I S T O L B A Y
Our Homelands
Located in Southwest Alaska, the Bristol Bay region encompasses more than 27.5 million acres and 12 million acres of marine water.
There are 32 communities with a population of roughly 7,500, of which 3,918 are Bristol Bay Native Corporation shareholders.
The richness of the cultural heritage of Bristol Bay cannot be overstated. For generations, our ancestors lived on this land, connected by families and a deep knowledge of its lands, waters, plants and animals. This connection is described by the Alutiiq people as “Unguwacirpet – a subsistence lifestyle respectfully sustained by the natural world “our way of being alive.” These intergenerational connections led to an array of cultural practices including art and adornment, dance, language, medicine, spiritual and those of daily living.