Activists rally for subsistence rights

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The Association of Village Council Presidents Subsistence Rally in Bethel. April 22, 2013

About 40 people from the Bethel region took an hour or two out of their day Monday to join in a show of resistance to government action they view as unfair to Alaska Natives. The rally was organized in tandem with the growing Canadian-based "Idle No More" movements for indigenous rights and sovereignty.

Those who turned out for the event came with a diverse set of wrongs they'd like to see righted, with most focusing on access to hunting and fishing resources by Alaska Natives.

"We put a subsistence twist on it because of the subsistence issues we've been facing," said Tim Andrew, Director of Natural Resources for the Bethel-based Association of Village Council Presidents (AVCP).

AVCP has stood behind the nearly two dozen fishermen who are defendants in a Bethel court case charging them with breaking the law last summer when they went fishing during an emergency river closure -- a decision state fishery managers made to try and make sure enough chinook salmon made it to their spawning grounds to ensure the runs continue in coming years. It's a particularly timely issue, given that the region is awaiting a judge's decision this week about whether fishing for salmon by Native residents is a religious activity that merits government protection.

The group convened outside the Alaska Department of Fish and Game office in the city before walking a half-mile to the courthouse, accompanied by a drum beat and holding their signs for all to see, according Andrew, who pitched in by drumming during the rally.

The AVCP has called for better protection of villagers' rights to access food for their families.

The Kuskokwim River weaves through the region and is home to one of the world's last great wild salmon runs. While Kuskokwim king salmon runs have been poor for several years, the river experienced a particularly dismal return in 2012. River managers deemed it bad enough to curtail access to fishing by villagers. When the closures went on longer than initially planned, dozens of fishermen participated in a protest fishery, which law enforcement shut down by writing tickets and seizing nets.

"Feeding our families is not a crime" and "we want our salmon back" were some of the signs carried by protesters, statements that reflect the heart of the controversy over how fish are managed, who should have priority access to them and whether Alaska is upholding its duties.

Contact Jill Burke at jill(at)alaskadispatch.com