United Tribes of Bristol Bay is a Tribal consortium working to protect the traditional Yup’ik, Dena’ina, and Alutiiq ways of life in Southwest Alaska that depend on the pristine Bristol Bay watershed and all it sustains, most notably Bristol Bay’s wild salmon. As a political division of our member Tribal governments, our work is primarily focused in three areas: Tribal consultation with government agencies on issues affecting our Native way of life; grassroots organizing in the local, statewide, and national arena; and youth empowerment and organizing in the Bristol Bay region.
Winter, 2024-2025: Learn about the Nuyakuk Falls Hydroelectric Proposal and comment by clicking here.
A Way of Life
Large-scale hard rock mining puts at risk a way of life that has sustained the Indigenous people of the region since time immemorial; a commercial fishery that has been going strong for more than 130 years; and habitat that gives birth to the world’s largest wild salmon run.
Bristol Bay’s Economic Engine
In addition to sustaining our people and cultures, our salmon fishery is the economic engine of the Bristol Bay region, generating an estimated $2.2 billion in revenue each year and supporting over 15,000 jobs.
10 Billion Tons of Toxic Waste
Mine waste disposal in the Bristol Bay watershed is a direct threat to the traditional Yup’ik, Dena’ina, and Alutiiq ways of life here. It also threatens a healthy and sustainable source of wild salmon that makes up 50% of the global sockeye supply.