Kake Tribal Heritage Foundation

Our project aims to create sustainable job opportunities for Indigenous youth while fostering climate resilience in our community. By cultivating stewardship practices, we empower young leaders to manage local resources effectively, increase community engagement, and leverage traditional knowledge to address the climate crisis and protect our environment for future generations.

Program Opportunity Statement (Recommended 300 words or less) The Kake Tribal Heritage Foundation is dedicated to preserving and promoting Tlingit culture, with a strong focus on empowering the youth in our community. Through programs centered on Tlingit values and traditions, we aim to equip the next generation with the knowledge and skills needed to carry forward our cultural heritage. In a small community like Kake, with a population of around 550 and a limited number of high school students, our impact is significant. We have successfully engaged local youth through internships focused on Tlingit traditions, providing them with a unique opportunity to connect with their roots and learn what it truly means to be Tlingit. However, to sustain and expand these programs, marketing and fundraising are essential. They not only help secure the resources needed to continue our work but also empower our youth by teaching them vital skills in promoting and supporting their own cultural initiatives. These skills are crucial for the long-term preservation of Tlingit heritage, enabling our youth to become the next generation of leaders who will champion and protect our way of life. Through strategic marketing and fundraising efforts, we aim to raise awareness about our mission, attract broader community support, and secure the financial stability needed to continue our cultural programs. By investing in these areas, we ensure that the knowledge, values, and traditions of the Tlingit people are not only preserved but also actively taught and practiced by future generations, ensuring the ongoing vitality of our culture.

Kake Tribal Heritage Foundation staff will travel to the Alaska Native Values in Modern Governance Gathering to learn more about innovative approaches to board and Tribal trainings

This project will increase local climate risk governance and capacity in Kake, Alaska, through completing and sharing a climate risk assessment and continuing our hydroponics initiative to climate proof access to healthy food.

This project will increase local climate risk governance and capacity in Kake, Alaska, through creating a climate risk assessment and launching our hydroponics pilot initiative to climate proof access to healthy food.