Tammy Young is an enrolled citizen of the Sitka Tribe of Alaska, working in the Resource Protection Department as the Cultural Resource Coordinator. She has spent a lifetime learning from elders, families, and natural observations about the land that has sustained life for the Tlingit people. How the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian nations interact with the land around them is grounded in deep cultural understandings of the environment, derived from thousands of years of living here. The history of living with the land is detailed in the vibrant oral stories that are shared from generation to generation, along with the ways of being in relationship to the plants, animals, and medicines that are along our coasts and within our forests. Our knowledge emanates from the long-standing relationship and spiritual respect for all. As Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian people, we are taught to have respect for our food; for the animals and plants that constitute our food; and for the teachings of our Elders regarding the gathering, preparing, sharing, and eating of our food. Our respect for our food is evidenced in the beautiful totem poles that our Tlingit ancestors placed in streams to greet the salmon as they returned to their birth places; in our intricately carved feast dishes; in the stories we teach our young about the relationship between the Tlingit, the Haida, and the Tsimshian and the animals that are our sustainers of life; and in our songs and dance, as is evidenced when our beloved berries are brought in at a koo.éex’ (a memorial party).