Council Of Athabascan Tribal Governments (CATG)

The Council of Athabascan Tribal Governments (the Council) is a tribal consortium located in the remote Yukon Flats of interior Alaska. The Council was founded in September 1985 to serve the Gwich’in and Koyukon peoples of the region utilizing the principals of tribal self-governance. Upon formation tribal leaders from across the Yukon Flats gathered to confront the challenges facing their people and recognized unity provided strength to foster healthy, sustainable villages and to develop responsive, effective tribal governments. The Council’s Board of Directors is comprised of 10 tribally elected Chiefs. Tribally elected Chief’s represent the needs as identified by their individually elected respective Tribal Councils to the organization. In addition, Traditional Elder Chiefs provide guidance to the organization. The Gwich’in and Koyukon Athabascans live a primarily traditional subsistence lifestyle to this day. The people were traditionally nomadic, following the seasons and the resources, which fed their families. The villages were originally settled in the late 1800’s - early 1900’s due to external resource extraction, trapping, trading, and schooling. In the contemporary setting, the seasons and the land still dictate activities and lifestyles. Traditional and customary use of resources provides the principal component of the regional economy, as well as the backbone of traditional culture.