Federally recognized alaskan tribe
The “headwaters people” have been stewards of the Upper Copper River lands for centuries. Mentasta Lake is connected to the Tok Cutoff from the Richardson Highway by a 6-mile spur road. The Slana River that drains into the Copper River and its tributaries are at the heart of the community’s homeland. These rivers are spawning grounds for salmon and whitefish, staples of the Ahtna people’s diet.
