Subsistence Lifestyle

Subsistence is a way of life difficult to quantify in terms of dollars and cents. Moose, bear and waterfowl hunting are very important activities. Local gardens, berry picking and Beluga River salmon dip net fishing provide healthy food for local residents. According to the Steve Braund and Associates study Tyonek utilizes 9 different forms of subsistence while Beluga utilizes 15. Tyonek has a very important set net Salmon fishery that starts in May and runs until Sept. Purchasing food in Anchorage and then paying for high freight rates makes the role of subsistence even more important. Individuals take great pride in harvesting and sharing local food sources with neighbors.