My name is Adda Johnson, and my Yakutat Tlingit name is Kayéilk’i. In my culture, one of our main values is to respect nature. The Tlingit believe that every creature has a soul and all life is of equal value; plants, trees, birds, fish, animals and human beings are equally respected.
Native foods are a big part of our culture. With the waters warming, our Native foods are increasingly threatened. This includes the loss of whales, seals, otters and salmon. We will lose our culture because we will not be able to share our creation stories of these animals. We won’t be able to make traditional foods from the ocean. Our ability to make traditional art will be lost because our resources will be gone.
I’m 15 years old and I participated in the Youth Climate Strike because I want my future kids and my grandchildren to know their culture and how beautiful it is.
— Adda Johnson
Anchorage
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