About Aywaa
The roots of Aywaa began at the 2020 "Our Seas Are Rising" convening, where community leaders gathered to address the intersecting crises of climate change, cultural preservation, and economic transition.
Our Values
Alaska Venture Fund values inform how we approach our work, interact with our partners and grow as a team. Every decision is made with the following values in mind. It is our intention to share who we are and what we do from a place of respect, relationship and responsibility. We do this work on behalf of our ancestors, our families, and our communities.
Nangaghalleq
Nangaghalleq
A way of life and one’s culture. What shapes personality; behavior; or the way something is formed. As AVF, we recognize and respect that Indigenous peoples of Alaska have unique relationships to place and the environment and all who inhabit it. One’s nangaghalleq is the basis of cultural values. It provides the credence that Indigenous peoples are the first observers to the changes of our environment. It is also why we know that if our lands, waters, and environment are healthy, we will be, too.
Ellange
Ellange
To gain awareness (ella, “awareness,” plus -nge, “to acquire”). Ella is among the most important concepts in Yup’ik cosmology. It is also used to describe the weather, world, universe, air, or sense. To ellange is to recognize surroundings and remember experiences. It is much more than thinking and acquiring ideas and requires the use of all senses. When we gain awareness, we learn to control our senses that inform our attitude, behavior, and actions.
Neełghoyeneeheghaałeneek
Neełghoyeneeheghaałeneek
To take care of one another. To help each other and exercise reciprocity. This term is also closely associated with descriptions of taking care of oneself, a place, and to be mindful, watchful and alert of surroundings and interconnected relationships. We acknowledge that taking care of one another is critical to the mutual benefit and survival of all living beings, and how we care for one another today will impact future generations. When one exercises neełghoyeneeheghaałeneek, they activate equity and equilibrium with one another—including our nonhuman relatives—and with our relationship to our lands and environment. This value is about the mutual benefit that is activated from caring for one another rather than when we only care for ourselves and our own needs.
Yee gu.aa yáx x’wán
Yee gu.aa yáx x’wán
To be self-assured; self-confident; unafraid. We experience situations in life that present adversity and opportunity, whether it is out in the country, on rivers and lakes, or on the sea. In the midst of unexpected circumstances on the lands and waters—a turn in weather or complications with equipment—or when one finds themselves in a personal or professional challenge, we are encouraged not to become overwhelmed to the point of panic. We lean on our knowledge from experience and the trusted stories shared by others to help us become unstuck or to move out of a place of ambivalence. Yee gu.aa yáx x’wán should not be mistaken for arrogance, selfishness, or being boastful. Rather, it is to have the courage and strength to make a decision without fear of the outcome.