We are the descendants of the Sugpiak, the Real People. Understanding our environment and events that have shaped our lives and created the culture of our ancestors is vital for our children's cultural survival. The history of our People and our place in the world is a part of who we are today. Ouzinkie Alutiiq must learn and pass on to younger generations our understanding of our natural world: the sky, land, water and the animals. As we meet the challenges of living in the 21st Century, we must continue to live in honor of those things we value:

• Our Elders

• Our heritage language

• Family and the kinship of our ancestors and living relatives

• Ties to our homeland

• A subsistence lifestyle, respectful of and sustained by the natural world

• Traditional arts, skills and ingenuity

• Faith and a spiritual life, from ancestral beliefs to the diverse faiths of today

• Sharing: we welcome everyone

• Sense of humor

• Learning by doing, observing and listening

• Stewardship of the animals, land, sky and waters

• Trust

• Our people: we are responsible for each other and ourselves

• Respect for self, others and our environment is inherent in all of these values