The Alaska Federation of Natives board members delivered a strong message to the federal government on subsistence rights.

AFN leaders unanimously passed a resolution on Oct. 24th, to seek immediate improvements they have fought for years. The vote comes a day after Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said the federal government system is broken when it comes to preserving and protecting Alaskan Native subsistence rights.

"It concerns us that there's a little voice in the back of us that is saying that one day you might lose your freedom to hunt," said Barrow resident, Roy Nagaek. Which is why board members unanimously passed the hotly debated resolution called "The Protection of Alaska Native subsistence activities and access to and takings of customary and traditional and cultural subsistence resources."

"We are fish eaters, we are coastal people," said Kenai resident, Mary Ann Mills. From the streams to the tundra, this resolution could impact the entire state.

"This resolution will include all Alaska Natives and I think that is a very important issue," said Ann Mills.

The resolution basically says the federal government should be doing what it promised to do all along, when Congress enacted Tile 5 of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980 to protect the traditional native way of life.

"We have been working on our subsistence before 1987 and we were one of the first communities that were prevented to subsistence

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because of the populations but yet it's our history for generations and generations," said Ann Mills.

The resolution provides for both long term and short term solutions like having more subsistence users on federally chartered or authorized groups than federal employees, instead of Federal Subsistence Board and backing laws that would give Alaska Native Corporations more subsistence rights.

"I am hoping what this resolution will do is unite all of our people and will provide the subsistence that our people have had for a millennium and I hope it will improve our health," said Ann Mills.

AFN leaders plan to present this resolution to the President Obama's Administration.

Some Alaska native leaders will actually get to meet with President Obama at the November 5th White House Tribal Leaders meeting.