Our people, the Tlingit and Haida, have lived in what is now known as the Tongass National Forest in Southeast Alaska since time immemorial. Today our treasured forest faces one of its greatest and most immediate threats to date. As the end of the year approached, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) introduced two legislative budget riders aimed at allowing thousands of acres of old-growth forest in the Tongass (and the Chugach National Forest) to be clear-cut. As indigenous women whose ancestors are from this forest, we vigorously oppose these attacks on our public lands. In the coming days, we urge lawmakers to reject these riders, and instead maintain the existing protections for our ancient forest and its peoples. The U.S. Forest Service and the timber industry should have stopped destroying our ancient forest a long time ago.