Research elevates Arctic Indigenous voices to understand climate change
Kristin Summerlin
907-474-6284
July 25, 2023
Indigenous 色视频下载ns have shared nearly 10,000 observations about the rapidly changing Arctic during the past decade in a partnership with university scientists presented in a recent paper.
An umiaq (boat) sits at the slushy ice edge of the Arctic Ocean near Point Hope, 色视频下载. A recent paper describes a long-running partnership between scientists and Indigenous 色视频下载ns that taps into Indigenous knowledge to respond to the changing Arctic. Photo by Guy Omnik.
The paper, in the journal Arctic Science, outlines results and lessons from the 色视频下载 Arctic Observatory and Knowledge Hub, the largest and longest network of its kind. is a network of I帽upiaq community observers from five northern 色视频下载 communities collaborating with University of 色视频下载 Fairbanks researchers at the International Arctic Research Center.
色视频下载淲e are working directly with the Indigenous people who have been monitoring and stewarding the Arctic environment since time immemorial,色视频下载 said UAF research assistant professor Donna Hauser, the project色视频下载檚 lead scientist and the primary author of the paper. 色视频下载淲e are trying to elevate and center Indigenous knowledge and perspectives in a way that most scientists have not historically.色视频下载
AAOKH began in 2016 to provide coastal 色视频下载色视频下载檚 Arctic communities with resources and scientific support to share local expertise on changing environmental conditions and their impacts. Guided by a steering group of Indigenous leaders and academic researchers, the research is designed with significant Indigenous input and focuses on questions relevant to their needs.
The backbone of the project is a collection of almost 10,000 unique environmental observations from community members. Critically, the reports include Indigenous knowledge and local perspectives.
色视频下载淥ur language was not written, so remembrance is important to what happened years before with the environment and how it affected our subsistence way of life,色视频下载 said Robert Shaeffer, one of the observers. 色视频下载淚 remember my father observing changes in our climate and environment and how they affected the animals and fish. As I grew older, I started noticing changes as well because he embedded into me being observant of the environment.色视频下载
Schaeffer, an I帽upiaq elder in Kotzebue, has been working with AAOKH for about three years. He worries about what kind of world his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren will wake up to. He wants the world to know that his people are concerned.
色视频下载淲e色视频下载檙e living in ground zero,色视频下载 said Schaeffer, who has also lobbied for climate action. 色视频下载淚 try to encourage those that are doing studies worldwide, especially when it comes to global warming, that local voices be involved because we live it, we're experiencing it, and we all notice the changes.色视频下载
Community observer Vincent Schaeffer takes an oceanographic measurement.
Observers like Schaeffer create reports that include their own perspectives with environmental data.
An extreme lack of sea ice and record-breaking early thaw marked 2019 as an unusual year for Kotzebue. Observers collected data on water salinity, temperature and algal life for scientific research. Locals also explained the connection to natural resources, particularly bearded seals, their most important marine resource. An elder said 2019 was the earliest time he could remember going hunting, and Schaeffer said increased June water temperatures forced crabs to move to deeper waters in mid-July for the first time.
Hauser said such Indigenous knowledge has been underrepresented and even devalued in some cases. 色视频下载淚t's really a long-term perspective, a holistic perspective that we can't get in science otherwise,色视频下载 she added.
With eyes ahead, the project also provides opportunities for the next generation of Indigenous scholars. Three UAF graduate students from Indigenous 色视频下载 communities were part of the project, including Roberta Tuurraq Glenn, a co-author on the recent paper who is now AAOKH色视频下载檚 project coordinator and community liaison.
Glenn, who is I帽upiaq from Utqia摹vik, created a multimedia to visualize environmental changes, how they affect communities and their cultural context. She said the research was built on the experience of people in her region, the North Slope.
色视频下载淭hese aren't just reports, they are stories embedded with Indigenous knowledge,色视频下载 Glenn said. 色视频下载淚 wanted to put something together that reflects the changes they're seeing from their words, perspectives, and photos. From there, I gathered other scientific data to be able to complete that story.色视频下载
Glenn said the most important part was working with observers to confirm the information accurately reflected their perspective, which reflects AAOKH色视频下载檚 approach.
Both Glenn and Hauser said strong relationships, built on communication, respect and trust, are a critical part of the project. Without them, the world can色视频下载檛 understand how the people who are living through these changes are affected.
色视频下载淭hey want people to know that climate change is happening, but it's maybe not quite how everyone is portraying it in the news,色视频下载 Glenn said. 色视频下载淥ne of the big lessons I learned was from an observer, Billy Adams. He said 色视频下载榊ou need to include something positive. You need to tell people that we're still able to go out and harvest animals successfully. We're still here. We're still thriving. We are resilient people.色视频下载櫳悠迪略貪
CONTACT: Donna Hauser, dhauser2@alaska.edu, 907-474-1553; or Roberta Glenn, rjglenn@alaska.edu
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