Perspectives from the Arctic
Orville H. Huntington
Commissioner, Alaska Native Science Commission Vice-Chair
Huslia, Alaska
Four directions within the circle
• Understanding how TNEK and Arctic scientific research can work together
• Managing Mother Earths few resources
• An example of using TNEK and managing the declining white-fronted goose population on the Koyukuk River
• Concerns of Native Alaskan Tribes
Understanding
• Traditional Native Ecological Knowledge
• What is it?• Is it an answer or a
question?• Is it useful?
• Arctic Research• Open book• Best we have• Can be better
Mother Earths Resources
• We have to use all the knowledge available to us, to make use of so few resources
• Respect for TNEK is a start
• Basic courtesy to the Tribal Governments
• Listen to the Native Elders as a guide for Arctic Research, and encourage their participation in studies and work
An example of using TNEK
• Native Elders from the Koyukuk River observed and studied the white-fronted goose decline in their area.
• These concerns were documented by the Koyukuk NWR staff
• Scientific studies reinforced these concerns• Many factors will have to be addressed to
reverse the decline
White-fronted & Canada Geese Interior & Northwest AK
Michael A. Spindler
Orville H. Huntington
Koyukuk/Nowitna National Wildlife Refuge Complex
Galena & Huslia, Alaska
Overview
• Population trend > white-fronts declining
• Patterns of subsistence & sport harvest
• Effect of harvest on goose population
• Results of village meetings
• Possible solutions
• Recent co-management successes
Oral History from Elders
• Informal interviews since mid-1980’s - banding• Formal- Raven’s Story program 1995-2001• Traditional Environmental Knowledge on audio
– Selected people aged 60-80’s
– People who grew up depending on subsistence and who still hunt and fish actively
Raven’s Story - KUAC, KIYU, KSKO, KZPA--Public Radio
University of Alaska Oral History Collection
FOR MORE INFO...
Steven Attla- April 1995
• Huslia, Alaska
• Koyukuk River
• 1930’s-present
John and Lorraine Honea• September 1995• Ruby, Alaska and Nowitna River 1920’s-1996
Sidney Huntington- April 1996
• Galena, Alaska
• Koyukuk River
• Lower Yukon
• 1920’s-present
Eddie Hildebrand- April 1998
• Nulato, Alaska
• Kaiyuh Flats
• Lower Yukon
• 1920’s-present
Common geese of Interior-N.W.Alaska
• Canada goose - “honker”
• White-fronted goose- – “Speckle belly, orange-foot”
W.F. nests in forest & tundra
DURANGO
MEXICO
ZACATECAS
TAMAULIPAS
Figure 6 Primary wintering areas of mid-continent populations ofGreater White-fronted Geese in Mexico.
Interior Alaska Western NWT
Central NWT Eastern NWT
North Slope
Nesting, wintering areas, migration routes and chronology, mid-continent white-fronted geese areas
migration routes, and wintering areas
Concerns of Alaskan Tribes
• ANSC has documented TNEK on possible contaminants in the Arctic
• Contaminants have an affect on their subsistence• ANSC has also found that climate change will
change subsistence use and quality of resources• ANSC has shown that the TNEK is a valuable tool
in understanding changes in the environment