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