Nunaaqqit Savaqatigivlugich—working with communities: evolving collaborations around an Alaska Arctic observatory and knowledge hub

Indigenous Peoples across the Arctic have adapted to environmental change since time immemorial, yet recent climate change has imposed unprecedented and abrupt changes that affect the land and sea upon which communities rely. Co-created community-based observing programs offer an opportunity to harn...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Arctic Science
Main Authors: Donna D.W. Hauser, Roberta Tuurraq Glenn, Elizabeth D. Lindley, Kimberly Kivvaq Pikok, Krista Heeringa, Joshua Jones, Billy Adams, Joe Mello Leavitt, Guy Norman Omnik, Robert Schaeffer, Carla SimsKayotuk, Elena Bautista Sparrow, Alexandra M. Ravelo, Olivia Lee, Hajo Eicken
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
French
Published: Canadian Science Publishing 2023
Subjects:
Indigenous Knowledge
community-based observing
Arctic change
Chukchi Sea
Beaufort Sea
sea ice
Environmental sciences
GE1-350
Environmental engineering
TA170-171
Arctic
Chukchi
Climate change
Sea ice
Alaska
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2022-0044
https://doaj.org/article/7d27eb8a3ee54c9fb9f4530785cb983c
Description
Summary:Indigenous Peoples across the Arctic have adapted to environmental change since time immemorial, yet recent climate change has imposed unprecedented and abrupt changes that affect the land and sea upon which communities rely. Co-created community-based observing programs offer an opportunity to harness the holistic breadth of knowledge in communities with the goal of tracking Arctic change while simultaneously supporting community priorities and local-scale needs. The Alaska Arctic Observatory and Knowledge Hub (AAOKH) is a network of Iñupiaq observers from northern Alaska coastal communities working in partnership with academic researchers. Here, we describe five core functions that have emerged through AAOKH, which include tracking long-term environmental changes; communicating Indigenous-led observations of the environment and their meaning; place-based and culturally relevant education; enabling scientific and Indigenous Knowledge exchange; and supporting community-led responses to environmental change. We outline and discuss specific actions and opportunities that have been used to increase knowledge exchange of AAOKH observations, make space for the next generation of Indigenous scholars, and create locally relevant data products and syntheses that can inform resource management and community planning. We also discuss our ongoing efforts to increasingly shift toward a knowledge coproduction framework as we plan to sustain AAOKH into the future.

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