[MARMAM] Building equity with Indigenous Knowledge and science

[Raychelle Daniel]

Hello all, I wanted to open up a conversation (and eventually dialogue?) with 
this community about the equitable inclusion of Indigenous Knowledge in marine 
mammal biology.  With all of the calls towards equity and inclusion, we've only 
really touched on this through the discussion about unpaid positions and the 
structures (governance/society) that allow for this to happen but a more 
broader conversation about equity is needed.  I'm writing because I've had some 
conversations about Indigenous Peoples and organizations and their interactions 
with the marine mammal scientific community in several arctic management/policy 
venues.  I feel like there is a need to build more equity with Indigenous 
peoples in the Arctic, and specifically the recognition of the value of 
Indigenous Knowledge (IK).

In the Arctic, Indigenous Peoples (including where I'm from near the Bering 
Sea) have lived for millennia systematically accumulating holistic knowledge 
that connects across systems (eg, biological, chemical, physical, social, 
cultural) that has been passed from generation to generation, including to 
today, in modern times.  This knowledge goes beyond observations, and includes 
a wealth of information about how the system is connected and functions that 
includes marine mammals role therein.  In working towards building equity and 
better relationships between science and IK, I wanted to first hear about some 
of your experiences, stories and models (you can email me directly 
raychel...@hotmail.com) and maybe those of us interested can think about ways 
to advance these within this community.  I also wanted to share some good 
resources (published mostly over the past year) to build knowledge and breadth 
about this topic with recent academic publications and resources:

Racism at root of Indigenous Knowledge being ignored in academia says UBC 
professor:
https://www.aptnnews.ca/national-news/racism-at-root-of-indigenous-knowledge-being-ignored-in-academia-says-ubc-professor/

Towards reconciliation: 10 calls to Action
https://www.facetsjournal.com/doi/10.1139/facets-2020-0005

Ways of Knowing: A conversation of national and planetary significance
https://www.waysofknowingforum.ca/about

Decolonise science - time to end another imperial era
https://theconversation.com/decolonise-science-time-to-end-another-imperial-era-89189/?xid=PS_smithsonian

Inuit Circumpolar Council Alaska Inuit Food Sovereignty and Self-governance 
report
https://iccalaska.org/wp-icc/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/FSSG-Report_-LR.pdf

Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Policy book
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/indigenous-data-sovereignty-policy-maggie-walter-tahu-kukutai-stephanie-russo-carroll-desi-rodriguez-lonebear/e/10.4324/9780429273957

I am hoping that by sending this email message, I am opening up an opportunity 
to craft something (workshop, session, working group?) for the SMM conference 
coming up later this year.

Please reach out to me at:

Raychelle Aluaq Daniel
The Pew Charitable Trusts
p: 202.540.6411 | c: 202.695.9609 | e: rdan...@pewtrusts.org
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[MARMAM] IMCC 4 Focus Group: Understanding Alaskan Inuit food security and conservation through use

[Raychelle Daniel]

Hello all, 

I would like to invite those of you planning to attend the International Marine 
Conservation Congress in St. Johns, NL July 29-August 4 to participate in a 
focus group to be held prior to the conference.  Details on the workshop follow 
below.  If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Many thanks,
Raychelle Daniel

http://conbio.org/mini-sites/imcc-2016/program-events/focus-groups/#2



 

IMCC 2016
Pre-meeting Focus Group:  Understanding
Alaskan Inuit food security and conservation through use

 

Inuit homelands in Alaska for the Iñupaiq, St. Lawrence
Island Yupik, Central Yup’ik and Cup’ik peoples includes the Arctic Ocean
coastline from the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas southward to the Northern Bering
Sea coastline at the Yukon and Kuskokwim River delta.  The Alaskan Inuit 
understanding of food
security encompasses complex and interlinked cultural and environmental
systems.  These systems are comprised of
connections among the health of people, animals, and plants; the different
states of land, sea, and air; and the cultural fabric held together by
language, cultural expression, and social integrity. In Inuit systems it is
impossible to disentangle some of these relationships; when we discuss an Inuit
food security perspective, it is this interconnectivity and these relationships
that we refer to.

 

Conservation in Alaskan Inuit homelands often comes from the
perspective of conservation that benefits the environment first, and ultimately
the people that live there.  We propose
an alternate conservation paradigm that includes Inuit not only as a part of
the environment within the ecosystem; but also as part of the solution to
managing these Arctic ecosystems from within.  Inuit knowledge and management 
practices are
both a part of Alaskan Inuit food security, and would help move overall
management of Arctic systems to better include whole knowledge, and make
science matter.

 

Expected Outcomes:

 

In this workshop, representatives of the Inuit Circumpolar
Council-Alaska (ICC-AK) and The Pew Charitable Trusts U.S. Arctic Program,
members of the ICC-AK Food Security Project Advisory Committee will share the
main concepts of conservation through use and the importance of applying a food
security lens to management within the Arctic.  We will highlight the 
complexities that the
rapid changes associated with climate change occurring within the Arctic are
bringing, and how Inuit knowledge and experience may help address management
challenges.  Inuit have followed
traditional management practices, applying a food security lens, which has
sustained the people and the environment for time immemorial.

 

These practices demonstrate a strong value system focused on
conservation through use, based on an Inuit food security lens (ICC-AK).  
Practices are built on principles such as “do
not take more than what is needed.” These words impart multiple facets of
understanding that include people take only what they can process, store and
consume within their family or community.  They also include lessons that 
include stewardship
and sustainable practices; for example, always leaving enough for the continued
respect for the ecosystem that it is a part of.  During traditional bowhead 
whaling a
cease-fire is called once the number of whales that can be processed within a
given time is reached.  This example
demonstrates that the phrase “don’t take more than what is needed” is not based
on arbitrary numbers and is aligned with conservation, respect, and
socio-ecological beliefs.  This
management practice is used in the collection of all food sources and must
consider not only how many people are required and available for the processing
and storing of food but also the environmental conditions required for these
steps.

 

In sharing this information, concepts, and value system we
hope to open up a dialogue with the focus group participants.  The conversation 
will focus on bridging value
systems.  With the understanding that
culture is part of the Arctic ecosystem, we hope to identify areas where shared
conservation values may help advance Arctic ecosystem based management.

 

Following the workshop, we will draft a white paper, those
interested in participating should contact us.

 

Format and
Logistics

 

The workshop will have several short, informal presentations
to help build on our definitions presented in the abstract.  We would prefer an 
open room with a round
table style set-up that will allow for discussion.  It will be a facilitated 
discussion, and we
will prepare questions ahead of time.  We
would also like to share reading materials in advance of the workshop so that
participants are prepared and ready to participate. Details include:

·
ID: FG34: Friday, July 29 (Half-day focus group
in the morning) 

·
Time: 8:30-12:30

·
Pre-registration is required

·
Focus group fee: $36USD for non-students from
developed coun

[MARMAM] Post request

[Raychelle Daniel]

Greetings, I was interested in posting the below message to MARMAM.  Please 
don't hesitate to contact me with any questions!

Many thanks,
Raychelle Aluaq Daniel
The Pew Charitable Trusts
U.S. Arctic Program, Senior Associate
907.317.1750
rdan...@pewtrusts.org



===


Dear Colleague:

We support the protection of vital habitats in the U.S. Arctic Ocean's Chukchi 
and Beaufort seas off Alaska's north coast. We believe federal action is needed 
to ensure the resilience of this marine ecosystem and sustain the people who 
use its living resources to thrive.

We write today to invite you to join a letter from scientists asking this 
administration to remove the U.S. Chukchi and Beaufort seas from the upcoming 
2017-2022 Outer Continental Shelf Leasing Program, which will be finalized by 
the end of 2016. It also asks President Barack Obama to consult with indigenous 
communities and tribes, who have extensive traditional knowledge relevant to 
decision-making, and with Arctic scientists to use the best available 
information to identify and permanently withdraw additional important marine 
areas from oil and gas leasing.

Please join U.S. and international scientists in signing this open letter 
urging the administration to employ a precautionary, science-based approach to 
protecting the long-term resilience of the U.S. Arctic marine ecosystem.

You can read the full letter to the President and sign on by visiting this 
online 
form.
  Link: 
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1zp7N-JvptVEPr7rGgujLAwAib3QoLoojg65qGAbCKgs/viewform?edit_requested=true

Please also forward this email on to fellow scientists who may be interested as 
we will be collecting signatures throughout the weeks ahead.  Thank you for 
your time and consideration.

Best,

F. Stuart Chapin III, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor Emeritus
University of Alaska Fairbanks


Paul K. Dayton, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor emeritus
Scripps Institution of Oceanography


George L. Hunt Jr., Ph.D.
Research Professor
Aquatic & Fishery Sciences
University of Washington


Henry Huntington, Ph.D.
Director of Arctic Science
The Pew Charitable Trusts


The Honorable Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D.
Marine Ecology
Oregon State University
Administrator of NOAA (2009-2013)


Daniel Pauly, Ph.D.
Professor of Fisheries
University of British Columbia


Enric Sala, Ph.D.
Explorer-in-Residence
National Geographic Society


Stanley Senner, M.S.
Vice President for Bird Conservation -Pacific Flyway
Nation Audubon Society


Kathleen Stafford, Ph.D.
Principal Oceanographer
Applied Physics Laboratory
University of Washington





For questions about the online form or letter, please contact:

Ellie Humphries
Senior Associate | U.S. Arctic - Oceans
The Pew Charitable Trusts
1904 Third Avenue, Suite 305, Seattle, WA 98101
206.257.2535 | ehumphr...@pewtrusts.org
www.pewtrusts.org/usarctic



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