Notes
Outline
Traditional Knowledge & Contaminants Project
Bringing Together Traditional- and Research-based Knowledge
Table of Contents
What this project is about
About this regional meeting
Review of your concerns
Tour of the database
Research-based knowledge
Research summary choices
Why “radionuclides”?
Alaska Natives have voiced their concerns about radionuclides:
Where did this study come from?
In response to Native concerns, the US Congress authorized funds to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Philosophy of project
The most important components of capacity to take effective action are ownership and trust.
We mean by ownership that tribes take responsibility for their own lives.
We mean by trust that tribes trust the world in which they live - the natural environment, the efficacy of their own actions, and the actions of others
Are we only interested in radionuclides?
We are interested in all sorts of changes in the natural environment.
Radionuclides may or may not have anything to do with these changes.
The goal of the project is
To help federally recognized tribes in Alaska to identify and address their concerns about radionuclides, other types of contamination, and about environmental change.
Practical outcomes
Show how traditional Native methods can help understand concerns and solutions
Provide grants to Alaska tribes to take action and devise their own solutions
Build a common agenda based on local- and research-based knowledge
Provide a web database to promote interaction and accumulation of knowledge.
We are working with federally recognized tribes in Alaska
EPA has a legal mandate to work with federally recognized tribes on a government to government basis
When we use the more common phrases,”Alaska Native communities” and “Alaska Natives”,
We refer to the 227 federally recognized tribes in Alaska.
Who is leading the project?
The Alaska Native Science Commission
The Institute of Social and Economic Research
The actions of federally recognized tribes.
We are using a holistic approach. Taking radionuclide concerns for example:
Local military sites
Nuclear testing
Medical experiments
Russian nuclear wastes
The usual approach to assessing contaminant risks is to start with possible sources and pathways
There is research on each source and pathway:
Researchers normally then assess risks based on their findings
Government agencies then normally issue advisories about what is safe to eat
Community responses may not be what is expected
We are using a community-based approach
We help communities to identify their own research priorities
Communities are best able to put testing results in context
Communities can decide what is best for themselves; research can help them
Project Tasks
Year 1 Regional Meetings
Arctic Science Conference
Arctic Science Conference
Year 2 Regional Meetings
Year 2 Synthesis Meeting
Community small grants program
Statewide Assessment Meeting
Sharing the experience
Database development
Project Tasks
The goals for Yr.2 workshops are:
Learn of your concerns
Introduce you to the Alaska Traditional Knowledge and Native Foods Database
Summarize research-based knowledge
Get your “take” on research-based knowledge.
Regional Meetings
Changes,
Possible Causes of Changes,
Ideas for Action
“Take” on Research
Who are the participants?
Members of federally recognized tribes who have depended on natural environments for time beyond memory,
Who are keen observers of natural environments,
And who hold the knowledge of elders that can help all of us to understand.
Participants
Participants
Agenda Day 1
Review your concerns about environmental change
Introduce summaries of science knowledge
Get your “take” on science knowledge relevance to your concerns
Agenda Day 2:
Introduction to the Traditional Knowledge and Native Foods Database
Summaries of research-based knowledge
Your “take” on these summaries
How were participants selected?
Regionally
Invitations to federally recognized tribal governments to nominate participants
Assemble groups of 20-25 men and women from different communities who are active hunters, gatherers, Native scientists, and elders.
How we are conducting the meetings
“A healthy village is a circle whose people are safe within its fold.  Love, understanding, kindness, culture, history, goals, truth - these make the circle strong and protect the village, the family, the individual.”   
         
Harold Napoleon
Basic rules of the Talking Circle
Respect for confidentiality
Respect for each person in the circle
Each person is given a chance to speak without interruption or comment
The Traditional Talking Circle
The traditional facilitator begins the circle with prayer, singing, or drumming; establishing rules; and setting the tone for the circle.
She or he may use a symbolic object (e.g., rock, feather, or prayer stick) in the circle.
Circle process
The circle generally begins with traditional introductions. The circle goes clockwise in respect for the cycle of life and mother earth.  Each person in the circle gets a chance to share if they choose to.
The circle may go around multiple times to give those who want to share more time to do so. There is normally a beginning, middle and a closure. The circle ends with a closing prayer.
A Traditional Talking Circle is used to:
Promote understanding, sharing and trust. This is key to participants feeling secure in sharing knowledge that is cultural or sacred and knowing that their information will be used in respected and appropriate ways.
An important part of the process is the sharing of food and gift-giving as is the usual community practice.
Recording what people say
To record the meeting, the scribes sit outside the circle and type the remarks of participants.
Each day the scribes return the comments to participants for review. General themes and actions are also reviewed by participants.
Consent forms are reviewed with all participants before asking for their signature.
Draft report documents in their entirety are also sent to all participants before the final report is prepared.
Native participants have shared many common concerns:
Cancers
Fish abnormalities
Local contaminated sites
Russian sources of contaminants
Plants changing in taste
Desire to test for contaminants
Influx of beaver
Caribou showing signs of poor health
Changes in weather, ice, lakes
Changes in diet, use of tobacco, medicines