https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf en-us 2022-10-06 16:26:56 UTC 2022-12-10 18:02:04 UTC hello@padlet.com ffitzpa1 https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2329704580 Chefornak —> Yup'ik village
- rising seas
- thawing ground
- stronger storms (winds, waves, etc.)
relocation needed (schools, etc.)
- no support from federal agencies
environmental racism shown in the data
forced removal, again (just under the guise that US govt. isn't to blame)
cultural practices like whaling, subsistence fishing put at risk
“Our access to and use of the land is so tied up with identity … It’s who we are as a people.”

(article co-written by Diné/Navajo writer)]]> 2022-10-06 16:28:59 UTC https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2329704580 ffitzpa1 https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2357329934 2022-10-26 13:56:21 UTC https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2357329934 ffitzpa1 https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2357332817 2022-10-26 13:57:55 UTC https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2357332817 ffitzpa1 https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2357336865 2022-10-26 13:59:47 UTC https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2357336865 ffitzpa1 https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2357345358 2022-10-26 14:04:12 UTC https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2357345358 ffitzpa1 https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2357352964 blood sample from 130 adults on St. Lawrence Island (towns of Gambell and Savoonga):
avg PCB concentration of 4.6 ppb compared to 0.9-1.5 ppb in the avg American adult from the lower 48
- due to abandoned military sites obvi
- also, atmospheric travel of these chemicals from more southern regions of the planet (bioaccumulation)
—> fat soluable compounds, so accumulated in the blubber of many marine animals that Yup'ik traditionally hunt and eat (whales and walrus are some)
Northeast Cape (former military site) is one of the most contaminated areas
- is also an important seasonal hunting and camping site
PCB level 4.8 ppb in people who went to this camp, compared to 3.7 ppb in Savoonga residents who did not have camps at the NEC
military waste significantly adds to contamination, but atmospheric travelling of persistent chemicals was main factor

contamination in traditional foods:
(1) rendered oils (194 ppb in walrus oil, 421 ppb in ringed seal oil and 354 ppt in bowhead whale oil) and (2) blubber (34 ppb in walrus blubber, 116 ppb in bearded seal blubber, and 317 ppb in bowhead blubber)
- levels much lower in the actual meat of marine animals, and less still in land animals' meat
- so while these PCBs cause a ton of adverse health effects (cancer, thyroid disease, diabetes, etc.) this is also where omega-3 fatty acids (good fats) are, which are supposed to reverse these effects
- it's a give and a take, some people weigh the benefits more than the negatives (including traditional/cultural ties to these foods)

environmental racism!!!]]> 2022-10-26 14:08:04 UTC https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2357352964 ffitzpa1 https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2357360959 2022-10-26 14:12:18 UTC https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2357360959 ffitzpa1 https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2357367459 subsistence hunting of bowhead whales
SLI (St. Lawrence Island) Yup'ik people were some of those who engaged in this practice
cultural, ceremony, spiritual, subsistence, economic purposes
respect for the animals, choosing those who give themselves up to be killed for a sacrifice
husband and wife do this practice together —> the wife asks for and attracts whales (spiritual), the man kills them (physical)
after whaling, spiritual/ritual practices to express gratitude and regard
provide meat to people in need (elders, widows)
after 1848, "explorer" Thomas Roy entered Bering Strait, brought others in and decimated bowhead whale population
- economic, traditional cultural issues for the Yup'ik in this area in terms of the lacking population of whales
discovery of oil in Alaska —> US purchasing AK from Russia in 1867 —> ANSCA of 1971
- corporations
International Whaling Commision/IWC (1946)
- 1977, agreed to end exemption Alaskan Natives had to whaling rights
- ^ IWC had an issue with the "modern" whaling practices used, rather than small number of whales hunted
—> perpetuates idea of Indigenous people as in the past rather than contemporary peoples, undermines cultural authenticity

later… in 2018 IWC meeting, Alaskan Native rights to subsistence whaling were granted (with limits)]]> 2022-10-26 14:15:44 UTC https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2357367459 ffitzpa1 https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2357369568 written from perspective of Yup'ik elders
ancestral knowledge
Yup'ik/Yuuyaraq

writers from 2 Yup'ik communities
1 --> Alakanuk (Alarneq in Yup'ik)
- Ayunerak
- Al-strom
2 --> Village A (for tribal privacy reasons)
- Moses
- Charlie

observation that traditional life ways are changing, youth suffering as a result
emphasis on reintroducing and revitalizing Yup'ik language and culture
"...bridging historical cultural frames with contemporary contexts. It requires shifting the focus from reviving cultural activities to repairing and revitalizing the cultural systems that structure activity in the communities."

ancestral knowledge guides relationships, prevents harm within families, communities, individuals
"Ellam Yua" --> spirit of the universe
- he is everything, he is everywhere
- respect for everything He created; especially wood (used for boats, warmth, a bunch of other things)
- one would be sent to work on wood if they had a bad spirit
- acts of respect towards animals to thank them for providing food to the "real people"
--> e.g. holding the fish caught in a pan from the sea to the house lest they be dropped where things walk; giving water for seals to drink to quench their thirst once caught since they're water animals
"Yupiit" --> the real people of the land

subsistence requires reciprocal and respectful relationships between animals and humans
set of rules to show this regard so that food sources wouldn't deplete

Yup'ik dancing
Kivqiq --> giving and asking head of house
Ellriq -->
Agayuliyaraq --> asking for fish, animals, berries, etc.
^all done to ask favors from, and show gratitude towards, Ellam Yua
drum is a tool used in dance --> circular, depicts belief that life is a cycle
- center = womb in women // life returning back after death
"It is this renewal, continuous and carefully completed, that allows us to survive as a people."
all are a part of the community, even those who are no longer alive on this Earth

Qasgiq --> gathering where these things were shared, community comes together
Yuuyaraq -way of life
Alerquun - rules of life
Piciryaraq - truth of life
spiritual center of Yup'ik communities
family is the key to life

Yup'ik people used to not have one permanent settlement, but would move around on the land
shift of economy from being subsistence based to being more focused wage-labor
 - families once had to work together as a community in order to survive
traditional values also linked with subsistence way of life, teachings of how to respect animals, plants, the creator, etc. in hunting and taking other things from nature
in this generation, parents are conflicted on how to raise their children
- should they teach them traditional ways?
- it is difficult because society and "success" in this society is largely based on living in and engaging with the capitalist, Western system governed by the US
Missionaries in Yup'ik communities
- taught English, now with the Yup'ik language become endangered/extinct in some communities
- it is imperative to know the Yup'ik language in order to be able to fully understand the culture since they are so intertwined and not everything can be explained in English

"Contact and contemporary processes have led the modern Yup’ik peoples away from something that has been developed, tried, and proven over many centuries...suffering in our communities today is related to this movement away from our traditional core values"
Less respect/authority for elders in the community from young people
moving away from cultural/traditional practices = "indifference and distance from our traditional values, roles and responsibilities, practice of spirituality and respect for the nature...disrespect of the animals and the environment ...wasteful of life."
"traditional values associated with education in the qasgiq and in the homes have been overtaken with the Western social values taught in the schools"
- hierarchies of knowledge, selective teachings
reviving culture through language, values, acts associated with these values, knowledge of elders

pressure to assimilate to "modern" western society is resulting in the loss of traditional character of communitities
- people are less often raising children w help of extended fam
- less knowledge passed to children about ancestry of fam and people in general
- having youth realise the kinship between Yup'ik community is very important in making them feel like they belong, have a strong sense of community to live interdependently w/ (key part of human experience is craving community)

"key for the modern Yup’ik is to ensure that our children succeed in the Western school system while at the same time teaching them traditional cultural values that have stood the test of time"
Potlach —> event to recognize those in the community who have died
^done as a community, establishes a greater sense of unity]]> 2022-10-26 14:16:54 UTC https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2357369568 ffitzpa1 https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2372166955 2022-11-07 01:08:22 UTC https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2372166955 ffitzpa1 https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2372183972 observations (in Quinhagak, AK)
much less snow
- changing hibernation patterns of bears (affects whole food change, predation)
- fewer harvestable berries
high prices of fuel in rural AK —> better for the environment
Sockeye Salmon thriving
- good for economy, fishing industry
lower water levels
- ecosystem impacts]]> 2022-11-07 01:21:26 UTC https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2372183972 ffitzpa1 https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2372193813 Yup'ik people have dozens of words for different types of snow/ice
- some are becoming obsolete b/c of global warming
dependency on ice stretches for culture, identity, livelihoods
- now much is water, or weak ice
food insecurity ^ as a result
walrus hunting and compromised populations
lots of relocation needed
the US has very limited plans to deal with issues of climate change, no policies in place
issue between staying in place that is literally degrading bc of climate change/saving children/grandchildren or having to leave ancestral and spiritual homelands

(article from 2016, written by a white man)]]> 2022-11-07 01:28:57 UTC https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2372193813 ffitzpa1 https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2372195796 case study of Newtok:
Yup'ik people here move seasonally to hunt seals
the school built by the US govt. (BIA), other permanent infrastructure (power plant, water treatment plant) are unsuitable for semi-nomadic life 
"To be permanent and stationary requires a community to stand its ground against the will of nature"
- it used to be difficult, now, with climate change, it is impossible
requires negotiations with bureaucrats of the US govt. who are resistant to changing anything…
history of relations between Newtok and the US govt. in terms of land ownership, funding to build new town, etc.
“If we were living [their] lifestyle,” Bernice shouts, “we wouldn’t be living in this situation.”
Indigenous worldview—reciprocity, living according to the natural laws of nature

]]> 2022-11-07 01:30:24 UTC https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2372195796 ffitzpa1 https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2372197111 2022-11-07 01:31:23 UTC https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2372197111 ffitzpa1 https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2372199032 2022-11-07 01:32:59 UTC https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2372199032 ffitzpa1 https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2372200642 2022-11-07 01:34:00 UTC https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2372200642 ffitzpa1 https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2372202929 from St. Lawrence Island
acknowledgment to "the creator"
^lots of acknowledgments, to land, people, spiritual entities
ACAT —> alaska community action on toxics
- lots of community based outreach
Northeast Cape —> military base
- displacement of Alaskan Native people
- toxic chemicals —> new or rare illnesses; cancers, miscarriages, etc.
700 active/abandoned military sites in Alaska
- radioactive waste, etc.
- close proximity to homes, hunting/food gathering areas to Alaskan Natives
229 tribes
572 in nation
Alaska isn't "untouched"
artic —> hemispheric sink
one of most hihgly contaminated population bc disproportionate exposure to toxic chemicals
- goes on to children; chemicals in blood, breast milk, etc.
- exacerbated problems bc global warming
- arctic warming 3x faster than most of the world
melting ice, glaciers, permafrost —> release of chemicals, greenhouse gasses that had been sequestered
arctic ocean has the most microplastics of all oceans on Earth
pesticides/other chemicals applied in far regions of the world, through ocean and air currents, they reach the arctic in a very short time

St. Lawrence Island (Sivuqaq which means "rung out")
creation story: the creator reached his hand into the Bering Sea, picked up soil and rung out what is now the island
32 villages and 10-20k people prior to Western contact
since 500 bc (time immemorial)
about same size as Puerto Rico (3m ppl)
ties to Siberia
walrus used to make boats
respect for lands, water
taking only what they need, no waste

Indigenous knowledge is basis of ACAT's community based research
using acquired knowledge
- migration patterns of wildlife
- weather patterns, etc.
recognition of this form of knowledge as on par with Western scientific knowledge
funded by National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

"We are not just research subjects, we need to be involved in all research if it consists of any biomonitoring or  sampling on our lands or waters—we are our own experts." - Vi Waghiyi
PCBs in blood associated with cancers, miscarriages, etc.
Sivunga residents displaced
4.5-9x higher levels of PCBs in blood than avg. American in lower 48
- military sites
- global transport of chemicals —> global transport
2002
(22 min on video is good image for PCB levels comparison)

White Alice Sites —> prior to satellites used as early warning systems
on Sivuqaq
required power transformers
lubricant required for transformer
- used PCBs, pesticides, heavy metals, solvents
- abandoned hella barrels
signed an agreement in 1952 w/ military, but they never held up their side of agreement
- didn't uphold condition of water, land, air
- left chemicals open
northeast cape used to be abundant w/ fish, but the fish haven't returned since this intervention
food insecurity (seals, fish, walrus)

32:30 —> types of sampling done
health assessments aren't accurate and don't work well for small communities like this one (measured per 1k ppl)
still being discredited based on observations from indigenous people
don't use their data in results

90% of households only eat traditional foods, regardless is a large part of life
"our oceans are our farm"
PCBs build up in fat and blubber of animals, main food with healthy fats/brain food
- 102.83 ppb (parts per billion) of PCBs in Bowhead Whale meat
- 582.68 ppb in Polar Bear fat
- 161.02 ppb in Bearded Seal Skin
much lower for land-based animals
^^these are cultural foods, it's disrespectful to tell people to NOT eat these things
- some people feel the benefits outweigh the risks
(40:40 for this list)

Health concerns:
- cancers
- thyroid disease
- diabetes
- heart disease
- low birth weight babies
- miscarrigaes
- premature births
- (other reproductive issues)
- development/learning disabilities
2x more birth defects than lower 48
"it's not a matter of if we get cancer, it's a matter of when"
her grandmother had 12 children, only 4 survived
over 100 words for ice, many are now in disuse

multi-generational effects:
displacement bc of military camps, and then more bc of chemicals
diseases very prevalent in contemporary generations
community-based research institute
emphasis on organizing with youth, women, elders
- reproductive, human rights activism/work

Stockholm Convention —> only UN legally binding treaty to ban toxic chemicals globally
- emphasis on protection of elders, children, women

"the chemicals present in our bodies are passed onto our Indigenous children and harm their ability to learn our languages, songs, stories, and knowledge."
She is a member of the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council
(1:03:24 —> published papers from St. Lawrence Island community of Yup'ik peoples)]]> 2022-11-07 01:36:08 UTC https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2372202929 ffitzpa1 https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2372206301 2022-11-07 01:39:14 UTC https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2372206301 ffitzpa1 https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2372209000 language is fading due to contact
English is more prominent in work force, implemented into schools, media, etc. so youth don't have as much exposure to Yup'ik language
less emphasis on the importance
language tied with culture]]> 2022-11-07 01:41:28 UTC https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2372209000 ffitzpa1 https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2411020159 2022-12-06 17:23:31 UTC https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2411020159 ffitzpa1 https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2411033809 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) of 1971
- divided the state into 12 regions 
- based on common heritage and shared interests of the indigenous peoples within areas
1998 —> US govt. federally recognized 200 Alaskan Native tribes]]> 2022-12-06 17:33:53 UTC https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2411033809 ffitzpa1 https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2411035408 2022-12-06 17:35:07 UTC https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2411035408 ffitzpa1 https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2411036573 ANCSA
"divided the state into twelve distinct regions and mandated the creation of twelve private, for-profit Alaska Native regional corporations and over 200 private, for-profit Alaska Native village corporations"
fed govt. also compensated corporations $962.5 million
encouraged oil/gas extraction/exploration
Trans-Alaska pipeline system
economically beneficial but compromised so many traditional ways of life for different tribes

Alaska became a state in 1959
oil was discovered in AK in the 1960s
have to be 1/4 Alaska Native to be a shareholder (blood quantum)]]> 2022-12-06 17:35:57 UTC https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2411036573 ffitzpa1 https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2411037288 2022-12-06 17:36:34 UTC https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2411037288 ffitzpa1 https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2411237477 2022-12-06 20:11:20 UTC https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2411237477 ffitzpa1 https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2414955684 founded in 1971 with the ANCSA
private, for-profit corporations owned by Alaska Native shareholders

]]> 2022-12-08 23:25:18 UTC https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2414955684 ffitzpa1 https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2416098838 2022-12-09 22:43:11 UTC https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2416098838 ffitzpa1 https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2416099149 2022-12-09 22:44:12 UTC https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2416099149 ffitzpa1 https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2416153861 2 formerly used defense sites (FUDS) on St. Lawrence Island
near town of Gambell during and following WWII
Airforce site —> 1948-56
- abandonned
similar site constructed on Northeast Cape
White Alice Communication Site (NEC) —> operated 1957-72]]> 2022-12-10 01:46:29 UTC https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2416153861 ffitzpa1 https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2416468754 2022-12-10 18:02:04 UTC https://padlet.com/ffitzpa1/vnei54th2rtbcayf/wish/2416468754