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Indigenous Peoples Specialty Group
2007 Annual Meeting, Association
of American Geographers
April 17-21 2007, San Francisco, CA
3236 Vulnerabilities
and Adaptive Strategies in the Far North
Thursday, 4/19/07, from 10:00 AM - 11:40 AM
Sponsorship(s):
Cryosphere Specialty Group
Human Dimensions of Global Change Specialty Group
Indigenous Peoples Specialty Group
Organizer & Chair:
Sarah F. Trainor - University of Alaska - Fairbanks
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Abstract Title:
Variability, change, and continuity: insights from Cree cultural
ecology
Author(s):
Claude Peloquin* - Natural Resources Institute, University of Manitoba
Fikret Berkes - Natural Resources Institute, University of Manitoba
Abstract:
This study explores the interplay between variability, change, and
continuity in a subsistence hunt in northern Canada, focusing on the
Canada goose (Branta canadensis) hunt of the Cree people of Wemindji
in James Bay, Quebec. The work contributes to the understanding of
social-ecological processes in sub-arctic environments that are undergoing
biophysical as well as social-cultural changeat multiple scales. We
interviewed Cree hunters, and accompanied them to their hunting territories,
learning about Cree ecological knowledge and environmental management
practices. These inquiries focused on how Cree hunters read and adapt
to the environmental variability characteristic of sub-arctic ecosystems.
Small-scale ecological variability and unpredictability, such as weather,
goose population dynamics and migration patterns, are mediated by
local management strategies in which goose-hunting areas may shift
in space and time. These strategies traditionally involve rotation
of hunting sites, minimizing of some disturbance, and minor physical
modifications (bush clearing etc.) to the landscape. Whereas these
strategies are still practiced, fine-tuning local arrangements to
local environmental conditions, they are (to some extent) overwhelmed
by changes occurring at larger scales. Some of these external drivers
are related to climate change and anthropogenic disturbances, others
are related to social-cultural changes that influence resource-use
patterns. We analyze some key ecological variables of this system
and discuss how they interact, providing a preliminary model of how
change occurs in a dynamic but resilient setting. The study explores
linkages between drivers at different levels, linkages in social and
ecological processes, and the nature of continuity in a changing world.
Keywords:
James Bay Cree, Canada Goose, waterfowl, subsistence harvest, social-ecological
resilience, change |
| Abstract Title:
Responding to environmental change: Assessing vulnerability and
adaptive capacity through northern research partnerships
Author(s):
Sonia Wesche, PhD (ABD)* - Wilfrid Laurier University
Derek Armitage, PhD - Wilfrid Laurier University
Abstract:
Based on ongoing interdisciplinary research in Fort Resolution, NWT,
this paper examines the human dimensions of social-ecological change,
vulnerability and adaptive capacity. Residents are experiencing a
range of climatic and hydrological changes, and concurrent socio-cultural
shifts towards modernization and Treaty implementation. Using a series
of qualitative methods including Traditional Knowledge interviews,
focus groups, a household survey, scenario-building, and field visits,
we seek to better understand the effects of change on local livelihoods,
and to determine where capacity-building efforts may be focused to
encourage proactive responses. We also draw attention to the relationship
among adaptive capacity and the features of social organization that
facilitate collaboration for mutual benefit, such as networks, norms
and social trust (i.e., social capital). Results show that relationships
among past environmental change, livelihood impacts, and human adaptations
are both cumulative and non-linear. Past adaptations have generally
been reactive and undertaken on an individual basis; however increasing
rates of change may require community-level response. While survey
data indicates that contemporary socio-cultural change has disrupted
traditional social bonds, a form of latent cohesion based on kinship
ties and shared history may offer a vehicle to facilitate collective
action. Important foci for capacity-building include local institutional
development, improving community-level education, and increasing access
to financial and technical resources. This research offers a potentially
useful approach that can be adapted to other communities in the North
(and elsewhere) confronting complex issues of environmental and socio-economic
change.
Keywords:
environmental change, vulnerability, adaptive capacity, resilience,
resource management, traditional knowledge, north-Canada
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| Abstract Title:
Mapping Social-Ecological Vulnerability: Ecosystem Services, Human
Use and Disturbance
Author(s):
Colin M Beier, PhD Candidate* - University of Alaska Fairbanks
Trista Patterson, PhD - USDA PNW Forestry Sciences Lab, Juneau AK
Abstract:
This article presents a conceptual model of social-ecological dynamics
that addresses the feedbacks of anthropogenic disturbance on the flow
of ecological goods and services from ecosystems to society. We applied
this model in developing an analytical GIS framework to identify areas
of emergent vulnerability at a landscape scale. Because the nexus
of human use, disturbance, and productivity can indicate more intense
couplings between human and ecological systems, we suggest that spatial
identification of where these features coincide may also be areas
where unintended or unforeseen consequences of human activity are
more likely. Since social-ecological processes are different in every
region, our approach emphasizes the use of place-based and locally
relevant indicators of these factors. In the coastal rainforests of
southeastern Alaska, there is concern about the legacy of commercial
logging on fish and wildlife species of local subsistence and commercial
importance. Some of these impacts have been observed in the short-term
while many of the ecological feedbacks involve slower variables related
to forest regeneration. Our approach spatially couples social and
ecological variables to determine where high ecological provision,
high human use and high human disturbance coincide on the SE Alaska
landscape. We describe some of the systems dynamics linking these
three factors and provide examples of how time lags and feedbacks
among them heighten the possibility of sub-optimal decision-making.
We argue that these areas represent loci of vulnerability in the social-ecological
system, given the dependence of local residents on fish and wildlife
resources for subsistence and commercial uses.
Keywords:
Alaska, Tongass National Forest, natural capital, subsistence, logging,
GIS |
| Abstract Title:
Cultural geographies of sea ice use around Baffin Island, Nunavut
Author(s):
Gita J. Laidler* - University of Toronto
Abstract:
Sea ice, covering Canada's northern oceans for six to eight months
of each year, has figured prominently in natural science investigations.
This ocean ice cover also plays an integral role in the daily life
of Inuit communities. However, there is a general lack of interaction
between scientists and Inuit to learn from each other about this dynamic
and influential component of the marine environment. My doctoral research
aimed to learn about Inuit relationships with, and expertise on, the
sea ice environment by working collaboratively with three communities
around Baffin Island (i.e. Pangnirtung, Cape Dorset, and Igloolik,
Nunavut). Four (4) field research trips were undertaken in various
stages of sea ice freezing and decay, between 2004 and 2005. Various
participatory methods were incorporated, such as semi-directed interviews
(including participatory mapping) (84), focus groups (4), and experiential
sea ice trips (14). This presentation will outline a subset of the
overall findings, with specific emphasis on the uses of sea ice around
these Inuit communities. Therefore, cultural geographies of sea ice
will be discussed within a regionally comparative context, regarding:
i) dangers associated with sea ice travel; ii) means of evaluating
ice safety; and, iii) sea ice conditions employed for marine mammal
hunting. Improving our understanding of local sea ice use can aid
in evaluating the potential implications of sea ice change within
a northern community context. It also highlights several key areas
of interest that may provide a common focus for both scientists and
community members to begin working together more effectively.
Keywords:
sea ice, Inuit knowledge, Nunavut, hunting, travel |
| Abstract Title:
Global Climate Change & Implications for Native American Communities
of the Southwest
Author(s):
Casey Thornbrugh, MA, PhD student - University of Arizona
Abstract:
Arctic Indigenous communities are experiencing impacts of climate
change on cultural resources and traditional subsistence economies.
Research projects in Arctic communities using applied traditional
ecological knowledge (TEK), and quantitative methods have placed Arctic
communities in the forefront in developing culturally relevant mitigation
strategies. Scant research exists on the current and anticipated effects
of climate change in American Indian/First Nation communities over
the U.S. lower 48 states and southern Canada. A meta-analysis was
done to examine the current and anticipated impacts of 21st Century
climate change in American Indian communities focusing on the Arctic,
the U.S. Southwest, northern Great Plains, and the Atlantic Eastern
Seaboard. Peer reviewed articles, American Indian media sources, interviews,
international agreements, and legal documents were used to assess
the current and anticipated impacts of climate change, the mitigation
strategies to climate change, and the development of renewable energy
sources across Indian Country. In the Southwest and northern Great
Plains severe droughts affecting agriculture, water availability,
and cultural resources have initiated the development of drought response
plans and the development of wind and solar energy in communities.
On the Atlantic Eastern Seaboard development, urbanization, and pollution
have, historically been the highest stressors on cultural resources.
However, anticipated increases in sea level and concern for existing
culturally important plant and animal species have generated interest
in developing climate change mitigation. Disseminating information
on climate change projections, applying traditional ecological knowledge,
and planning for climate change will be essential actions to ensure
cultural resources for future generations across Indian Country.
Keywords:
Climate change, Indigenous peoples, American Indian, Indian Country
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