Technical Report
North Slope Borough Subsistence Harvest Documentation Project: Qaaktuġvik, “Kaktovik” Subsistence Harvest Report (2007-2012)
Barter Island, May 9, 1948 (Qiñiqtuagaksrat Utuqqanaat Iñuuniaġniaŋisiqun, 1980)
Prepared By Qaiyaan Harcharek, Carla Sims Kayotuk, J. Craig George, and Mike Pederson
Department of Wildlife Management North Slope Borough P.O. Box 69 Barrow, AK 99723
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CONTENTS
DEDECATION TO ANDREW AKOOTCHOOK...... iv Rusty Heurlin’s Tribute…………………………………………………………………...v KISISAT “List of Tables”………………………………………………………………………vii QIÑIĠAAT “List of Photographs”……………………………………………………………....ix QUYANAAGUTIT “Acknowledgments”……………………………………………………….xi AULLAĠIISAAĠUN “Introduction”……………………………………………………………1 SIVUNIKSRAT “Objectives”……………………………………………………………………5
ANNIQSUUTILLU ATUĠNIŊIĻĻU SUNAKKIÑIAĠNIKUN KATIQSRAT “Benefits & Uses of Subsistence Harvest Data”………………………………………………………………..5
SAVAAKUN “Methods”…………………………………………………………………………6 Survey Methods…………………………………………………………………………...6 Statistical Methods………………………………………………………………………...7 Conversion Factors………………………………………………………………………..8 Iñupiaq Language………………………………………………………………………….9 Problems with Identification of Species…………………………………………………..9
NALUNAIQSAT “Results”…………...………………………………………….……………..12 TAĠIUĠMIUTAT “Marine Mammals”………………………………………...……...12 NUNAMIUTAT “Terrestrial Mammals”…...…………………………………………..13 IQALUIT “Fish Resources”…………………………………..………………………...15 QAUGIAT “Bird Resources”……...……………………………………………………16 NAURIAT “Plant Resource” …………………………………………………………...18
2007 Qaaktuġvik, “Kaktovik” Subsistence Harvest………………………………………….19 2008 Qaaktuġvik, “Kaktovik” Subsistence Harvest……………………………………….…21 2009 Qaaktuġvik, “Kaktovik” Subsistence Harvest………………………………………….24 2010 Qaaktuġvik, “Kaktovik” Subsistence Harvest………………………………………….26 2011 Qaaktuġvik, “Kaktovik” Subsistence Harvest………………………………………….28 2012 Qaaktuġvik, “Kaktovik” Subsistence Harvest………………………………………….29
UQAVAAĠNIQ “Discussion”………………………………………………………………….31 TAĠIUĠMIUTAT “Marine Mammals”………………………………………...……...31 NUNAMIUTAT “Terrestrial Mammals”…...…………………………………………..32 IQALUIT “Fish Resources”…………………………………..………………………...34 QAUGIAT “Bird Resources”……...……………………………………………………36
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NAURIAT “Plant Resource” …………………………………………………………...37
QAAKTUĠVIK HARVEST Timing……………………………..…………………………...39
ISUA “Conclusion”……………………………………………………………………………...41
ALLAT AGLAAŊIT “LITERATURE CITED”...... 42
APPENDIX 1...... 44 APPENDIX 2………………………………………………………………………………...45-46 APPENDIX 3………………………………………………………………………………...... 47
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To the memory of Andrew Akootchook Abt.1891 – Jan. 1951
(Qiñiqtuagaksrat Utuqqanaat Iñuuniaġniaŋisiqun, 1980)
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Rusty Heurlin, Lieutenant of the Alaska Territorial Guard wrote a tribute to Andrew Akootchook following his death (Heurlin circa 1950):
Andrew Akootchook is gone ...Big Andrew, the Eskimo lay-minister of windy Barter Island. Warm tears have fallen in the silent igloos. The entire Arctic Slope mourns his sudden and tragic departure. He was a good man -- honest, thoughtful and sincere, humble and sacrificing. Andrew's strong, sun-darkened features, patterned against the Arctic white, showed the strength of generations before him -- the hardiest of all primitives. Stolid in appearance yet gentle within, he lived by the Golden Rule. "Our people were always good people," he said, "but we are thankful for the great wisdom and goodness of others." Then out came the worn Bible he cherished -- tucked snugly beneath his left arm. He leaned slightly forward when standing. Nature had caused this from facing a lifetime of stiff Arctic winds. During the span of his sixty odd years he had crawled out of his semi-primitive darkness to see the light of a new era for his people. He learned to read and write the English language; how to build boats, better sledges and homes with high doorways. He tutored his children; taught them to honor and obey the Ten Commandments. Seriously he delved into his religion to hold Bible classes for the islanders every night. He leaned ever forward -- toward his great desire -- that of being ordained. It was to have taken place on Easter. Andrew had seen much happiness in his life, then came the evil day ... and troublesome happenings beset him with deep worry over the future existence of his people. "It was the only trouble we have ever had in our long living at Barter Island," said he while here but a few days ago. Strict game laws had been imposed upon him and his people. "Our aboriginal rights have been taken away from us," he sighed. "But maybe someday the warden will see things our way for hunger knows no law in the Arctic." Andrew faced all issues confronting his people. His clear thinking and fair judgment was law east of Barrow. Strongly fortified in his beliefs he lived as he preached, never seeking to escape any duty or sacrifice before him. With keen vision he saw the many needs of the Eskimos -- schools, good teachers and better, all around facilities for living. "We do not want to be looked down on. We want to be respected. We are honest people that want to go ahead. Our children must know more than we know when they get to be our age. That is progress." From Barter to Barrow, from Wainwright to Point Hope -- all knew Andrew Akootchook. As the winds moan over the white immensity of his domain, his broken trail will not be obliterated. It is there for someone else to follow --clearly blazed with a Cross.
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Kisisat “LIST OF TABLES & FIGURES”
Table 1. Start and end dates of all recall surveys conducted in Kaktovik covering the period between January 1, 2007 and Dec 31, 2012…………………..……………………………...... 7 Figure 1. Percent harvest by month for all years of the study (2007-2012) by resource category……..……………………………………………………………………………………40
Table 2. Total number of households in Kaktovik and total number of households surveyed for each recall survey…………………………………………………………………………………7
Table 3. List of some common misidentifications of species included in report from the Bacon et al. (2011) report, plus added modifications……………………………………………………...10
Table 4. Provides the Iñupiat names, common names, and scientific names………………...13-14
Table 5. Provides the Iñupiat names, common names, and scientific names……………………15
Table 6. Provides the Iñupiat names, common names, and scientific names……………………16
Table 7. Provides the Iñupiat names, common names, and scientific names……………………17
Table 8. Iñupiat, common, and scientific names for plant species harvested at Kaktovik………18
Table 9. Reported harvest, estimated total harvest, estimated total harvest converted to lbs, and associated standard error (SE) for Kaktovik, Alaska, January 2007-December 2007 survey…...19 Table 10. Percentage of estimated total harvest by month for Kaktovik, Alaska, January 2007- December 2007…………………………………..…………………………………………...... 20 Table 11. Reported harvest, estimated total harvest, estimated total harvest converted to lbs, and associated standard error (SE) for Kaktovik, Alaska, January 2008-December 2008 survey…...21
Table 12. Percentage of estimated total harvest by month for Kaktovik, Alaska, January 2008- December 2008………………..……………………..…………………………………………..22 Table 13. Reported harvest, estimated total harvest, estimated total harvest converted to lbs, and associated standard error (SE) for Kaktovik, Alaska, January 2009-December 2009 survey…...24 Table 14. Percentage of estimated total harvest by month for Kaktovik, Alaska, January 2009- December 2009………………………………………..……………………………...………….25 Table 15. Reported harvest, estimated total harvest, estimated total harvest converted to lbs, and associated standard error (SE) for Kaktovik, Alaska, January 2010-December 2010 survey…...26
Table 16. Percentage of estimated total harvest by month for Kaktovik, Alaska, January 2010- December 2010…………………………………………………………………………...... 27
Table 17. Reported harvest, estimated total harvest, estimated total harvest converted to lbs, and associated standard error (SE) for Kaktovik, Alaska, May 2011-December 2011 survey…..28
Table 18. Percentage of estimated total harvest by month for Kaktovik, Alaska, May 2011- December 2011………………………………………………………………………...…….28
Table 19. Reported harvest, estimated total harvest, estimated total harvest converted to lbs, and associated standard error (SE) for Kaktovik, Alaska, January 2012-December 2012 survey. ………………………………………………...………………………………………………….29
Table 20. Percentage of estimated total harvest by month for Kaktovik, Alaska, January 2012- December 2012……………………………………………………………………………....30
Table 21. Estimated numbers & (standard error) of marine mammals harvested at Kaktovik during the period 2007 to 2012…………………………………………………………………..32
Table 22. Estimated numbers & (standard error) of terrestrial mammals harvested at Kaktovik during the period 2007 to 2012…………………………………………………………………..33
Table 23. Species list of fish harvest in Kaktovik from 2007-2012…………………………….34
Table 24. Estimated numbers of fish resources harvested (standard error) at Kaktovik for the period 2007 to 2012……………………………………………………………………………...36
Table 25. Species list of bird harvest in Kaktovik from 2007-2012……………………………..38
Table 26. Estimated numbers of birds resources harvested (standard error) at Kaktovik for the period 2007 to 2012……………………………………………………………………………...35
Table 27. Species list of plant resource harvest in Kaktovik from 2007-2012…………………..37
Table 28. Estimated numbers of plants resources harvested (standard error) at Kaktovik for the period 2007 to 2012……………………………………………………………………………...37
Qiñiġaat “LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS”
Cover Photo. Eleven people of Barter Island, May 9, 1948. Photo credit: (Qiñiqtuagaksrat Utuqqanaat Iñuuniaġniaŋisiqun, 1980)……………..………………….Cover
Memory Photo. Andrew Akootchook in Parka, May 1937 Photo credit: (Qiñiqtuagaksrat Utuqqanaat Iñuuniaġniaŋisiqun, 1980)………………………..……………iv
Photo 1. Two men breaking camp near Marsh Creek, 1908 Photo credit: (Qiñiqtuagaksrat Utuqqanaat Iñuuniaġniaŋisiqun, 1980)……………………………………...x
Photo 2. Takpuk, and his wife. Photo credit: Courtesy of Yukonpresbytery.com…………………………...…………………………….3 http://www.yukonpresbytery.com/history/people/TakpukWife.jpg
Photo 3. Roy Ahmaogak Sr., sitting next to a sled, May 1937 Photo credit: (Qiñiqtuagaksrat Utuqqanaat Iñuuniaġniaŋisiqun, 1980)……………………………………...4
Photo 4. Nannie Pausana, Ethel Gordon, Ruth Tagarook, Lillian Akootchook and Marie Rexford shared their knowledge and expertise about plants on a trip up the Uqpiiļaq River. Photo credit: (Photos Courtesy Jana Harcharek, North Slope Borough Commission on Iñupiat History, Language and Culture, Arctic Harvest Calendar, 1998.)……………………………………………………………39
Breaking camp near Marsh Creek, 1908 (Qiñiqtuagaksrat Utuqqanaat Iñuuniaġniaŋisiqun, 1980) Photo 1. Light and portable break down tent made of canvas/skin with willow poles. Such tents predate, by thousands of years, modern dome tents commonly used for camping and mountaineering
Quyanaaġutit “ACKNOWLEDGMENTS”
Many people contributed to this project from its initial stages of planning, to the collection of the data, its analysis and finally the actual production of the report itself. I would like to thank them all individually, but I know that no matter how hard I try, I will unintentionally miss some of them. To you that I may miss, I offer my apologies in advance.
First, I would like to convey my gratitude and appreciation to the residents and hunters of Qaaktuġvik. We are all aware of the importance of the subsistence activities which enable our people to put food on the table by continuing on with our traditional Iñupiaq way of life. Without the support, and participation of the Qaaktuġviŋmiut, this report would not be possible.
Next, I would like to thank Mayor Charlotte E. Brower and her predecessors for all their foresight and their recognition of the importance of this project and its potential contribution to the scientific knowledge base both North Slope specific and multi-nationally when viewed from a greater perspective. I would sincerely like to thank Mayor Brower and the North Slope Borough for providing the financial support, enabling this project to proceed.
It is necessary for me to express a special word of thanks to Carla Sims Kayotuk (Kaktovik Subsistence Specialist, NSB), who conducted the household interviews thereby assuring the multi-year continuity of this excellent detailed data. Also, a huge “thanks” to Rob Delong for his technical support, statistical analysis, and overall help and participation with the project.
I offer my sincere appreciation to the staff of the NSB Department of Wildlife Management and the many summer interns, for the assistance of painstakingly entering data into the database. I would also like to thank all of those who have reviewed and edited this report.
Also, Quyanaaqpakkikpiñ uummatimniñ Uqumaiḷaaq, arġaqsruqamŋa iḷapayaaquvlugu kiŋuniivsi iñuuniaġniŋat. Piiḷḷugu iḷisimmataat naamaiññayaqtuq una maqpiġarriaq. I thank you Okomailak Fenton Rexford from my heart, for advising me to include more about the history of your ancestors. Without their knowledge this report would be incomplete.
Lastly, but definitely not least, I would like to express the utmost gratitude to Director Taqulik Hepa, Deputy Director Harry Brower Jr., Dr. Craig George and Dr. Robert Suydam for the opportunity to participate in this important and hopefully seminal project and facilitating and allowing me to become a part of the “wildlife family.” Without their encouragement and guidance, and sometimes a needed kick in the butt, this project would not have surfaced and survived!
Quyanaqpak, Qaiyaan Harcharek
Aullaġniisaaġun “INTRODUCTION”
The Department of Wildlife Management is responsible for helping to ensure participation by North Slope Borough (NSB) residents in the management of wildlife resources, by keeping these resources at healthy population levels, and to assure that residents can continue their subsistence harvest of wildlife resources. Our studies help provide factual documentation of the subsistence needs of NSB residents. With industrial activity expanding into new areas, arctic warming trends already affecting the marine and land environments, and government agencies and some special interest groups trying to further regulate subsistence hunting, it is very important that we continue to work toward these goals.
The community of Qaaktuġvik1 is the eastern-most village on Alaska’s North Slope. It lies on the northern edge of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, on a small island called Barter Island adjacent to a brackish lagoon system along the Beaufort Sea coast. The island is 63 miles west of the Canadian border and 310 miles east of Barrow at 70o 7’ N, 143o 40’ W. The 2004 population was estimated to be about 284 people, 84% of whom are Iñupiat (Shepro, 2004). The 2010 population was estimated at 308 people, which represents a 37.5% growth rate since 1990, and 85.9% were Iñupiat (NSB Census 2010).
The Iñupiat of Qaaktuġvik are known as Qaaktuġviŋmiut. The Qaaktuġviŋmiut are heavily dependent on subsistence-harvested resources that include migratory birds, fish, terrestrial, marine, and plant resources and some invertebrates. Qaaktuġvik is one of three North Slope villages that regularly hunt bowhead whales in the fall.
Qaaktuġvik, is the ancestral homeland of the Qaaktuġviŋmiut. The residents of Kaktovik1 and their ancestors are the indigenous inhabitants of the region. Archeological investigations reveal the North Slope region has been inhabited by the Iñupiat people for at least 11,000 years (Anderson, 1984). While the Qaaktuġvik site does not date back to these very early settlements, a large prehistoric village once existed on the island. The New Zealand born explorer for the Canadian Government, Diamond Jenness, counted between 30-40 old house sites in 1914 (Leffingwell, 1919). Before the present airport was built on top of this site, many whalebones could be found among sod house ruins (Kaveolook, 1977). Therefore, Qaaktuġviŋmiut clearly engaged in open-water fall whale hunting, long before Yankee influence.
Barter Island was an important stop for commercial whalers during the 1890's and early 1900's, and residents of the region came to rely on the ability to obtain trade goods there. Commercial whaling ended in the Beaufort Sea by about 1914, and fur trapping took its place as the main source of cash income. Kaktovik people combined subsistence with trapping and reindeer herding as they moved from place to place (Jacobson and Wentworth, 1982). In 1917, whaler and trader Charles Brower sent his associate, Tom Gordon and his wife Agiak and family and some of her relatives from Barrow to Demarcation Point to establish a fur trading post, one of a string of establishments that would be built over the next ten years along the Beaufort Sea Coast. After spending a year at Demarcation Point, Agiak’s younger brother Andrew
1 Qaaktuġvik and Kaktovik will be used interchangeably
Akootchook and family moved to Barter Island and spent the winter trapping. Finding it to have a good harbor and a convenient and accessible location for hunting on land and sea, Akootchook helped Gordon establish a trading post six years later in 1923 (Kaveolook, 1977). This trading post at Qaaktuġvik was established for the H.B. Liebes Company of San Francisco, and a few families began to settle nearby. The parents of Akootchook’s wife, Adam Alasuuraq and Eve Kignak, and their son Ologak and his wife Annie Taiyugaaq moved to Barter Island from Barrow to be near the Akootchooks because it was a good hunting area (Okakok 1981). Thus, a “community” began to develop; the trading post served as an exchange point for furs and was the beginning of Kaktovik as a permanent settlement (Libbey, 1983).
The unusually severe winter weather in 1935-36 and a dramatic decline in fur prices, coupled with the fact that these “settlers” began living a more sedentary and different lifestyle with which they were unfamiliar, all placed them in an extremely difficult situation. Also, considering the fact that the meager amounts of “tanik” or white man’s food they received each summer on the yearly supply ship was not enough to last through the winter, the people of Qaaktuġvik were forced to rely almost exclusively on whatever fish and game were available in that area for their survival instead of following the animals wherever they were available (Jacobson & Wentworth, 1982). These extremely hard times subsequently led to Kaktovik to be temporarily deserted by the late 1940’s, as the Qaaktuġviŋmiut moved west to Utqiaġvik (Barrow) or east to Herschel Island in Canada where they could have better access to food resources and goods.
That the Qaaktuġviŋmiut, along with all the other Iñupiat of the North Slope could endure many times of hardship and even starvation, was no accident. The location and usual abundance of game in the Qaaktuġvik area, and a strong religious faith was instrumental in the survival of the residents and community. The beginnings of the Kaktovik Presbyterian congregation dates back to 1941. In that year, Andrew Akootchook, a lay preacher trained by Dr. Henry W. Griest of Barrow, made his home at Barter Island and conducted worship services in his home. The Charlie Gordon family also participated. Kaktovik Presbyterian Church at Barter Island was officially organized February 27, 1966. It had been a mission of the Utqiaġvik Presbyterian Church at Barrow from October 15, 1889 to January 1951. They received pastoral care from Barrow but had never had an "ordained" minister of their own (O’Connell, 1999).
Andrew Akootchook traveled along the Arctic coast from Barrow to Demarcation Point, conducting services for scattered families. Dr. Griest also trained Dr. Roy Ahmaogak. The Rev. Fred Klerekoper assisted with this ministry from Barrow between 1936 and 1945 (O’Connell, 1999).
Klerekoper writes in April of 1937:
"We finally arrived at Barter Island." Klerekoper meets Tom Gordon; Andrew Akootchook; Mildred Keaton, a nurse; and Daugherty, the schoolteacher from Barrow and reindeer advisor. Klerekoper is there for a meeting of the church session. He observes: "Here is a woman living with a man as common law wife, not exactly their fault. It is 400 miles plus to the nearest licensed commissioner and preacher over the tough trail we have just traversed. We come to Andrew Akootchook's home. There is a polar bear cub in the house. To enter this place, you go through a low snow entrance into a snow hallway. Many entrances lead from it. Here are Photo 2. Takpuk and his wife (Photo Courtesy of kayaks, pieces of sheet iron, and room yukonpresbytery.com) for dogs. Inside are ten children and a polar bear cub. Andrew has just been elected president of the reindeer company. He is the father of 13 children. Behind the house is a cemetery
April 28, 1937: “Arrive at Takpuk's. Their whole camp is out to meet us. Takpuk has lost his wife last fall but has the assurance that she is in heaven. It is his greatest comfort in sorrow. On the North Star, are Germans who said Eskimos receive nothing from religion and that missionaries are wasting their time. He should hear Takpuk. We have a service and to me the spiritual strength of the Eskimo is evident. He lives closer to his Creator then at least one German I know -- There is something contagious about the calm, large personality of Takpuk.” (Takpuk was The Rev. Roy Ahmaogak's maternal grandfather (O’Connell, 1999).
However, about ten years later with government construction projects in the 1950’s and a new school being built by the residents under the guidance of Harold Kaveolook, the Qaaktuġviŋmiut began returning (Qiñiqtuagaksrat Utuqqanaat Iñuuniaġniaŋisiqun, 1980). Although Kaktovik prior to this had not been used as a permanent village, it was always used along with the surrounding areas for seasonal hunting.
Iñupiat have lived and often thrived on this, on what has been called, “harsh unforgiving frozen wasteland.” Iñupiat were successful because they were astute caretakers of the natural environments, both terrestrial and aquatic. Their ancestors have been described as being semi- nomadic hunters and gatherers. Prior to the establishment of permanent residences, the Qaaktuġviŋmiut frequently utilized the surrounding lands and ocean in pursuit of natural
resources. Each successive season brought demands for changes of location and from one to another type of subsistence gathering. The extent of land utilization in pursuit of sustenance by the Qaaktuġviŋmiut went as far as, but not limited to, the Colville River, Demarcation Point, Herschel Island and the Brooks Range. The Qaaktuġviŋmiut are the only indigenous people in the world to hunt both the Aġviq (bowhead whale), and Imnaiq (Dall sheep).
Photo 3. Roy Ahmaogak Sr., May 1937 (Qiñiqtuagaksrat Utuqqanaat Iñuuniaġniaŋisiqun, 1980)
Sivuniksrat “OBJECTIVES OF THE SUBSISTENCE HARVEST DOCUMENT PROJECT”
This report provides information about the subsistence harvests for the village of the Qaaktuġviŋmiut and fits within the broader North Slope Borough (NSB) Department of Wildlife Management’s Subsistence Harvest Documentation Project. The specific objectives of the Subsistence Harvest Documentation Project (SHDP) are:
To document the quantities (i.e., the numbers) of subsistence animals harvested (e.g., caribou, seals, migratory birds, fish, etc.) and deemed necessary by each village in the North Slope Borough to meet both its nutritional and cultural needs. To obtain harvest and land use data that will: o Allow greater local participation in the management of wildlife resources within the NSB, o Document observations of wildlife that will make the difference between hunting successes and failures, o Help relieve the increasing pressures brought upon by resource based economic development, o Contribute to a better understanding of trends in increases or decreases in wildlife and fish populations, o Help the NSB better represent the people of the North Slope, when dealing with state and federal regulatory agencies that may wish to establish harvest quotas or other restrictive harvest guidelines, o Mitigate oil and gas industry activities, o Potentially contribute to the management, self-management and/or co- management of various species, o Contribute to the knowledge base on subsistence hunting and species management in the Arctic.
This report addresses some of those SHDP objectives. Specifically, this report documents the annual harvests for animal and plant species that were used by the Qaaktuġviŋmiut. The data provided in this report have been compiled from eleven completed surveys in a six year time span, from 2007 to 2012.
Anniqsuutillu Atuġniŋiḷḷu Sunakkiñiaġnikun Katiqsrat “BENEFITS & USES OF SUBSISTENCE HARVEST DATA”
The benefits and uses of subsistence harvest data include: Document fish and wildlife nutritional and cultural needs of residents of the North Slope Borough, Document harvest patterns and subsistence land use, Provide accurate information on the harvest of resources so that informed wildlife management decisions can be made, Manage and analyze our own information and the use of data,
Enable residents to respond to important issues relating to their subsistence lifestyles, Protect subsistence resources for future generations.
This report provides information that will help meet these benefits. Savaakun “METHODS”
SURVEY METHODS
Since about 1990, the NSB Department of Wildlife Management (NSB-DWM) assumed the responsibility of documenting the levels and species of subsistence wildlife hunted and harvested to meet the nutritional needs of the residents of each of our North Slope communities. This research documentation is necessary to protect subsistence species and must be refined regularly as situations on the North Slope change, such as with the expansion of exploration and development of hydrocarbon resources expands farther into traditional subsistence harvesting areas.
A resident and co-author of Kaktovik (CK) conducted most of the interviews and was trained extensively in the collection and recording of the data. Surveys were conducted in resident’s homes from 2007 to 2012.
For all of the years except 2011, data on each household’s subsistence activities were recorded based on two six month recall periods for each year. Surveys were conducted within six months of the end of each recall period. The data for each six-month period in a given year were combined as one data set for each household to represent the annual subsistence activities for that household. It was the intent of the NSB-DWM to conduct two six-month surveys in each year whenever possible. However, for various logistical reasons, we were only able to conduct an eight-month recall survey in 2011. Results from the eight month recall survey are reported alone and were not corrected to represent the entire year. Therefore data from 2011 are not directly comparable with other years of the survey. Table 1 identifies both the beginning and ending dates for all recorded surveys.
The interviewer was trained in using a standardized question and data recording form as their guide in interviewing the head of each household (see APPENDIX 1). The form was organized to allow the interviewer to collect and record: (a) Each specific species harvested, (b) The number of animals harvested, (c) The age and sex of each individual animal harvested, (d) The location of the harvest, (e) Date of harvest, and (f) The method used to access the harvest location, i.e. snow machine, boat, plane or all- terrain vehicle. (g)The harvests of plant species was typically reported in units of volume (e.g. gallons, quarts).
The level of participation in subsistence activities was also recorded. Each household was categorized into one of the following three categories: (1) Successfully harvested, (2) Attempted to harvest but was unsuccessful, or (3) Did not attempt to harvest any animal species or plants.
It was the intent and goal of the NSB-DWM to collect data from each and every one of the households in the community. However, for various reasons, we were only able to survey 80 percent of the households in the community (Table 2). Those households that were not interviewed were grouped into one of the five following categories: (1) Out hunting when survey was being conducted, (2) Out of town, but not hunting, when survey was being conducted, (3) Household respondent could not be contacted, (4) Refused to participate in interview, and (5) Other.
Table 1. Start and end dates of all recall surveys conducted in Kaktovik covering the period between January 1, 2007 and Dec 31, 2012
Survey Survey Period First half 2007 January 1, 2007- June 30, 2007 Second Half 2007 July 1, 2007- December 31, 2007 First half 2008 January 1, 2008- June 30, 2008 Second half 2008 July 1, 2008- December 31, 2008 First half 2009 January 1, 2009- June 30, 2009 Second Half 2009 July 1, 2009- December 31, 2009 First half 2010 January 1, 2010- June 30, 2010 Second half 2010 July 1, 2010- December 31, 2010 Eight months, 2011 May 1, 2011- December 31, 2011 First half 2012 January 1, 2012- June 30, 2012 Second half 2012 July 1, 2012- December 31, 2012
Table 2. Total number of households in Kaktovik and total number of households surveyed for each recall survey.
First Six Months Second Six Months Survey Period Total Households Households Surveyed Total Households Households Surveyed 2007 82 68 82 55 2008 82 73 86 77 2009 86 69 86 59 2010 80 68 80 69 2011 (May-Dec)1 80 63 2012 80 64 80 57 1A single survey covering an eight month recall period was conducted in 2011.
STATISTICAL METHODS
Consistent with the approach described for villages other than Barrow in Bacon et al. (2011), we assumed that all households had an equal probability of harvesting subsistence resources, so no stratification was used. Between 67% and 90% of the village households were sampled in each survey (Table 1). Where six month surveys were conducted, harvest estimates
for the first half (Jan-Jun) and second half (Jul-Dec) were combined to produce a total estimated harvest (Ts) for each species as given in equation (1):
2 (1) Ts Nh ysh h1
Where for each survey h, Nh is the total number of households, and ysh is the sample mean for each species s from sampled households. In 2011, a single survey was conducted covering an eight month period from May through December. The harvest estimate (Ts) for each species harvested during those eight months in 2011 was computed as the sample mean for each species for sampled households multiplied by the total number of households.
The estimated standard error, SE(Ts), of the harvest estimate for each species was computed as given in equation (2)
2 2 (2) SE(Ts ) Nh (Nh nh )ssh / nh h1
Where for each survey h, Nh is the total number of households, nh is the total number of 2 households sampled, and ssh is the sample variance for each species, given by equation (3). For 2011, the SE was computed using equation (3) for a single survey.
nh 2 1 2 (3) ssh (yshi ysh) nh 1 i1
Where for each survey h, nh is the total number of households sampled, yshi is the i’th sample for a given species s and ysh is the mean of those samples.
CONVERSION FACTORS
For animal species, harvest estimates are typically given in numbers of individuals. For plant species, the reporting units are various units of volume. Where possible, harvest estimates were converted into estimates of edible pounds harvested by applying a conversion factor for each species and survey to total estimated harvest (Ts) and the estimated standard error (SE(Ts )) (see APPENDIX 2). Edible weight conversion factors used to compute estimates of edible weight harvested were based on estimates from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) or the NSB-DWM.
Because reporting units varied from survey to survey, conversion factors were also applied on a survey-to-survey basis. Conversion factors were not applied to species not typically consumed for food. Zeros were reported for these values where no conversion factor was applied.
IÑUPIAQ LANGUAGE
The Inuit language is a continuum of dialects which extends from Unalakleet throughout the Seward Peninsula to Kotzebue and the Kobuk River Valley and north to the villages on the North Slope, extending to Kaktovik near the Canadian border, across the Canadian arctic, and throughout Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland). The Inuit language in Canada is called Inuvialuktun, Inuktitun, and Inuttut; in Greenland the Inuit refer to it as Kalaallisut; and in Alaska the language is called Iñupiaq. Alaskan Iñupiaq has four major dialects: North Slope, Malimiut, Qawiaraq, and Bering Straits. There are also more intricate dialectal subtleties within each of the four major groups.
We use many Iñupiaq language terms in this report. We should note that the Qaaktuġviŋmiut dialect was used, and any other dialectal versions were revised to reflect the Qaaktuġviŋmiut. It is very important for the reader to understand the importance that the Iñupiat language plays within the culture and world view of the indigenous inhabitants of these lands and waters.
PROBLEMS WITH IDENTIFICATION OF SPECIES
Recall surveys of this type are inherently subject to a number of data quality issues. A common error results from an informant’s confusion about the English common name for a harvested resource and/or its Iñupiat name. In many cases the interviewee was unable to identify a particular harvested item to the species level but provided a more general taxonomic group to describe the harvested resource such as unknown “salmon”. Where harvested resources were not described to the species level, in some cases the harvested item was assigned a species designation. A particularly complicated case involves Arctic Char and Dolly Varden. Fisheries biologists determined that all anadromous “char” on the North Slope are actually the Dolly Varden form, and the more rare lake-resident char are mostly Arctic Char (Salvelinus alpinus) form (ADF&G). Both have the same Iñupiaq name Iqalukpik. However, Arnold Brower, Sr., told us that “true” Arctic Char in the Chipp River drainage are called Paiqłuk (AB, Sr.,personal communication). We report all the river and ocean-caught “char” as Dolly Varden, and report the fish caught in Schrader Lake as Arctic char. The second type of misidentification error is a result of recording a single species under two or more common names. For example, the red fox has been referred to as “red fox” as well as “cross fox”, which is a darker color morph of red fox. In certain surveys, cross fox and red fox are both presented as separate resources. This same problem occurs in some surveys with identification of black and brown bears. Another problem is when species “drop out” using the methods we used. That is, if the interviewer did not ask about a specific species, it could be missed in the report. Obviously, a respondent could simply ‘forget’ that he took a specific species as well. This problem generally only applies to resources taken in low numbers (e.g., glaucous gull eggs). Table 3 provides information on resource identification problems.
Table 3. List of some common misidentifications of species included in report from the Bacon et al. (2011) report, plus added modifications.
Common English Iñupiat Scientific Misidentification Name Name Name problems BIRDS Rock and willow ptarmigan are not usually distinguished Rock Ptarmigan Niksaaktuŋiq Lagopus mutus but both species are Willow Ptarmigan Aqargiq Lagopus lagopus commonly harvested on the North Slope. Common, king, Steller’s King Eider Qiŋalik Somateria spectabilis and spectacled eiders, Spectacled Eider Qavaasuk Somateria fischeri especially females, are Steller’s Eider Igniqauqtuuq Polysticta stelleri sometimes mistaken for one Common Eider Amauligruaq Somateria mollissima another. Greater white-fronted geese are sometimes called Canada Goose Iqsraġutilik Branta canadensis “Canada Geese” by North Greater White- Niġliq Anser albifrons Slope residents as they are fronted Goose “those geese that come from Canada” Long-tailed ducks are called pintail ducks by some Northern Pintail Kurugaq Anas acuta hunters. All birds recorded Long-tailed Duck Aaqhaaliq Clangula hyemalis as pintails were reported as being Northern Pintails. FISH Lake trout, dolly varden and arctic char can be Iqaluaqpak Lake Trout Salvelinus namaycush interchangeably referred to Iqalukpik Dolly Varden Salvelinus malma as “trout” or “char” on the Paiqłuk Arctic Char Salvelinus alpinus North Slope. Arctic char (S.
alpinus) only occur in lakes on Alaska’s North Slope. Arctic flounder and starry flounder are sometimes called halibut. Halibut were reported harvested in some Starry Flounder Nataaġnaq Platichthys stellatus surveys although there are Arctic Flounder Nataaġnaq Liopsetta glacialis no confirmed records of pacific halibut offshore of the North Slope.
Sea-run chum salmon are often called “silver salmon” on the North Slope; silver salmon (Coho) are rare here. Chum Salmon Iqalugruaq Oncorhynchus keta Chum salmon, silver salmon and dog salmon are reported as separate resources in some surveys, but are likely the same resource. Pink salmon are also commonly called humpback Oncorhynchus Pink Salmon Amaqtuuq salmon. In some surveys gorbuscha there is a reported harvest under both common names. MAMMALS In some surveys both red and cross fox were recorded Red Fox Kayuqtuq Vulpes vulpes despite being the same species Arctic fox is sometimes Arctic Fox Tiġiganniaq Vulpes lagopus referred to as white fox Brown Bear is sometimes misidentified as black bear, and is often done because of Ursus arctos Brown Bear Akłaq its dark color. Brown bears horribilis color is usually dark brown, but can vary from very light cream to black.
We reported the information as it was recorded by the interviewer conducting the household surveys with the exception of Dolly Varden and Arctic Char, as noted above. Bowhead whale harvest numbers were not estimated. Instead, we show the actual harvest numbers from the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission records (Suydam et al., 2016).
Readers should consider these potential inaccuracies when interpreting the data in the report. While problems exist, these errors are common to similar studies to varying degrees. Thus, these estimates should be viewed as much as guidelines or indices rather than precise harvest estimates. We have a reasonable degree of confidence in the estimates, and where we lack confidence, we have noted it in the text and tables.
NALUNAIQSAT “RESULTS”
A series of tables provide the reported harvest, estimated harvest, estimated edible pounds, and associated standard errors for each year (Tables 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19). Tables (10, 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20) show the percentage of harvest for each species by month for each year separately. Table 4-8 provides the Iñupiat names, common names, and scientific names for the species discussed below.
TAĠIUĠMIUTAT “MARINE MAMMAL RESOURCES”
Five (5) species of marine mammals were reported harvested overall between 2007 and 2012. The number of species harvested in each year varied from three species in 2010 to all five in 2009. Nanuq or “polar bear” are in high abundance in the Kaktovik vicinity, especially in the fall, but not many are harvested. We do not report our calculated harvest estimates for bowheads because the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission (AEWC) provides precise records on the number of whales that are landed each season. The harvest level of bowheads is based on a quota that is established by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and managed locally by the AEWC. The bowhead quota for Kaktovik is three strikes per year. Harvest estimates were rounded to whole numbers.
In 2007, four (4) species of marine mammals were reported harvested in the survey. The estimated harvest by species was: 2 ugruk “bearded seals”, 6 qiļalugaq/sisuaq “beluga whales”, 3 aġviq “bowhead whales”, and 6 natchiq “ringed seals” (Table 9). The majority of marine mammals harvested took place July through September (Table 10).
In 2008, four (4) species of marine mammals were reported harvested in the survey. The estimated harvest by species was: 6 ugruk “bearded seals”, 3 aġviq “bowhead whales”, 3 nanuq “polar bears”, and 11 natchiq “ringed seals.” No sisuaq were harvested in 2008 (Table 11). The harvested ranged from April through December with the majority taken in June through September (Table 12).
In 2009, five (5) marine mammal species were reported harvested in the survey. The estimated harvest by species was: 15 ugruk “bearded seals”, 2 qilalugaq/sisuaq “beluga whales”, 2 nanuq “polar bears”, 3 aġviq “bowhead whales”, and 2 natchiq “ringed seals” (Table 13). The majority were harvested July through September (Table 14).
In 2010, three (3) species of marine mammals were harvested as indicated by the subsistence harvest survey. The estimated harvest by species was: 2 ugruk “bearded seals”, 8 qilalugaq/sisuaq “beluga whales”, and 3 aġviq “bowhead whales” (Table 15). The majority of marine mammals were harvested July through September. This year had the highest estimated sisuaq harvest in the study period (Table 16).
In 2011, three (3) species of marine mammals were reported harvested in the survey. The estimated harvest by species was: 5 ugruk “bearded seals”, 3 aġviq “bowhead whales”, and 6 natchiq “ringed seals” (Table 17). This survey only covered 8 months, May to December. However, because of timing of marine mammals, this omission probably did not greatly influence the results and can be compared with caution to the full-year surveys. The one exception may be ringed seals. In 2008, several ringed seals were taken in April. We do not know if ringed seals were harvested in April of 2011. The majority of the harvest occurred July through September in this sample (Table 18).
In 2012, there were four (4) harvested marine mammal species recorded in the subsistence harvest survey. The estimated harvest by species was: 3 ugruk “bearded seals”, 3 aġviq “bowhead whales”, 1 nanuq “polar bear”, and 1 natchiq “ringed seal” (Table 19). Ugruk “bearded seal” were harvested in July and August, agviq “bowhead whales” were harvested in September and October, nanuq “polar bear” were harvested in September, and natchiq “ringed seal” were harvested in May (Table 20). Table 4 provides the Iñupiat names, common names, and scientific names for harvested marine mammals.
Table 4. Iñupiat names, common names, and scientific names for harvested marine mammals. Iñupiatun taiguusit English names Scientific names Ugruk Bearded Seal Erignathus barbatus Qiļalugaq / Sisuaq Beluga Whale Delphinaqterus leucas Aġviq Bowhead whale Balaena mysticetus Natchiq Ringed seal Phoca hispida Nanuq Polar bear Ursus maritimus
NUNAMIUTAT “TERRESTRIAL MAMMAL RESOURCES”
Twelve (12) terrestrial species were harvested over the entire survey period 2007-2012. The number of species varied across the years from three in 2011 to 11 in 2012. Terrestrial mammals were harvested in every month of the year during this study.
In 2007, there were seven (7) species reported harvested. The estimated harvest by species was: 10 siksrik “arctic ground squirrels”, 181 tuttu “caribou”, 17 tiġiganniaq “arctic white fox” , 2 kayuqtuq “red fox”, 1 qiƞaġluk “porcupine” , 1 amaġuq “wolf” , and 3 qavvik “wolverine” (Table 9). In the past, prior surveys included these harvested mammals with the addition of Imnaiq “Dall’s sheep”, umiŋmaq “musk oxen”, & tuttuvak “moose”. Caribou and Dall’s sheep are most sought after species by the Qaaktuġviŋmiut. Animals tend to be harvested that are closest to the village. A low caribou year typically would result in a higher harvest of sheep, and vice versa. Tuttu “caribou” were harvested year-round with the exception of March and April. One qavvik “wolverine” harvested in November (Table 10).
In 2008, nine (9) terrestrial species were reported harvested. The estimated harvest by species was: 6 siksrik “arctic ground squirrel”, 1 akłaq “brown bear”, “ 185 tuttu “caribou”, 45 imnaiq “dall sheep”, 24 tiġiganniaq “arctic white fox” , 5 qianġaq “cross fox”, 3 kayuqtuq “red
fox”, 8 amaġuq “wolf”, and 2 qavvik “wolverine” (Table 11). The majority were harvested in October and November. Tuttu “caribou” were harvested year round except January and December (Table 12).
In 2009, seven (7) terrestrial species were reported harvested. The estimated harvest by species was: 20 siksrik “arctic ground squirrel”, 3 akłaq “brown bear”, 170 tuttu “caribou”, 29 imnaiq “Dall’s sheep”, 26 tiġiganniaq “arctic white fox”, 5 amaġuq “wolf” , and 3 qavvik “wolverine” (Table 13). The majority of the terrestrial mammals were harvested August through November. Tiġiganniaq “arctic fox” were harvested January and February. Amaġuq “wolf” harvested in April and May. Tuttu “caribou” were mainly harvested in summer (July and August) with little hunting during the winter (Table 14).
In 2010, there were seven (7) terrestrial species reported harvested. The estimated harvest by species was: 7 siksrik “arctic ground squirrel”, 12 iggaġri “black bear”, 115 tuttu “caribou”, 16 imnaiq “dall sheep”, 6 tiġiganniaq “arctic white fox”, 2 kayuqtuq “red fox”, and 4 qavvik “wolverine” (Table 15). The majority of terrestrial mammals were harvested March through May. Tuttu “caribou” were mainly harvested from June through September (Table 16).
In 2011, there were three (3) terrestrial species reported harvested. The estimated harvest by species was: 6 siksrik “arctic ground squirrel”, 170 tuttu “caribou”, and 20 imnaiq “Dall’s sheep” (Table 17). This 2011 survey only covered May to December. During the other years (i.e., 2007-2010, 2012) of this survey, species were taken in January to April. Therefore, the estimated total harvest for terrestrial resources in 2011 is biased low to some extent. The numbers for 2011 for terrestrial resources are not comparable with estimates from the other years. Based on this sample, siksrik “ground squirrel” were harvested in May. The tuttu “caribou” harvest peaked in July at 81% of the recorded harvest. Imnaiq “Dall’s sheep” were harvested in November (Table 18).
In 2012, there were eleven (11) terrestrial species reported harvested. The estimated harvest by species was: 5 siksrik “arctic ground squirrel”, 1 akłaq “brown bear”, 155 tuttu “caribou”, 8 imnaiq “dall sheep”, 26 tiġiganniaq “arctic white fox” , 1 qianġaq “cross fox”, 1 kayuqtuq “red fox”, 1 tuttuvak “moose”, 3 qunŋiq “reindeer”, 3 amaġuq “wolf” , and 3 qavvik “wolverine” (Table 19). The majority of terrestrial mammals harvested took place January through April. The tuttu “caribou” were harvested in all months but January, May, October, and November (Table 20). Table 5 provides the Iñupiat names, common names, and scientific names for terrestrial mammals.
Table 5. Iñupiat names, common names, and scientific names for terrestrial mammals. Iñupiatun taiguusit English names Scientific names Siksrik Arctic Ground Squirrel Spermophilus parryii Tuttu Caribou Rangifer tarandus Tiġiganniaq Arctic Fox Vulpus logopus Kayuqtuq Red Fox Vulpus vulpus Qiŋaġluk Porcupine Erthizon dorsatum Amaġuq Wolf Canus lupus Qavvik Wolverine Gulo gulo
Akłaq Brown Bear Ursus arctos Iggaġri Black Bear Ursus Americana Imnaiq Dall Sheep Ovis dalli Tuttuvak Moose Alces alces Qianġaq Cross Fox Vulpus vulpus
IQALUIT “FISH RESOURCES”
Sixteen (16) species of fish were reported harvested over the entire study period (2007 to 2012). The number of species varied across years from seven in 2012 to thirteen in 2007.
In 2007, thirteen (13) species of fish were reported harvested. Fishing occurred between the months of March and November. The estimated harvest by species was: 3198 qaaktaq “arctic cisco”, 1658 iqalukpik “dolly varden”, and 36 iqaluaqpik “arctic char.” The ten other species estimated total was 198 fish (Table 9). The majority of the fish harvest took place in July and August. The iqalukpik “dolly varden” were harvested in March, April, July, August, and November (Table 10).
In 2008, there were nine (9) fish species reported. The estimated harvest by species was: 6 paiqłuk/iqalukpik “arctic char”, 1362 qaaktaq “arctic cisco”, 2 sulukpaugaq “arctic grayling”, 6 aanaakłiq “broad whitefish”, 2 iqalugruaq “chum (dog) salmon”, 3921 iqalukpik “dolly varden”, 7 kanayuq “fourhorn sculpin”, 9 iqalugruaq “salmon”, and 67 whitefish (Table 11). The majority of the fish harvest took place in July and August. Iqalukpik “dolly varden” were taken January through August and in November (Table 12).
In 2009, there were seven (7) fish species reported. The estimated harvest by species was: 44 iqaluaqpak “lake trout”, 1154 qaaktaq “arctic cisco”, 4 iqalugruaq “salmon”, 3 iqalugruaq “king (chinook) salmon”, 2449 iqalukpik “dolly varden”, 83 kanayuq “slimy sculpin”, and 2 whitefish (Table 13). The majority of fish harvest took place in July and August. Iqaluaqpak “lake trout” were harvested January and March. Iqalukpik “dolly varden” were harvested in all months except for September and October (Table 14).
In 2010, there were seven (7) fish species reported. The estimated harvest by species was: 899 qaaktaq “arctic cisco”, 108 iqaluġaq “arctic cod”, 25 “whitefish”, 23 iqalukpik “dolly varden”, 4 kanayuq “slimy sculpin”, 4 iqalugruaq “silver salmon”, and 130 uugaq “saffron cod” (Table 15). The majority of fish harvest took place in July and August. Iqalukpik “dolly varden” were harvested in all months except for September, November and December (Table 16).
In 2011, there were seven (7) fish species reported. The estimated harvest by species was: 411 qaaktaq “arctic cisco”, 258 nataaġnaq “arctic flounder”, 1093 tipuq “bering cisco”, 46 uugaq “saffron cod”, 5440 iqalukpik “dolly varden”, 142 kanayuq “fourhorn sculpin”, and 1 iqalugruaq “silver salmon” (Table 17). This year’s survey only covered from May to December. Therefore the estimated numbers of fish taken were biased low for some species in 2011. Arctic char, dolly varden, lake trout and grayling were reported harvested during January to April in other years
(i.e., 2007-2010, 2012) of this survey. Most dolly varden were taken in summer and with a few taken during September to November (Table 18).
In 2012, there were five (5) fish species reported harvested. The estimated harvest by species was: 1792 qaaktaq “arctic cisco”, 14 sulukpaugaq “arctic grayling”, 2861 iqalukpik “dolly varden”, 281 iqalusaaq “least cisco”, and 7 iqalugruaq “silver salmon” (Table 19). The majority of fish harvested took place in July and August. Iqalukpik “dolly varden” were harvested in all months except September and October (Table 20). Table 6 provides Iñupiat names, common names, and scientific names for harvested fish.
Table 6. Iñupiat names, common names, and scientific names for harvested fish. Iñupiatun taiguusit English names Scientific names Paiqłuk, Iqaluaqpik Arctic Char Salvelinus alpines Qaaktaq Arctic Cisco Coregonus automnalis Nataaġnaq Arctic Flounder Liopsetta galcialis Sulukpaugaq Arctic Grayling Thymallus articus Aanaakłiq Broad Whitefish Coregonus nasus Iqalukpik Dolly Varden Salvelinus malma iqalugruaq King (chinook) salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha Pikuktuuq Humpback Whitefish Coregonus pidschain Iqaluaqpak Lake Trout Salvelinus namaycush Iqalusaaq Least Cisco Coregonus sardinella iqalugruaq Chum (dog) salmon Oncorhynchus keta Uugaq Saffron Cod Eleginus gracilis Tipuq Bering Cisco Coregonus laurettae Kanayuq Slimy Sculpin Cottus cognatus Iqaluġaq Arctic Cod Boreogadus saida Four horn Four horn Myoxocephalus quadricornis
QAUGAIT “BIRD RESOURCES”
Eleven (11) species of birds were reported harvested over the entire study period 2007 to 2012. The number of species taken across years was fairly stable. Peak bird harvest occurs April to June and August and September during the study period. Some ptarmigan are taken in the winter months.
In 2007, ten (10) species of birds were reported harvested; eleven (11) species of eider eggs are included. The bulk of the estimated harvest was: 220 niġliñġaq “black brant”, 199 aqargiq “ptarmigan”, 107 iqsraġutilik “Canada goose”, and 93 niġlivialuk/niġliq “white fronted goose /speckled belly”. The remainder of the birds’ estimated total was 160. Those birds include amauligruaq “common eider”, qiŋalik “king eider”, aaqhaaliq “long-tailed duck”, kurugaq “pintail”, kaŋuq “snow geese”, and tuullik “yellow-billed loon” (Table 9). Other than the aqargiq “willow ptarmigan”, most of the bird species were caught from May through August (Table 10).
In 2008, there were twelve (12) species of birds harvested. eggs were also harvested for three species. The estimated harvest by species was: 301 niġliñġaq “black brant”, 92 iqsraġutilik “Canada goose”, 91 amauligruaq “common eider”, 54 kaŋuq “snow geese”, 27 aaqhaaliq “long- tailed duck”, 8 kurugaqtaq “mallard”, 19 kurugaq “northern pintail”, 5 quġruk “tundra swan”, 100 niġlivialuk also called niġliq “white fronted goose/speckled belly”, 155 aqargiq “willow ptarmigan”, and 2 tuullik “yellow-billed loon” (Table 11). The majority of the bird harvest took place April through September (Table 12).
In 2009, there were eleven (11) species of birds harvested. No waterfowl eggs were harvested. The estimated harvest by species was: 52 niġliñġaq “black brant”, 35 iqsraġutilik “Canada goose”, 10 amauligruaq “common eider”, 3 tulligluk “golden plover”, 8 qiŋalik “king eider”, 10 kaŋuq “snow geese”, 3 aaqhaaliq “long-tailed duck”, 3 qaqsrauq “pacific loon”, 32 niksaaktuŋiq “rock ptarmigan”, 274 niġlivialuk/niġliq “white fronted goose/speckled belly”, and 254 aqargiq (Table 13). The majority of the bird harvest took place from April through June (Table 14).
In 2010, seven (7) species of birds were harvested. No eggs were harvested. The estimated harvest by species was: 38 niġliñġaq “black brant”, 20 iqsraġutilik “Canada goose”, 6 amauligruaq “common eider”, 2 kaŋuq “snow geese”, 2 aaqhaaliq “long-tailed duck”, 82 niġlivialuk/niġliq “white fronted goose/speckled belly”, and 265 aqargiq “willow ptarmigan” (Table 15). The majority of the bird harvest took place from May through July. Niġlivialuk “white fronted geese” were harvested in May and June, also in August and September. Aqargiq “willow ptarmigan” were harvested March through August (Table 16).
In 2011, nine (9) species of birds were harvested and a total of eleven (11) species of eggs are included. The estimated harvest by species was: 46 niġliñġaq “black brant”, 11 iqsraġutilik “Canada goose”, 25 amauligruaq “common eider”, 19 kaŋuq “snow geese”, 20 aaqhaaliq “long-tailed duck”, 5 quġruk “tundra swan, 108 niġlivialuk/niġliq “white fronted goose/speckled belly”, 4 ugiihiq “wigeon”, and 127 aqargiq “willow ptarmigan” (Table 17). The 2011 survey covered only an 8 month time period (May to December). Therefore, the harvest estimates of bird resources taken are likely biased low. The majority of the bird harvest took place in May and June (Table 18).
In 2012, eight (8) species of birds were harvested. No eggs were reported as collected. The estimated harvest by species was: 19 niġliñġaq “black brant”, 23 iqsraġutilik “Canada goose”, 20 amauligruaq “common eider”, 8 quaġaq “duck, 1 kaŋuq “snow geese”, 8 aaqhaaliq “long-tailed duck”, 145 niġlivialuk/niġliq “white fronted goose/speckled belly”, and 208 aqargiq “willow ptarmigan” (Table 19). The majority of the bird harvest took place in May. Aqargiq “willow ptarmigan” were harvested March through June, and again in November and December (Table 20). Table 7 provides the Iñupiat names, common names, and scientific names for harvested bird species.
Table 7. Iñupiat names, common names, and scientific names for harvested bird species. Iñupiatun taiguusit English names Scientific names Tuullik Yellow-Billed Loon Gavia adamsii
Qaqsrauq Pacific Loon Gavia arctica Qugruk Tundra Swan Cygnus columbianus Kaŋuq Snow Geese Chen caerulescens Niġlivialuk White-Fronted Geese Anser albifrons Niġliñġaq Black Brant Branta bernicla Iqsraġutilik Canada Goose Branta Canadensis Amauligruaq Common Eider Somateria mollissima Qiŋalik King Eider Somateria spectabilis Aaqhaaliq Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis Kurugaq Northern Pintail Anas acuta Kurugaqtaq Mallard Anas platyrhynchos Ugiihiq American Widgeon Anas Americana Tulligluk American Golden Plover Pluvialis dominica Aqargiq Willow Ptarmigan Lagopus lagopus Niksaaktuŋiq Rock Ptarmigan Lagopusmutus Mannik Bird Eggs
NAURIAT “PLANT RESOURCES”
A total of twelve (12) species of plants were reported collected during the study period 2007 to 2012. In all years, plants were collected during the snow-free months June through September. We have provided a short description of the 2007 plant harvest. The amount of plant resources harvested varied by year – 2007 and 2012 had high harvests for aqpik.
In 2007, four (4) plant species were recorded in the survey. The estimated harvest by species was: 24 gallons of asiaq “blueberry”, 6 gallons ippiq “pink plumes”, 116 gallons of aqpik “salmonberry/cloudberry”, and 33 gallons of quaġaq “sour dock” (Table 11). All the harvesting of plants occurred in the months of July and August (Table 10).
Over the next five survey years (2008-2012) twelve (12) species of plants, roots, and berries were harvested but no more than seven (7) in one year. The amount varied by year. These included those listed above with the addition of: quŋulliq “wild rhubarb, mountain sorrel”, kavlat “bear or blackberry”, paunġat “crowberry”, kimmigñaq “low-bush cranberry”, uġruq “sphagnum moss”, uqpiit “willow”, argiaġnaq “puffball”, sargiġruaq “stinkweed or wormwood”, and nauriat “plants and flowers.” Table 8 provides the Iñupiat, common, and scientific names for plant species harvested at Kaktovik.
Table 8. Iñupiat, common, and scientific names for plant species harvested at Kaktovik. Iñupiatun taiguusit English names Scientific names Asiaq Blueberry Vaccinium uliginosum Aqpik Salmon berry Rubus chamaemorus Uġruq Sphagnum moss Sphagnum sp. Kavlaq Black berry Arctostaphylos alpine
Argiaġnaq Puffball – mushroom Lycoperden perlatum Quŋulliq Sour grass Oxyria digyna Ippiq Pink plumes Polygonum viviparum Quagaq Sour dock Rumix articus Kimmigñaq Lowbush cranberry Vaccinium vitis-idaea Sargiġruaq Stinkweed Artemisia tilesii Paunġaq Crowberry Empetrum nigrum Uqpik, Uqpiit Willow Salix sp.
2007 KAKTOVIK HARVEST
Table 9. Reported harvest, estimated total harvest, estimated total harvest converted to pounds, and associated standard error (SE) for Kaktovik, Alaska, January 2007-December 2007 survey.
Est. Total Species Reported SE SE (lbs) Total Lbs BIRDS Black Brant (Niġliñġaq) 176 219.6 46.3 658.9 138.8 Canada Goose (Iqsraġutilik) 88 106.7 22.7 480.1 102.3 Common Eider (Amauligruaq) 62 78.2 18.3 117.3 27.4 Eider Eggs (Mannik) 36 43.4 17.9 13.0 5.4 King Eider (Qiŋalik) 9 10.9 3.2 16.3 4.8 Long-tailed Duck (Aaqhaaliq) 6 8.1 2.4 12.1 3.6 Pintail (Kurugaq, Kurugaq) 1 1.5 0.9 1.2 0.7 Ptarmigan (Aqargiq) 165 199.0 33.7 139.3 23.6 Snow Geese (Kaŋuq) 10 12.1 4.1 54.3 18.4 White-Fronted Geese (Niġlivialuk) 76 93.4 17.0 420.1 76.7 Yellow-Billed Loon (Tuullik) 4 6.0 2.7 53.7 24.2 FISH Arctic Char (Paiqłuk, Iqaluaqpik) 30 36.2 14.9 101.3 41.9 Arctic Cisco (Qaaktaq) 2145 3198.0 584.4 2238.6 409.1 Arctic Flounder (Nataaġnaq) 2 3.0 1.2 1.5 0.6 Arctic Grayling (Sulukpaugaq) 11 13.3 4.6 10.6 3.7 Broad Whitefish (Aanaakłiq) 4 6.0 2.7 15.3 6.9 Dolly Varden (Iqalukpik) 1187 1658.3 222.4 4643.1 622.8 Humpback Whitefish (Pikuktuuq) 10 14.9 8.6 11.9 6.8 Lake Trout (Iqaluaqpak) 116 139.9 45.3 559.5 181.4 Least Cisco (Iqalusaaq) 3 4.5 2.6 4.5 2.6 Saffron Cod (Uugaq) 3 4.5 2.6 0.9 0.5 Salmon (Iqalugruaq) 3 4.5 1.9 13.9 5.9 Slimy Sculpin (Kanayuq) 5 7.5 4.3 4.5 2.6 MARINE MAMMALS Bearded Seal (Ugruk) 1 1.5 0.9 298.2 171.1 Beluga Whale (Qiḷalugaq/Sisuaq) 4 6.0 2.1 5933.8 2052.7 Bowhead Whale (Aġviq) 31. 3 NA NA NA Ringed Seal (Natchiq) 4 6.0 2.7 250.5 113.0
TERRESTRIAL MAMMALS Arctic Ground Squirrel (Siksrik) 8 9.6 2.8 4.0 1.1 Caribou (Tuttu) 129 180.9 20.1 21168.4 2357.4 Fox, Arctic (White) (Tiġiganniaq) 14 16.9 7.0 0.0 0.0 Fox, Red (Kayuqtuq) 1 1.2 0.5 0.0 0.0
Est. Total Species Reported SE SE (lbs) Total Lbs Porcupine (Qiŋaġluk) 1 1.2 0.5 9.6 4.0 Wolf (Amaġuq) 1 1.2 0.5 0.0 0.0 Wolverine (Qavvik) 2 3.0 1.7 0.0 0.0 PLANTS Blueberry (Asiaq, Asiavik) 16 23.9 13.7 23.9 13.7 Crowberry (Paunġaq) 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Pink Plumes (Ippiq) 4 6.0 3.4 0.0 0.0 Salmonberry, Cloudberry (Aqpik) 78 116.3 29.0 116.3 29.0 Wild Spinach, Sour Dock, Arctic Dock (Quagaq) 22 32.8 11.3 32.8 11.3 1. Data for the bowhead whale harvest are the actual number based on AEWC records and are not estimates.
Table 10. Percentage of estimated total harvest by month for Kaktovik, Alaska, January 2007-December 2007
Species Unk Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
BIRDS Black Brant 85.2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 14.8 0 0 0 0 (Niġliñġaq) Canada Goose 96.6 0 0 0 0 1.1 0 0 0 2.3 0 0 0 (Iqsraġutilik) Common Eider 80.6 0 0 0 0 0 0 19.4 0 0 0 0 0 (Amauligruaq) Bird Eggs (Mannik) 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 King Eider (Qiŋalik) 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Long-tailed Duck 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 33.3 16.7 0 0 0 0 (Aaqhaaliq) Pintail (Kurugaq) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 Ptarmigan (Aqargiq) 91.5 0 0 8.5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Snow Geese (Kaŋuq) 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 White-Fronted Geese 89.5 0 0 0 0 10.5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 (Niġlivialuk) Yellow-Billed Loon 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 75 25 0 0 0 0 (Tuullik) FISH Arctic Char (Paiqłuk/ 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Iqalukpik) Arctic Cisco 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 48.3 51.7 0 0 0 0 (Qaaktaq) Arctic Flounder 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 (Nataaġnaq) Arctic Grayling 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 (Sulukpaugaq) Broad Whitefish 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 25 75 0 0 0 0 (Aanaakłiq) Dolly Varden 27.3 0 0 1.1 0.9 0 0 47.4 23.0 0 0 2.6 0 (Iqalukpik) Humpback Whitefish 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 (Pikuktuuq) Lake Trout 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 (Iqaluaqpak)
Species Unk Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Least Cisco 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 (Iqalusaaq) Saffron Cod (Uugaq) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 Salmon (Iqalugruaq) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 66.7 33.3 0 0 0 0 Slimy Sculpin 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 (Kanayuq) MARINE MAMMALS Bearded Seal (Ugruk) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 Beluga Whale 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 50 50 0 0 0 0 (Qiḷalugaq/Sisuaq) Bowhead Whale 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 (Aġviq) Ringed Seal (Natchiq) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 75 25 0 0 0 0 TERRESTRIAL MAMMALS Arctic Ground 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Squirrel (Siksrik) Caribou (Tuttu) 28.7 0 0 1.6 0.8 0 0 44.2 19.4 2.3 2.3 0.8 0 Fox, Arctic (White) 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 (Tiġiganniaq) Fox, Red (Kayuqtuq) 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Porcupine (Qiŋaġluk) 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Wolf (Amaġuq) 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Wolverine (Qavvik) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 PLANTS Blueberry (Asiaq) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 Crowberry 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 (Paunġaq) Pink Plume (Ippiq) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 Salmonberry, 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 35.9 64.1 0 0 0 0 Cloudberry (Aqpik) Wild Spinach, Sour Dock, Arctic Dock 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 81.8 18.2 0 0 0 0 (Quaġaq)
2008 KAKTOVIK HARVEST
Table 11. Reported harvest, estimated total harvest, estimated total harvest converted to lbs, and associated standard error (SE) for Kaktovik, Alaska, January 2008-December 2008 survey.
Species Reported Total SE Total Lbs SE (lbs) BIRDS Black Brant (Niġliñġaq) 268 300.9 43.3 902.7 130.0 Canada Goose (Iqsraġutilik) 82 92.1 14.1 414.4 63.3 Common Eider (Amauligruaq 81 91.0 14.4 136.5 21.6 Bird Egg (Mannik) 108 121.3 32.4 36.4 9.7 Lesser Snow Goose (Kaŋuq) 48 53.9 15.0 242.6 67.4 Long-tailed Duck (Aaqhaaliq) 24 27.0 7.6 40.4 11.4 Long-tailed Eggs (Mannik) 31 34.8 11.5 5.2 1.7 Mallard (Kurugaqtaq) 7 7.9 2.6 7.9 2.6 Pintail (Kurugaq) 17 19.1 5.6 15.3 4.5 Seagull Egg (Mannik) 12 13.5 4.5 2.2 0.7 Tundra Swan (Qugruk) 4 4.5 1.5 44.9 14.9 White-Fronted Geese (Niġlivialuk) 89 99.8 12.4 449.1 56.0
Willow Ptarmigan (Aqargiq) 138 154.9 20.8 154.9 20.8 Yellow-Billed Loon (Tuullik) 2 2.2 0.5 20.2 4.7 FISH Arctic Cisco (Qaaktaq) 1219 1361.5 162.5 953.0 113.8 Arctic Grayling (Sulukpaugaq) 2 2.2 0.5 1.8 0.4 Broad Whitefish (Aanaakłiq) 5 5.6 1.5 14.4 3.8 Chum (Dog) Salmon (Iqalugruaq) 2 2.2 0.7 6.7 2.2 Dolly Varden (Iqalukpik) 3504 3921.3 352.3 10979.6 986.5 Fourhorn Sculpin (Kanayuq) 6 6.7 1.8 4.0 1.1 Salmon (Iqalugruaq) 8 8.9 2.9 27.7 9.0 Whitefish 60 67.0 21.7 46.9 15.2 MARINE MAMMALS Bearded Seal (Ugruk) 5 5.6 1.2 1116.9 237.7 Bowhead Whale (Aġviq) 31. 3 NA NA NA Beluga Whale (Qiḷalugaq/Sisuaq) 0 0 0 0 0 Polar Bear (Nanuq) 3 3.4 0.8 1661.9 398.6 Ringed Seal (Natchiq) 10 11.2 2.3 469.9 98.4 TERRESTRIAL MAMMALS Arctic Ground Squirrel (Siksrik) 5 5.6 1.5 2.3 0.6 Brown Bear (Akłaq) 1 1.1 0.4 111.7 36.1 Caribou (Tuttu) 165 184.5 16.8 21586.2 1965.0 Dall Sheep (Imnaiq) 40 44.7 8.3 4424.8 820.0 Fox, Arctic (White) (Tiġiganniaq) 21 23.5 7.2 0.0 0.0 Fox, Cross (Qianġaq) 4 4.5 1.0 0.0 0.0 Fox, Red (Kayuqtuq) 3 3.4 0.8 0.0 0.0 Wolf (Amaġuq) 7 7.8 1.6 0.0 0.0 Wolverine (Qavvik) 2 2.2 0.5 0.0 0.0 PLANTS Salmonberry, Cloudberry (Aqpik) 4 4.5 1.4 4.5 1.4 Wild Rhubarb, Mountain Sorrel (Quŋulliq) 16 17.9 5.8 17.9 5.8 Wild Spinach, Sour Dock, Arctic Dock (Quaġaq) 12 13.4 3.2 13.4 3.2 1. Data for the bowhead whale harvest are the actual number based on AEWC records and are not estimates.
Table 12. Percentage of estimated total harvest by month for Kaktovik, Alaska, January 2008-December 2008.
Species Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec BIRDS Black Brant 0 0 0 16.8 48.5 27.2 0 7.5 0 0 0 0 (Niġliñġaq) Canada Goose 0 0 0 0 40.2 56.1 0 0 3.7 0 0 0 (Iqsraġutilik) Common Eider 0 0 0 0 33.3 66.7 0 0 0 0 0 0 (Amauligruaq) Eider Eggs (Mannik) 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 Lesser Snow Goose 0 0 0 0 8.3 89.6 0 2.1 0 0 0 0 (Kaŋuq) Long-tailed Duck 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 (Aaqhaaliq) Long-tailed Eggs () 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 Mallard 0 0 0 0 71.4 28.6 0 0 0 0 0 0 (Kurugaqtaq) Pintail (Kurugaq) 0 0 0 88.2 0 11.8 0 0 0 0 0 0 Seagull Eggs 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 (Mannich)
Species Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Tundra Swan 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 (Qugruk) White-Fronted Geese 0 0 0 14.6 56.2 0 0 13.5 15.7 0 0 0 (Niġlivialuk) Willow Ptarmigan 0 0 0 73.9 11.6 0 0 9.4 0 0 5.1 0 (Aqargiq) Yellow-Billed Loon 0 0 0 50 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 (Tuullik) FISH Arctic Cisco 0 0 0 0 0 0 59 41 0 0 0 0 (Qaaktaq) Arctic Grayling 50 0 0 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 (Sulukpaugaq) Broad Whitefish 0 0 0 0 0 0 60 40 0 0 0 0 (Aanaakłiq) Chum (Dog) Salmon 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 (Iqalugruaq) Dolly Varden 6.3 4.3 0.0 8.6 2.5 2.1 69.6 4.7 0 0 1.0 0 (Iqalukpik) Fourhorn Sculpin 0 0 0 0 0 0 16.7 83.3 0 0 0 0 (Kanayuq) Salmon () 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 Whitefish () 0 0 0 0 0 0 25 75 0 0 0 0 MARINE MAMMALS Bearded Seal (Ugruk) 0 0 0 0 0 0 60 20 20 0 0 0 Bowhead Whale 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 (Aġviq) Polar Bear (Nanuq) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 33.3 33.3 33.3 Ringed Seal (Natchiq) 0 0 0 20 0 10 40 20 10 0 0 0 TERRESTRIAL MAMMALS Arctic Ground 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Squirrel (Siksrik) Brown Bear (Akłaq) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 Caribou (Tuttu) 0 3 3 5.5 3 5.5 53.9 20.6 2.4 2.4 0.6 0 Dall Sheep (Imnaiq) 7.5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 92.5 0 Fox, Arctic (White) 0 0 0 4.8 0 0 0 0 0 0 95.2 0 (Tiġiganniaq) Fox, Cross (Qianġaq) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 50 50 0 Fox, Red (Kayuqtuq) 0 0 0 33.3 0 0 0 0 0 0 66.7 0 Wolf (Amaġuq) 0 14.3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 85.7 0 Wolverine (Qavvik) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 50 50 0 PLANTS Salmonberry, 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 Cloudberry (Aqpik) Wild Rhubarb, Mountain Sorrel 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 (Quŋulliq) Wild Spinach, Sour Dock, Arctic Dock 0 0 0 0 0 0 33.3 66.7 0 0 0 0 (Quagaq)
2009 KAKTOVIK HARVEST
Table 13. Reported harvest, estimated total harvest, estimated total harvest converted to lbs., and associated standard error (SE) for Kaktovik, Alaska, January 2009-December 2009 survey.
Total Species Reported Total SE SE (lbs) Lbs BIRDS Black Brant (Niġliñġaq) 41 52.4 9.0 157.1 27.1 Canada Goose (Iqsraġutilik) 28 34.9 8.9 157.0 40.2 Common Eider (Amauligruaq) 8 10.0 3.5 15.0 5.2 Golden Plover (Tulligluk) 2 2.5 1.1 0.0 0.0 King Eider (Qingalik) 6 7.5 3.3 11.2 5.0 Lesser Snow Goose (Kaŋuq) 8 10.0 3.4 44.9 15.3 Long-tailed Duck (Aaqhaaliq) 2 2.5 1.1 3.7 1.7 Pacific Loon (Qaqsrauq) 2 2.9 1.6 8.7 4.9 Rock Ptarmigan (Niksaaktuŋiq) 26 32.4 14.4 32.4 14.4 White-Fronted Geese (Niġlivialuk) 219 274.2 73.7 1234.0 331.5 Willow Ptarmigan (Aqargiq) 203 254.1 34.9 254.1 34.9 FISH Arctic Cisco (Qaaktaq) 792 1154.4 225.4 808.1 157.8 Arctic Flounder (Nataaġnaq) 2 2.9 1.6 1.5 0.8 Dolly Varden (Iqalukpik) 1740 2448.8 260.3 6856.7 728.9 King (Chinook) Salmon (Iqalugruaq) 2 2.9 1.6 27.5 15.4 Lake Trout (Iqaluaqpak) 35 43.6 17.8 174.5 71.1 Salmon () 3 4.4 2.5 13.6 7.6 Slimy Sculpin (Kanayuq) 57 83.1 41.0 49.9 24.6 Whitefish () 1 1.5 0.8 1.0 0.6 MARINE MAMMALS Bearded Seal (Ugruk) 10 14.6 4.1 2915.3 812.2 Bowhead Whale (Aġviq) 31. 3 NA NA NA Beluga Whale (Qilalugaq/Sisuaq) 1 1.5 0.8 1450.3 812.6 Polar Bear (Nanuq) 1 1.5 0.8 723.0 405.1 Ringed Seal (Natchiq) 1 1.5 0.8 61.2 34.3 TERRESTRIAL MAMMALS Arctic Ground Squirrel (Siksrik) 16 19.9 7.0 8.2 2.9 Brown Bear (Akłaq) 2 2.9 1.1 291.5 114.5 Caribou (Tuttu) 120 169.8 18.9 19871.9 2213.6 Dall Sheep (Imnaiq) 20 29.2 12.4 2886.1 1229.3 Fox, Arctic (White) (Tiġiganniaq) 21 26.2 11.1 0.0 0.0 Wolf (Amaġuq) 4 5.0 1.7 0.0 0.0 Wolverine (Qavvik) 2 2.7 1.0 0.0 0.0 PLANTS Bearberry, Black (Kavlaq, Kavlat, Kavluraq) 8 11.7 6.5 11.7 6.5 Crowberry (Paungaq, Paungak, Paungat) 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Pink Plumes (Ippiq,) 8 11.7 6.5 0.0 0.0 Salmonberry, Cloudberry (Aqpik) 12 17.5 9.8 17.5 9.8 Wild Rhubarb, Mountain Sorrel (Quŋulliq) 12 17.5 7.3 17.5 7.3 Wild Spinach, Sour Dock, Arctic Dock (Quaġaq) 24 35.0 12.1 35.0 12.1 1. Data for the bowhead whale harvest are the actual number taken based on AEWC records, and are not estimates.
Table 14. Percentage of estimated total harvest by month for Kaktovik, Alaska, January 2009-December 2009
Species Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec BIRDS Black Brant (Niġliñġaq) 0 0 0 9.8 75.6 0 0 4.9 9.8 0 0 0 Canada Goose 0 0 0 53.6 46.4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 (Iqsraġutilik)
Common Eider 0 0 0 0 75 25 0 0 0 0 0 0 (Amauligruaq) Golden Plover (Tulligluk) 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 King Eider (Qingalik) 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 Lesser Snow Goose 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 (Kaŋuq) Long-tailed Duck 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 (Aaqhaaliq) Pacific Loon (Qaqsrauq) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 Rock Ptarmigan 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 (Niksaaktuŋiq) White-Fronted Geese 0 0 0 10.5 83.1 3.7 0 0 2.7 0 0 0 (Niġlivialuk) Willow Ptarmigan 0 0 3 49.3 40.4 4.9 0 0 0 2.5 0 0 (Aqargiq)
FISH Arctic Flounder 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 (Nataaġnaq) Dolly Varden (Iqalukpik) 6.3 4.3 0.0 8.6 2.5 2.1 69.6 4.7 0 0 1 0.9 King (Chinook) Salmon 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 (Iqalugruaq) Lake Trout (Iqaluaqpak) 8.6 0 91.4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Salmon () 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 Slimy Sculpin (Kanayuq) 0 0 0 0 0 0 54.4 45.6 0 0 0 0 Whitefish () 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 MARINE MAMMALS Bearded Seal (Ugruk) 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 Beluga Whale 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 (Qilalugaq/Sisuaq) Bowhead Whale (Aġviq) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 Polar Bear (Nanuq) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 Ringed Seal (Natchiq) 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 TERRESTRIAL MAMMALS Arctic Ground Squirrel 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 (Siksrik) Caribou (Tuttu) 5.8 0 10 4.2 0 0 56.7 21.7 0 1.7 0 0 Brown Bear (Akłaq) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 50 50 0 0 Dall Sheep (Imnaiq) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 0 0 90 0 Fox, Arctic (White) 52.4 47.6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 (Tiġiganniaq) Wolf (Amaġuq) 0 0 75 25 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Wolverine (Qavvik) 0 0 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 50 0 PLANTS Bearberry, Black (Kavlaq, 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 Kavlat, Kavluraq) Crowberry (Paungaq, 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Paungak, Paungat)
Species Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Pink Plumes (Ippiq,) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 Salmonberry, Cloudberry 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 (Aqpik) Wild Rhubarb, Mountain 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 Sorrel (Quŋulliq) Wild Spinach, Sour Dock, 0 0 0 0 0 0 50 50 0 0 0 0 Arctic Dock (Quaġaq )
2010 KAKTOVIK HARVEST
Table 15. Reported harvest, estimated total harvest, estimated total harvest converted to lbs., and associated standard error (SE) for Kaktovik, Alaska, January 2010-December 2010 survey.
Total Species Reported Total SE SE (lbs) Lbs BIRDS Black Brant (Niġliñġaq) 32 37.6 6.6 112.9 19.7 Canada Goose (Iqsraġutilik) 17 20.0 5.1 90.0 23.1 Common Eider (Amauligruaq) 5 5.9 2.3 8.8 3.4 Lesser Snow Goose (Kaŋuq) 2 2.4 0.6 10.6 2.9 Long-tailed Duck (Aaqhaaliq) 2 2.3 0.9 3.5 1.3 White-Fronted Geese (Niġlivialuk) 70 82.3 15.0 370.1 67.4 Willow Ptarmigan (Aqargiq) 226 265.7 38.1 265.7 38.1 FISH Arctic Cisco (Qaaktaq) 775 898.6 120.8 629.0 84.6 Arctic Cod (Iqaluġaq) 93 107.8 38.7 21.6 7.7 Dolly Varden (Iqalukpik) 20 23.2 8.2 64.9 22.9 Saffron Cod (Uugaq) 112 129.9 43.2 27.3 9.1 Silver Salmon 3 3.5 1.3 16.0 5.9 Slimy Sculpin (Kanayuq) 3 3.5 1.3 2.1 0.8 Whitefish () 21 24.7 9.1 17.3 6.4 MARINE MAMMALS Bearded Seal (Ugruk) 1 1.2 0.4 231.9 86.0 Beluga Whale (Qilalugaq/Sisuaq) 7 8.1 1.4 8075.4 1382.3 Bowhead Whale (Aġviq) 31. 3 NA NA NA TERRESTRIAL MAMMALS Arctic Ground Squirrel (Siksrik) 6 7.1 2.7 2.9 1.1 Black Bear2. (Iggaġri) 10 11.8 4.6 1035.3 401.0 Caribou (Tuttu) 99 115.0 10.6 13457.5 1237.5 Dall Sheep (Imnaiq) 14 16.3 3.9 1612.0 386.4 Fox, Arctic (White) (Tiġiganniaq) 5 5.9 2.3 0.0 0.0 Fox, Red (Kayuqtuq) 2 2.4 0.9 0.0 0.0 Wolverine (Qavvik) 3 3.5 0.8 0.0 0.0 PLANTS Lowbush Cranberry, (Kimmigñaq) 8 9.3 3.4 9.3 3.4 Sour Grass (Quŋulliq) 34 39.4 8.0 0.0 0.0 Sphagnum Moss (Uġruq) 12 14.1 5.5 0.0 0.0 Willow (Uqpik, Uqpiich, Uqpiit) 16 18.6 6.9 0.0 0.0 1. Data for the bowhead whale harvest are the actual number taken from AEWC records, and are not estimates. 2. Probably misreported and should be brown bear (Akłaq).
Table 16. Percentage of estimated total harvest by month for Kaktovik, Alaska, January 2010-December 2010
Species Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
BIRDS Black Brant (Niġliñġaq) 0 0 0 0 65.6 31.3 3.1 0 0 0 0 0 Canada Goose 0 0 0 0 41.2 58.8 0 0 0 0 0 0 (Iqsraġutilik) Common Eider 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 (Amauligruaq) Lesser Snow Goose 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 (Kaŋuq) Long-tailed Duck 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 (Aaqhaaliq) White-Fronted Geese 0 0 0 0 90 1.4 0 5.7 2.9 0 0 0 (Niġlivialuk) Willow Ptarmigan 0 0 18.1 28.3 44.7 4.9 0 4 0 0 0 0 (Aqargiq) FISH Arctic Cisco (Qaaktaq) 0 0 0 0 0 0 12.1 87.9 0 0 0 0 Arctic Cod (Iqaluġaq) 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 Dolly Varden (Iqalukpik) 0.0 0.7 9.9 5.4 2.9 0.4 61.4 17.8 0 0 1.5 0 Saffron Cod (Uugaq) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 Silver Salmon () 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 Slimy Sculpin (Kanayuq) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 MARINE MAMMALS Bearded Seal (Ugruk) 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 Beluga Whale 0 0 0 0 0 0 57.1 28.6 14.3 0 0 0 (Qilalugaq/Sisuaq) Bowhead Whale (Aġviq) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 TERRESTRIAL MAMMALS Arctic Ground Squirrel 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 (Siksrik) Black Bear (Iggaġri) 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Caribou (Tuttu) 0 0 3 5.1 0 6.1 58.6 11.1 15.2 0 1 0 Dall Sheep (Imnaiq) 0 0 21.4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 21.4 57.1 Fox, Arctic (White) 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 (Tiġiganniaq) Fox, Red (Kayuqtuq) 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Wolverine (Qavvik) 0 0 33.3 33.3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 33.3 PLANTS
Lowbush Cranberry, Lingonberry 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 (Kimmigñaq) Sour Grass (Quŋulliq) 0 0 0 0 0 0 58.8 41.2 0 0 0 0 Sphagnum Moss 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 (Qaġliuraq) Whitefish () 0 0 0 95.2 0 0 0 4.8 0 0 0 0 Willow (Uqpik, Uqpiich) 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0
2011 KAKTOVIK HARVEST
Note: The survey in 2011 consisted of only an eight (8) month survey, covering May through December 2011. Therefore, estimates from 2011 may not be directly comparable with other years that covered an entire year.
Table 17. Reported harvest, estimated total harvest, estimated total harvest converted to lbs., and associated standard error (SE) for Kaktovik, Alaska, May 2011-December 2011 survey.
Total Species Reported Total SE SE (lbs) Lbs BIRDS Black Brant (Niġliñġaq) 36 45.7 9.9 137.1 29.8 Canada Goose (Iqsraġutilik) 9 11.4 4.2 51.4 19.1 Common Eider (Amauligruaq, Quagak) 20 25.4 11.7 38.1 17.6 Eider Eggs (Mannik) 45 57.1 18.6 17.1 5.6 Lesser Snow Goose (Kaŋuq) 15 19.0 7.7 85.7 34.6 Long-tailed Duck (Aaqhaaliq) 16 20.3 9.4 30.5 14.0 Seagull Eggs (Mannich) 6 7.6 3.5 1.2 0.6 Tundra Swan (Qugruk) 4 5.1 1.8 50.8 18.4 White-Fronted Geese (Niġliq) 85 107.9 25.0 485.7 112.4 Wigeon (Ugiihiq) 3 3.8 1.8 5.0 2.3 Willow Ptarmigan (Aqargiq) 100 127.0 31.2 127.0 31.2 FISH Arctic Cisco (Qaaktaq) 324 411.4 122.8 288.0 85.9 Arctic Flounder (Nataaġnaq) 203 257.8 117.1 128.9 58.5 Bering Cisco (Tipuq) 861 1093.3 229.2 1093.3 229.2 Dolly Varden (Iqalukpik) 4284 5440.0 1260.4 15232.0 1260.4 Fourhorn Sculpin (Kanayuq) 112 142.2 58.8 85.3 35.3 Saffron Cod (Uugaq) 36 45.7 17.9 9.6 3.7 Silver Salmon () 1 1.3 0.6 5.8 2.7 MARINE MAMMALS Bearded Seal (Ugruk) 4 5.1 1.4 1015.9 282.9 Bowhead Whale (Aġviq) 31. 3 NA NA NA Ringed Seal (Natchiq) 5 6.3 1.5 266.7 63.7 TERRESTRIAL MAMMALS Arctic Ground Squirrel (Siksrik) 5 6.3 2.9 2.6 1.2 Caribou (Tuttu) 134 170.2 23.1 19908.6 2703.1 Dall Sheep (Imnaiq) 16 20.3 6.7 2011.4 665.9 PLANTS Bearberry, Black (Kavlaq, Kavlat, Kavluraq) 16 20.3 9.4 20.3 9.4 Flower/Plant (Nauriaq) 4 5.1 2.3 0.0 0.0 Lowbush Cranberry, Lingonberry (Kimmigñaq,) 5 6.3 2.4 6.3 2.4 Puffball (Argiaġnaq) 26 33.0 14.1 0.0 0.0 Salmonberry, Cloudberry (Aqpik, Aqpik) 51 64.8 13.7 64.8 13.7 Sour Grass (Quŋulliq) 34 43.2 8.5 0.0 0.0 Stink Weed, Wormwood (Sargiq, Sargiġruaq,) 8 10.2 4.7 10.2 4.7 1. Data for the bowhead whale harvest are the actual number from the AEWC and not estimates.
Table 18. Percentage of estimated total harvest by month for Kaktovik, Alaska, May 2011-December 2011
Species May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec BIRDS
Species May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Black Brant (Niġliñġaq) 83.3 16.7 0 0 0 0 0 0 Canada Goose (Iqsraġutilik) 22.2 0 0 0 77.8 0 0 0 Common Eider (Amauligruaq, Quagak) 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 Eider Eggs (Mannik) 22.2 77.8 0 0 0 0 0 0 Lesser Snow Goose (Kaŋuq) 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Long-tailed Duck (Aaqhaaliq) 25 75 0 0 0 0 0 0 Seagull Eggs (Mannich) 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 Tundra Swan (Qugruk) 75 25 0 0 0 0 0 0 White-Fronted Geese (Niġliq) 95.3 0 0 0 4.7 0 0 0 Wigeon (Ugiihiq) 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 Willow Ptarmigan (Aqargiq) 52 0 36 12 0 0 0 0 FISH Arctic Cisco (Qaaktaq) 0 0 76.9 23.1 0 0 0 0 Arctic Flounder (Nataaġnaq) 0 0 98.5 1.5 0 0 0 0 Bering Cisco (Tipuq) 0 0 49.9 49.1 0.9 0 0 0 Dolly Varden (Iqalukpik) 0.5 0.0 67.4 31.3 0.2 0.0 0.5 0.0
Saffron Cod (Uugaq) 0 0 83.3 16.7 0 0 0 0 Silver Salmon () 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 MARINE MAMMALS Bearded Seal (Ugruk) 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 Bowhead Whale (Aġviq) 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 Ringed Seal (Natchiq) 0 0 60 40 0 0 0 0 TERRESTRIAL MAMMALS Arctic Ground Squirrel (Siksrik) 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Caribou (Tuttu) 0 3.7 81.3 9 0 1.5 4.5 0 Dall Sheep (Imnaiq) 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 PLANTS Bearberry, Black (Kavlaq, Kavlat, Kavluraq) 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 Flower/Plant (Nauriaq) 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 Lowbush Cranberry, Lingonberry (Kimmigñaq) 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 Puffball (Argiaġnaq) 0 0 7.7 92.3 0 0 0 0 Salmonberry, Cloudberry (Aqpik) 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 Sour Grass (Quŋulliq) 0 0 41.2 58.8 0 0 0 0 Stink Weed, Wormwood (Sargiq, Sargiġruaq,) 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 0
2012 KAKTOVIK HARVEST
Table 19. Reported harvest, estimated total harvest, estimated total harvest converted to lbs., and associated standard error (SE) for Kaktovik, Alaska, January 2012-December 2012 survey.
Total Species Reported Total SE SE (lbs) Lbs BIRDS Black Brant (Niġliñġaq) 15 18.8 6.0 56.3 18.0 Canada Goose (Iqsraġutilik) 18 22.5 6.4 101.3 28.8 Common Eider (Amauligruaq, Quagak) 16 20.0 6.5 30.0 9.7 Ducks () 6 7.5 3.4 11.3 5.0 Lesser Snow Goose (Kaŋuq) 2 2.5 1.1 11.3 5.0 Long-tailed Duck (Aaqhaaliq) 6 8.4 4.5 12.6 6.8 Snow Geese (Kaŋuq) 1 1.4 0.8 6.3 3.4
Total Species Reported Total SE SE (lbs) Lbs White-Fronted Geese (Niġliq) 115 144.8 30.6 651.7 137.6 Willow Ptarmigan (Aqargiq) 165 207.9 31.2 207.9 31.2 FISH Arctic Cisco (Qaaktaq) 1277 1792.3 438.1 1254.6 306.7 Arctic Grayling (Sulukpaugaq) 10 14.0 7.5 11.2 6.0 Dolly Varden (Iqalukpik) 2066 2860.7 425.4 8009.8 1191.2 Least Cisco (Iqalusaaq) 200 280.7 150.5 280.7 150.5 Silver Salmon () 5 7.0 3.1 32.2 14.2 MARINE MAMMALS Bearded Seal (Ugruk) 2 2.8 1.1 561.4 210.9 Bowhead Whale (Aġviq) 31. 3 NA NA NA Polar Bear (Nanuq) 1 1.4 0.8 696.1 373.3 Ringed Seal (Natchiq) 1 1.3 0.6 52.5 23.5 TERRESTRIAL MAMMALS Arctic Ground Squirrel (Siksrik) 4 5.0 2.2 2.1 0.9 Brown Bear (Akłaq) 1 1.4 0.8 140.4 75.3 Caribou (Tuttu) 114 155.1 18.9 18145.3 2217.0 Dall Sheep (Imnaiq) 6 8.3 2.7 818.5 272.1 Fox, Arctic (White) (Tiġiganniaq) 19 25.9 10.8 0.0 0.0 Fox, Cross (Qianġaq) 1 1.4 0.8 0.0 0.0 Fox, Red (Kayuqtuq) 1 1.3 0.6 0.0 0.0 Moose (Tuttuvak) 1 1.4 0.8 701.8 376.3 Reindeer (Qunŋiq) 2 2.5 1.1 292.5 130.8 Wolf (Amaġuq) 2 2.5 1.1 0.0 0.0 Wolverine (Qavvik) 2 2.5 1.1 0.0 0.0 PLANTS Salmonberry, Cloudberry (Aqpik) 140 196.5 28.7 196.5 28.7 Wild Rhubarb, Mountain Sorrel (Quŋulliq) 4 5.6 3.0 5.6 3.0 1. Data for the bowhead whale harvest are the actual number based on AEWC records and are not estimates.
Table 20. Percentage of estimated total harvest by month for Kaktovik, Alaska, January 2012-December 2012
Species Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec BIRDS Black Brant (Niġliñġaq) 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Canada Goose (Iqsraġutilik) 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Common Eider (Amauligruaq, 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Quagak) Ducks () 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Lesser Snow Goose (Kaŋuq) 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Long-tailed Duck (Aaqhaaliq) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 Snow Geese (Kaŋuq) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 White-Fronted Geese (Niġliq) 0 0 0 1.7 92.2 0 0 6.1 0 0 0 0 Willow Ptarmigan (Aqargiq) 0 0 10.3 72.1 10.9 0 0 0 0 0 3 3.6 FISH Arctic Cisco (Qaaktaq) 0 0 0 0 0 0 22.7 77.3 0 0 0 0 Arctic Grayling (Sulukpaugaq) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 Dolly Varden (Iqalukpik) 0.0 0.0 0.4 0.5 0.0 10.9 62.8 24.7 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.7 Least Cisco (Iqalusaaq) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 Silver Salmon () 0 0 0 0 0 0 20 80 0 0 0 0 MARINE MAMMALS Bearded Seal (Ugruk) 0 0 0 0 0 0 50 50 0 0 0 0
Species Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Bowhead Whale (Aġviq) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 66.6 33.3 0 0 Polar Bear (Nanuq) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 Ringed Seal (Natchiq) 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 TERRESTRIAL MAMMALS Arctic Ground Squirrel 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 (Siksrik) Brown Bear (Akłaq) 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 Caribou (Tuttu) 0 5.3 7.9 7 0 7.9 51.8 14 0.9 0 0 5.3 Dall Sheep (Imnaiq) 0 0 16.7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 83.3 0 Fox, Arctic (White) 10.5 10.5 5.3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 73.7 0 (Tiġiganniaq) Fox, Cross (Qianġaq) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 Fox, Red (Kayuqtuq) 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Moose (Tuttuvak) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 Reindeer (Qunŋiq) 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Wolf (Amaġuq) 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Wolverine (Qavvik) 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 PLANTS Salmonberry, Cloudberry 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 (Aqpik) Wild Rhubarb, Mountain 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 0 Sorrel (Quŋulliq) 1. Data for the bowhead whale harvest are actual numbers based on the AEWC records and not estimates.
UQAVAAĠNIQ “DISCUSSION”
In this section, we discuss the data as well as observations of subsistence hunters and elders. We separated this section into five distinct but interrelated categories: marine mammals, terrestrial mammals, fish, bird, and plant resources. Within each section we discuss the variation in harvest numbers across years and hypothesize about reasons for that variability. Note that the 2011 survey only covered 8 months - May to December. In some cases, such as marine mammals, this may have little influence on the comparison of the 2011 estimates with other years. For other resources, such as birds, the 2011 data are most likely biased low. Some birds were likely taken from January to April but were not accounted for in the estimated harvest for 2011.
TAĠIUĠMIUTAT “MARINE MAMMAL RESOURCES”
Over the six year survey period, a total of five (5) marine mammal species were harvested, which include: ugruk “bearded seal”, qilalugaq/sisuaq “beluga whale”, aġviq “bowhead whale”, natchiq “ringed seal”, and nanuq “polar bear”. Table 21 provides estimates, standard errors for the estimates, and the average number of marine mammals taken over the entire survey period. Based on these data, harvest numbers of marine resources were variable and sometimes dramatically so. For example, in 2009, 15 ugruk “bearded seals” were estimated harvested while only 2 were taken in 2010. In 2010, 8 beluga whales were harvested while in
some other years none were harvested. In contrast, the number of bowhead whales harvested was constant over the survey period. This is because Kaktovik has a fixed quota from the AEWC of 3 whales per year and they met the quota in each season.
Table 21. Estimated numbers and (standard error) of marine mammals harvested at Kaktovik during the period 2007 to 2012. Resource 2007 2008 2009 2010 20111 2012 Avg. Ugruk “bearded seal” 1.5 (0.9) 5.6 (1.2) 14.6 (4.1) 1.2 (0.4) 5.1 (1.4) 2.8 (1.1) 5.1 Qiļalugaq/Sisuaq “beluga whale” 6 (2.1) 0 (0) 1.5 (0.8) 8.1 (1.4) 0 (0) 2.8 (1.1) 3.0 Aġviq “bowhead whale” 3 (0) 3 (0) 3 (0) 3 (0) 3 (0) 3 (0) 3.0 Natchiq “ringed seal” 6 (2.7) 11.2 (2.3) 1.5 (0.8) 0 (0) 6.3 (1.5) 1.3 (0.6) 4.4 Nanuq “polar bear” 0 (0) 3.4 (0.8) 1.5 (0.8) 0 (0) 0 (0) 1.4 (0.8) 1.1 1 2011 was an 8 month survey, May through December 2011, and did not cover the full year.
There are many reasons for this variability in harvest numbers. Based on the experiences and observations by hunters, the biggest factor affecting harvest numbers is most likely resource availability. Iñupiat hunters are, for the most part, opportunistic hunters, taking the resources that are available. Other factors which affect harvest numbers include: having sufficient food already stored for the winter reducing the need for further hunting, economic factors, family obligations, and other factors.
For various reasons, survey data may not always reflect the true number of marine mammals harvested. For example, there are a few years when the survey data (not presented in this report) that showed zero bowhead whales were harvested. However, data from the AEWC and NSB-DWM show that there were three bowheads harvested in each of the survey years of this report. This discrepancy in the data may be attributed to the possibility that the bowheads harvested we taken by individuals that did not participate in the survey during that particular year.
NUNAMIUTAT “TERRESTRIAL MAMMAL RESOURCES”
Twelve (12) terrestrial mammals were reported harvested during the survey period 2007- 2012. These were: siksrik “arctic ground squirrel”, tuttu “caribou”, tiġiganniaq “arctic fox”, kayuqtuq “red fox”, qiƞaġluk “porcupine”, amaġuq “wolf”, qavvik “wolverine”, akłaq “brown/grizzly bear”, tuttuvak “moose”, qunŋiq “reindeer”, iggaġri “black bear”, and qianġaq “cross fox”. Table 22 provides estimates, standard errors for the estimates, and the average number of terrestrial mammals taken over the entire survey period.
Bacon et al. (2011) recorded seven terrestrial resources harvested between years 1994- 2003. Brower et al. (2000) recorded eight terrestrial resources harvested between 1994 and 1995, which included musk oxen and moose. Note that akłaq, qunŋiq, qiƞaġluk, and iggaġri are four species that were not listed in the earlier report by Bacon et al. (2011). Based on internal discussions, we concluded that the black bear was misidentified and should instead be an akłak “brown bear”.
Tuttu “caribou” were the most important terrestrial resources by number. There was an estimated total of 975 tuttu harvested for the six year survey period between years 2007-2012, for an average of 162.6 caribou per year. The 2010 harvest is the lowest of the series. Two interviewees in 2010 commented:
Hunter A: “Different migration route for Porcupine Herd, seems to be going further East.” Hunter B: “Too many planes scaring animals.”
The 2011 estimate is likely low because the survey period did not include January to April; therefore, the average harvest could be biased lower than other years to some degree. By comparison Bacon et al. (2011) reported 112 caribou in July 2002-June 2003, Brower et al. (2000) reported 78 caribou in their 1994-1995 estimates, and Fuller and George (1997) reported 136 caribou harvested in 1992. These earlier estimates are similar but generally lower than those reported here.
Table 22. Estimated numbers & (standard error) of terrestrial mammals harvested at Kaktovik during the period 2007 to 2012. Resource 2007 2008 2009 2010 20111 2012 Avg. Tuttu “caribou” 180.9 184.5 169.8 115 170.2 155.1 162.6 (20.1) (16.8) (18.9) (10.6) (23.1) (18.9) Imnaiq “Dall’s sheep” 0 (0) 44.7 (8.3) 29.2 (12.4) 16.3 (3.9) 20.3 (6.7) 8.3 (2.7) 18.4 Akłak “brown bear” 0 (0) 1.1 (0.4) 2.9 (1.1) 11.8 (4.6) 0 (0) 1.4 (0.8) 2.9 Tiġiganniaq “arctic 16.9 (7) 23.5 (7.2) 26.2 (11.1) 5.9 (2.3) 0 (0) 25.9 (10.8) 16.4 fox” Siksrik “ground 9.6 (2.8) 5.6 (1.5) 19.9 (7) 7.1 (2.7) 6.3 (2.9) 5 (2.2) 8.9 squirrel” Amaġuq “wolf” 1.2 (0.5) 7.8 (1.6) 5 (1.7) 0 (0) 0 (0) 2.5 (1.1) 2.0 Qavvik “wolverine” 3 (1.7) 2.2 (0.5) 2.7 (1) 3.5 (0.8) 0 (0) 2.5 (1.1) 2.3 Kayuqtuq “red fox” 1.2 (0.5) 3.4 (0.8) 0 (0) 2.4 (0.9) 0 (0) 1.3 (0.6) 1.4 1 2011 was an 8 month survey, May through December 2011, and did not cover the full year.
There are a variety of issues that may affect the success of caribou harvest. For example, management regulations may affect the level of effort and harvest. Additionally, if animals were in poor health during specific years due to severe weather, there may be more animals that were skinny or undernourished. Hunters may have intentionally avoided and not harvested skinny or unhealthy animals during those years.
Throughout the survey years of 2007-2012, caribou were harvested consistently in the range of 150-185 animals, except in the year 2010. In 2010, 115 caribou were harvested and this lower caribou harvest was not supplemented by other terrestrial animals. The total harvest for that year could have been sufficient because it was a productive harvesting year for marine, fish, and bird species.
An estimated 110.5 Dall’s sheep were harvested over the 6 year survey period, with an average of 18.4 (and a range of 0 to 44.7) sheep taken each year. There were two years during which a zero sheep harvest was recorded. It is not clear why no sheep were harvested in 2007 or 2012 but may have been a sampling error; that is, it could be that no sheep hunters were interviewed in those years. Bacon et al. (2011) reported 18 sheep in 2002-2003, Brower et al. (2000) estimated 30 sheep, and Fuller and George (1997) reported 53 sheep.
Again, the difference in harvest numbers could have been attributed to resource availability, access to other resources or sampling error. Population fluctuations, access, or changes in caribou availability, along with the other food species can result in changes in harvest of sheep. Hunters may not have needed to hunt sheep because the other species were bountiful for a particular year.
As can be seen, there are many variables influencing annual harvest levels. In some years there were more caribou or sheep harvested. Interestingly, in the years 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2012, high caribou and sheep harvest was associated with the higher numbers of wolf, wolverine and brown bear in the area. It could be that in years with higher numbers of prey species in the area there are more predators in the area as well.
IQALUIT “FISH RESOURCES”
The subsistence harvest survey reported seventeen (17) species of harvested fish. Fishing occurred between the months of March and November. A majority of the harvested fish were: qaaktaq “arctic cisco”, iqalukpik “dolly varden”, iqaluaqpik “arctic char” harvested in July and August. Table 23 provides estimates, standard errors for the estimates, and the average number of fish resources taken over the entire survey period.
Table 23. Estimated total numbers of fish resources harvested (standard error) at Kaktovik for the period 2007 to 2012. Resource 2007 2008 2009 2010 20111 2012 Avg. Paiqłuk “Arctic 36.2 0 0 0 0 0 6.0 Char” (14.9)
Iqualukpik Dolly 1658.3 3921.3 2448.8 23.2 5440.0 2860.7 2982.0 Varden (222.4) (352.3) (260.3) (8.2) (1260.4) (425.4) Qaaktaq “arctic 3198 1361.5 1154.4 898.6 411.4 1792.3 1337.5 cisco” (584.4) (162.5) (225.4 (120.8) (122.8) (438.1) Nataaġnaq “arctic 3 (1.2) 0 (0) 2.9 (1.6) 0 (0) 257.8 0 (0) 44.0 flounder” (117.1) Iqalusaaq “least 4.5 (2.6) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 280.7 46.7 cisco” (150.5) Tipuq “bering 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 1093.3 0 (0) 182.2 cisco” (229.2) Sulukpaugaq 13.3 (4.6) 2.2 (0.5) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 14 (7.5) 4.9 “Arctic Grayling” Aanaakłiq “Broad 6 (2.7) 5.6 (1.5) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 1.9 Whitefish” Pikuktuuq 14.9 (8.6) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 2.5 “Humpback Whitefish” Iqaluaqpak “Lake 139.9 0 (0) 43.6 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 61.2 Trout” (45.3) (17.8) 1 2011 was an 8 month survey, May through December 2011, and did not cover the full year.
In four out of the six years the majority of the fish harvested were qaaktaq “arctic cisco”, followed by dolly varden and arctic char, both called iqalukpik in Iñupiaq. This was opposite to that reported in Bacon et al. (2011). They reported, “the anadromous dolly varden (recorded as arctic char, see Table 2) appear to make up the majority of the fish harvested followed by arctic cisco.” Iqalukpik are taken in all but the fall months (September through November) due to a drop in availability as they move into rivers; also, the village focus is on whale hunting at that time.
In our survey, there was a switch in the dominant fish species harvested. In 2010-11 there was significantly more iqalukpik “arctic char” harvested than qaaktaq “arctic cisco.” However the reasons for this are unclear. We used iqalukpik rather than arctic char or dolly varden because of the possible identification confusion. Iqalukpik is also used as the common name for the char group. The Salvelinus group on the North Slope includes: Arctic char, lake trout, and dolly varden. All are members of the genus Salvelinus and are also somewhat very similar in appearance. This often leads to misidentifications. All three char types are found in the greater Kaktovik fishing areas.
Bill Morris, a fish biologist with extensive work on the North Slope, mentioned the following when asked about this confusion; “1st, 2nd and 3rd (Katak) Fish Holes are in the HulaHula. I think 1st Fish Hole is about 20 miles upriver, 2nd about 40 miles and 3rd is by Katak Creek, but I think up towards Kolotuk Creek. If you look at the aerial imagery for the river you will see substantial braids occur just below or near all of those locations. Those braids are the result of the groundwater upwellings that support the dolly varden populations through winter. The braids occur downstream of the upwelling source and are the result of the ice fields that grow each winter. The upwelling water at the dolly varden wintering sites is thousands of years old and is actually coming from the south side of the Brooks Range. The only “young” water spring on the Slope is in the Kuparuk River spring. That water is only a few years old, comes from a North side of the range source, and no dolly varden population seems to be associated with it.” (Bill Morris, personal communication) Another long time fish biologist who worked on the North Slope, Larry Moulton, agrees and said, “Yes, the true arctic char are associated with lakes across the foothills and Brooks Range, harvest location may allow you to take a good guess about which is which. Basically, dolly varden are in streams, arctic char in lakes.” (Larry Moulton, personal communication)
North Slope fishers often misidentify fish partly because of the ambiguities in the English common names for similar fish, e.g., dolly varden and arctic char, chum and silver salmon, arctic and least cisco. In “A Field Guide to the Common Fishes of North Slope of Alaska” (Moulton et al. 2009) it is explained why the use of the Iñupiat fish names was so important: “Another intent is to provide the Iñupiat names (using Barrow spellings), when available, as well as English common names, to help settle confusion regarding identification of these species. The Iñupiat names, like scientific names are usually quite specific and non-ambiguous (i.e., one name for one species) while the English common names tend to be confusing and duplicative.”
It is possible that much of the difference in “fish” harvest levels can probably be attributed to inter-annual variation in fish abundance, fishing conditions and fishing effort.
Catches may also be influenced by the warming water and variation in currents. Warming has an impact on the availability of various species and can change the timing of their arrival. As an example, saffron cod are now caught regularly in gillnets but were rarely caught in the 1970- 1980s.
In years of low fish harvest, hunters may try to increase the harvest of other animals. For example, during or after a summer of low fish harvest, marine species may be targeted in higher numbers, and more caribou or sheep may be taken during the fall season. Which is a hunting and gathering strategy of our Iñupiat people, we catch what we need, with what is available.
QAUGIAT “BIRD RESOURCES”
When hunting birds, families normally attempt to get what they need to last the entire winter. Typically bird resources are not the main harvest focus as frequently as some of the other subsistence species. That might be because birds do not produce as many pounds of food compared to large game or marine mammals. In the whaling communities, many hunters of successful whaling crews will target more birds for the Nalukataq. The choice birds for these celebrations in Qaaktuġvik are preferred in this order: Amauligruaq “common eider”, than Niġliñġaq “black brant”, and then others. Table 24 provides estimates, standard errors for the estimates, and the average number of bird resources taken over the entire survey period.
During the 2007-2012 survey periods, there were eleven (11) species of birds which were harvested. Waterfowl eggs were also harvested from at least three (3) of the species. Willow ptarmigan and white-fronted geese were consistently important species for meeting subsistence needs. In the 2007-08 survey periods, the harvested numbers of black brant and common eiders were relatively high, and in other years the harvest was lower. Similarly, the harvest of large game, marine mammals, as well as fish, was also high in 2007 and 2008. The reasons for the increased harvest of fish are unknown but may include changes in weather patterns. Regardless, 2007-8 appeared to be high subsistence harvest years for all species. I believe it was good weather, which more likely allowed more access to the subsistence resources and good weather also had a positive influence on the health and population size of all animals.
Table 24. Estimated numbers of birds harvested (with standard error) at Kaktovik for the period 2007 to 2012. Resources 2007 2008 2009 2010 20111 2012 Avg. Niġliñġaq “black brant” 219.6 300.9 52.4 (9.0) 37.6 (6.6) 45.7 (9.9) 18.8 (6.0) 112.5 (46.3) (43.3) Amauligruaq “common 78.2 (18.3) 91.0 (14.4) 10.0 (3.5) 5.9 (2.3) 25.4 (11.7) 20.0 (6.5) 38.4 eider” Aaqhaaliq “long-tailed duck” 8.1 (2.4) 27.0 (7.6) 2.5 (1.1) 2.3 (0.9) 20.3 (9.4) 8.4 (4.5) 11.4 Aqargiq “willow ptarmigan” 199.0 154.9 254.1 265.7 127.0 207.9 201.4 (33.7) (20.8) (34.9) (38.1) (31.2) (31.2) Kurugaq “pintail” 1.5 (0.9) 19.1 (5.6) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 3.4 Kurugaqtaq “mallard” 0 (0) 7.9 (2.6) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 1.3 Tulligluk “golden plover” 0 (0) 0 (0) 2.5 (1.1) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0.4 Niksaaktuŋiq “rock ptarmigan” 0 (0) 0 (0) 32.4 (14.4) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 5.4 Iqsraġutilik “Canada goose” 106.7 92.1 (14.1) 34.9 (8.9) 20.0 (5.1) 11.4 (4.2) 22.5 (6.4) 47.9 (22.7)
Kaŋuq “snow goose” 12.1 (4.1) 53.9 (15.0) 10.0 (3.4) 2.4 (0.6) 19.0 (7.7) 1.4 (0.8) 16.7 Niġliq “white fronted goose” 93.4 (17.0) 99.8 (12.4) 274.2 82.3 (15.0) 107.9 144.8 133.7 (73.7) (25.0) (30.6) Qiŋalik “king eider” 10.9 (3.2) 0 (0) 7.5 (3.3) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 3.1 Tuullik “yellow billed loon” 6.0 (2.7) 2.2 (0.5) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 1.4 Qugruk “tundra swan” 0 (0) 4.5 (1.5) 0 (0) 0 (0) 5.1 (1.8) 0 (0) 1.6 Qaqsrauq “pacific loon” 0 (0) 0 (0) 2.9 (1.6) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0.4 Wigeon “ugiihiq” 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 3.8 (1.8) 0 (0) 0.6 Mannik “ eider eggs” 43.4 (17.9) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 57.1 (18.6) 0 (0) 16.75 Mannik “bird eggs” 0 (0) 121.3 (32.4) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 20.1 Mannik “long tail duck eggs” 0 (0) 34.8 (11.5) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 5.8 Mannik “seagull eggs” 0 (0) 13.5 (4.5) 0 (0) 0 (0) 7.6 (3.5) 0 (0) 3.5 1 2011 was an 8 month survey, May through December 2011, and did not cover the full year.
Poor weather may explain why during other years, harvest of various bird species was considerably lower. During some of those years early snowmelt may have restricted access to bird hunting grounds. Bad weather could also have kept hunters home. Bird hunting season is one of the popular hunting seasons, because generally is relatively “easy” in the sense that the weather is relatively warm and is usually a family endeavor. Because of the popularity of bird harvesting and the fact that it is usually a family venture, suggests that hunters were unable to harvest as much as they wanted because of adverse weather conditions in years such as 2007, 2008 and 2010.
NAURIAT “PLANT RESOURCES”
Seven (7) plant species were recorded in this 2007 survey. The 2007 plant harvest was high for several species and included: 16 gallons of asiaq “blueberry”, 4 gallons ippiq “pink plumes”, 78 gallons of aqpik “salmonberry/cloudberry”, and 22 gallons of quaġaq “sour dock”. The following years of the survey included the same plant species listed above, with the addition of a few others, bringing the total to fourteen (14) species, including: uġruq “sphagnum moss”, kimmigñaq “lowbush cranberry”, Kavlaq “bearberry, blackberry”, uqpik/uqpiich/uqpiit “willow”, argiaġnaq “puffball, mushroom”, sargiġruaq “stinkweed”, and quŋulliq “sour grass”. All of the harvesting of plants occurred in the months of July and August. Thus, the 2011 survey, even though it covered only May to December, is directly comparable with other survey years. Table 25 provides estimates, standard errors for the estimates, and the average number of plant resources taken over the entire survey period. The plant resources reported in this survey are consistent with the Bacon et al. (2011) report that shows five harvested plant resources during the summer months.
Plant and berry gathering is extremely variable due to natural variation in growth and availability. This variation is determined by the weather where some years are better than others for producing berries and for gathering. During the study period, the overall number of edible pounds of plant resources is extremely small compared with all the other resources such as marine and terrestrial mammals, fish, and birds. Although the plants and berries form only a small portion of the edible harvest, they provide needed nutrients, minerals, and use for medicinal purposes. Equally if not more
important than total harvest, are the social and cultural ties within the community and outlying villages (near and far) associated with harvesting plant resources – particularly berries.
Table 25. Estimated numbers of plant resource harvested (standard error) at Kaktovik for the period 2007 to 2012.
Resource 2007 2008 2009 2010 20111 2012 Avg. Asiaq “blueberry” 23.9 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 0 47.5 (13.7) (0) (0) Aqpik “salmon berry” 116.3 4.5 17.5 0 (0) 64.8 196.5 23.1 (29.0) (1.4) (9.8) (13.7) (28.7) Uġruq “sphagnum moss” 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 14.1 0 (0) 0 (0) 2.4 (5.5) Kavlaq “blackberry” 0 (0) 0 (0) 11.7 0 (0) 20.3 0 (0) 5.3 (6.5) (9.4) Argiaġnaq “puffball” 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 33.0 0 (0) 5.6 (14.1) Quŋulliq “sour grass” 0 (0) 17.9 17.5 39.4 43.2 5.6 20.6 (5.8) (7.3) (8.0) (8.5) (3.0) Ippiq “pink plumes” 6.0 0 (0) 11.7 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 3.0 (3.4) (6.5) Quagaq “sour dock” 32.8 13.4 35.0 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 13.5 (11.3) (3.2) (12.1) Kimmigñaq 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 9.3 6.3 0 (0) 2.6 “lowbush cranberry” (3.4) (2.4)
Sargiġruaq “stinkweed” 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 10.2 0 (0) 1.7 (4.7) Paunġaq “crowberry” 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 Uqpik, “willow” 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 18.6 0 (0) 0 (0) 3.1 (6.9) Nauriaq ”flower/plant” 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 5.1 0 (0) .85 (2.3) 1 2011 was an 8 month survey, May through December 2011, and did not cover the full year. There is a general common misconception that the gathering of plants was a task performed mainly by women, children and the elderly. For Iñupiat people, plant gathering was and still is a family activity, although it is true that men have lower involvement. The gathering of edible and medicinal plants has diminished over time. At one time gathering edible medicinal plants was an extremely important activity that all participated in. Gathering plants provided a different array of vitamins, nutrients, and medicines not found in animals. Plants also add different flavors to food resources which can be bland. Plant gathering was reduced with the introduction of the cash economy and the importation of non-local resources, such as fruits and vegetables.
Photos Courtesy Jana Harcharek, North Slope Borough Commission on Iñupiat History, Language and Culture, Arctic Harvest Calendar, 1998.
L-R: Nannie Felt Leaf Willow, Pausana, Ethel which is best Gordon, Ruth during spring, is Tagarook, Lillian gathered for juice Akootchook and from the inner Marie Rexford “Eskimo Potato” shared their roots are edible either raw or boiled in water or mixed in
Photo 4. Iñupiat elders gathering and identifying plants (courtesy of IHLC).
KAKTOVIK HARVEST TIMING
The timing of the harvest of a particular resource was influenced by a number of factors over the study period. These include: species availability, the quality of the resource in a particular season, relative abundance, and village social factors. Regardless, patterns of harvest for the various resources were evident. Some harvests had very specific timing like the bowhead whale hunt, while other resources like caribou were spread over time and taken in every month of the year (2007-2012). Below is a general overview of Kaktovik harvest timing listed by resource category. The summary spans all five years of the study (2007-2012) (Figure 1).
Fish Fish were harvested in every month of the year in particular dolly varden. The only other resource category harvested throughout the year were terrestrial mammals, specifically caribou. The bulk of the other species of fish were taken during the summer months.
Marine Mammals
Marine mammals were taken from April through December during the study period. Seals were the most common species taken with July and August the principle months. Bowhead whales are harvested in early September with very few exceptions in a well-organized village hunt.
Terrestrial Mammals Terrestrial mammals were harvested in every month of the year for caribou in particular. While hunting took place year-round, the greatest numbers of terrestrial mammals were harvested in the summer months (July and August). Furbearers were harvested primarily in late fall and winter months.
Birds Bird harvest was documented in nine months of the year with a peak in April, May and June. The fall harvest was a fairly minor component of the bird harvest. Ptarmigan harvest was distributed across more months than the other species with a peak in April and May for all years combined.
Figure 1. Percent harvest by month for all years of the study (2007-2012) by resource category.
ISUA “CONCLUSION”
AKTUUTIT NIQSAĠNIĠMUN “FACTORS AFFECTING HARVEST RESULTS”
Understanding the subsistence hunting and harvesting practices of Iñupiat people helps explain the annual variability of the harvest. For the Iñupiat, subsistence is often described as: “our way of life”. The subsistence process is a “seasonal-round,” continually evolving sequence of harvesting, inclusive of available species at different times of year. The seasonal variability of the harvest is tied to natural and human-induced variation of the ecosystem throughout the year.
The Arctic is changing rapidly and is warming more quickly than other areas of the world. That change affects the everyday life and harvest success of Iñupiat in many ways. New species are moving to the North Slope such as the appearance of humpback whales and increasing numbers of gray whales near Barrow (Clark et al. 2013). However, this does not mean that hunters will target these species. There is an assumption by some management agencies, and outside individuals, that because sub-arctic species are moving into the Arctic, that hunters will harvest them. Said another way, if there is an increase in the population size of a species, some expect hunters will target them more often. For example, in recent years the North Slope has seen a tremendous growth in the numbers of the lesser snow goose and salmon. That does not mean that North Slope hunters have or will target snow geese; however, they may as they become more familiar with them. The Iñupiat have customary and traditional practices but also have food and taste preference which is often overlooked in some harvest studies.
The harvest year 2010 was unusual in several ways. It was the highest year for beluga (8.1 estimated) harvest. Beluga are not taken in high numbers at Qaaktuġvik compared with villages like Point Lay, which may take 50 beluga in some years. There was a considerable number of brown bears harvested (11.8 estimated), and it was the second highest year for wolverine harvest (3.5 estimated); but 2010 was the lowest harvest overall for all species in numbers and total pounds.
Caribou and Dall’s sheep were the two most important terrestrial resource for the Qaaktuġviŋmiut, and caribou was one of the most important subsistence resources overall. Through the survey years of 2007-2012, caribou were harvested in fairly consistent numbers with a range of 150-185 animals, except in the year 2010. In 2010, 115 estimated caribou were harvested and low caribou harvest was not substantially supported by other terrestrial animals. As noted above, harvest estimates for 2010 were the lowest year of the study period.
As is the case with all subsistence harvest studies, there are inherent problems with sampling a community that can skew the data and results. Factors that likely affected this survey included: the memory acuity of the hunters, whether the surveyor asked about a specific species (see methods), and the mood of the respondent, and their rapport with our staff.
Allat Aglaaŋit “LITERATURE CITED”
Anderson, D. D. 1984. Prehistory of north Alaska. In W. C. Sturtevant & D. Damas (Eds.), Handbook of North American Indians, Arctic. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, pp. 80-93.
Bacon, J.J., Hepa, T.R., Brower, H.K., Pederson, M., Olemaun, T.P., George, G.C., Corrigan, B.G. 2011. Estimates of Subsistence Harvest for Villages of the North Slope of Alaska, 1994-2003. Barrow, AK: Department of Wildlife Management, North Slope Borough.
Brower, H.K., Olemaun, T.P, Hepa, T.R. 2000. Subsistence Harvest Documentation Project: Data for Kaktovik, Alaska for the period December 1, 1994 to November 30, 1995. Barrow, AK: Department of Wildlife Management, North Slope Borough.
Clarke, J.T., Christman, C.L., Grassia, S.L., Brower, A.A., and Ferguson, M.C. 2013. Distribution and relative abundance of marine mammals in the Northeastern Chukchi and Western Beaufort Seas, 2012. Annual Report, OCS Study BOEM 2013-00117. National Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NMFS, NOAA, Seattle, WA.
George, C., Moulton, L., Johnson, M. 2009. A Field Guide to the Common Fishes of North Slope of Alaska.
Jacobson, M.J., & Wentworth, C. 1982. Kaktovik subsistence: land use vales through time in the Arctic national Wildlife Refuge area. Fairbanks, AK: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Northern Alaska Ecological services.
Jenness. S.E. 1991. Arctic Odyssey: The Diary of Diamond Jenness 1913-1916. Hull, Quebec, CA: Canadian Museum of Civilization.
Kaveolook, H. 1977. Kaktovik on Barter Island: A brief history of Kaktovik and its schools. North Slope Borough School District. Prepared for the Education Hearings during the first Inuit Circumpolar Conference, held in Barrow Alaska June 13-17, 1977. 22pp.
Klerekoper, F.D. 1977. Diary of Fred G. Klerekoper: Dogsled Trip from Barrow to Demarcation Point, 1936-1945. Barrow, AK: North Slope Borough Commission on History and Culture, June 1977.
Leffingwell, E.K. 1919. The Canning River Region, northern Alaska. USGS Professional Paper #109. Washington D.C. 242pp.
Libbey, D. 1983. Kaktovik area Cultural Resource Survey. Barrow, AK: North Slope Borough Planning Department.
North Slope Borough. 1980. Qiñiqtuagaksrat Utuqqanaat Iñuuniaġniaŋisiqun: The traditional land use inventory for the mid-Beaufort Sea, vol. I. Barrow, AK: North Slope Borough Commission on History and Culture.
Nielson, J. M. 1977. Beaufort Sea Study-Historic and Subsistence Site Inventory: A preliminary cultural resource assessment. Barrow AK: North Slope Borough.
O’Connell, D. 1999. The Yukon Presbyterian: An Unauthorized Biography: 100 years of Presbyterian work in the northern parts of Alaska, 342 pages. Digitized by University of Wisconsin, January 8, 2010, January 1999.
Okakok, L. 1981. In Puiguikaat: The 1978 Elders Conference, Gary Keane, ed. Barrow, AK: North Slope Borough Commission on History and Culture. 653pp.
Shepro, C.E., Maas, D.C., Callaway, D.G., and McAnich, J. 2010. North Slope Borough 2010 Economic Profile and Census Report: Volume X. Barrow, AK: North Slope Borough Department of Planning and Community Services.
APPENDIX 1.Form used for household interview in the subsistence harvest documentation recall survey
APPENDIX 2.Edible weight conversion factors used to compute estimates of edible weight harvested based on estimates from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game or the North Slope Borough Department of Wildlife Management.
Sampled Converted Conversion Source Species Iñupiaq Name Units Units Factor Agency Arctic Char Iqalukpik Ind. Lbs. 2.8 ADFG Arctic Char Paiqłuk, Iqalukpik Ind. Lbs. 2.8 ADFG Arctic Cisco Qaaktaq Ind. Lbs. 0.7 ADFG Arctic Cod Iqaluġaq Ind. Lbs. 0.2 ADFG Arctic Flounder Nataaġnaq Ind. Lbs. 0.5 ADFG Arctic Grayling Sulukpaugaq Ind. Lbs. 0.8 ADFG Arctic Ground Siksrik Ind. Lbs. 0.41 ADFG Squirrel Bearberry, Black Kavlaq, Kavlat, Kavluraq Quarts Lbs. 1 ADFG NSB, Bearded Seal Ugruk Ind. Lbs. 200 DWM Beluga Whale Qilalugaq/Sisuaq Ind. Lbs. 995 ADFG Bering Cisco Tipuq Ind. Lbs. 1 ADFG Berries Quarts Lbs. 1 ADFG Black Bear Iggaġri Ind. Lbs. 88 ADFG Black Brant Niġliñġaq Ind. Lbs. 3 ADFG Blackberries Quarts Lbs. 1 ADFG Blueberry Asiaq Quarts Lbs. 1 ADFG Blueberry leaves Asiaviqutat Quarts Lbs. 1 ADFG NSB, Bowhead Whale Aġviq Ind. Lbs. 15000 DWM Broad Whitefish Aanaakłiq Ind. Lbs. 2.57 ADFG Brown Bear Akłaq Ind. Lbs. 100 ADFG Burbot Tittaaliq Ind. Lbs. 4 ADFG Canada Goose Iqsraġutilik Ind. Lbs. 4.5 ADFG Caribou Tuttu Ind. Lbs. 117 ADFG NSB, Chum (Dog) Salmon Iqalugruaq Ind. Lbs. 3 DWM Clams Imaniq Gal. Lbs. 1.6 ADFG Common Eider Amauligruaq, Quagak Ind. Lbs. 1.5 ADFG Cranberries Kimmigñaq Quarts Lbs. 1 ADFG Crowberry Paungaq, Paungak, Paungat Quarts Lbs. 1 ADFG Dall Sheep Imnaiq Ind. Lbs. 99 ADFG Dolly Varden Iqalukpik Ind. Lbs. 2.8 ADFG Ducks Ind. Lbs. 1.5 ADFG Eider Ind. Lbs. 1.5 ADFG Eider Eggs Mannik Ind. Lbs. 0.3 ADFG Fourhorn Sculpin Kanayuq Ind. Lbs. 0.6 ADFG Fox, Arctic (White) Tiġiganniaq Ind. Lbs. - ADFG Fox, Cross Qianġaq Ind. Lbs. - ADFG Fox, Red Ind. Lbs. - ADFG Geese Niġliq Ind. Lbs. 4.5 ADFG Geese unidentified Niġliq Ind. Lbs. 4.5 ADFG Humpback Whitefish Pikuktuuq Ind. Lbs. 0.8 ADFG King (Chinook) Iqalugruaq Ind. Lbs. 9.4392 ADFG Salmon King Eider Qingalik Ind. Lbs. 1.5 ADFG Lake Trout Iqaluaqpak Ind. Lbs. 4 ADFG
Sampled Converted Conversion Source Species Iñupiaq Name Units Units Factor Agency Least Cisco Iqalusaaq Ind. Lbs. 1 ADFG Lesser Snow Goose Kaŋuq Ind. Lbs. 4.5 ADFG Long-tailed Duck Aaqhaaliq Ind. Lbs. 1.5 ADFG Long-tailed Eggs Ind. Lbs. 0.15 ADFG Lowbush Cranberry, Kimmigñaq, Quarts Lbs. 1 ADFG Lingonberry Mallard Kurugaqtaq Ind. Lbs. 1 ADFG Moose Tuttuvak Ind. Lbs. 500 ADFG Muskox Umiŋmak Ind. Lbs. 593 ADFG NSB, Northern Pike Siulik Ind. Lbs. 1.5 DWM Pacific Loon Qaqsrauq Ind. Lbs. 3 ADFG Pink (Humpback) Amaqtuuq Ind. Lbs. 1.7 ADFG Salmon Pintail Kurugaq Ind. Lbs. 0.8 ADFG Polar Bear Nanuq Ind. Lbs. 496 ADFG Porcupine Qingalik Ind. Lbs. 8 ADFG Ptarmigan Aqargiq Ind. Lbs. 0.7 ADFG Rainbow Smelt Iłhuaġniq Ind. Lbs. 0.12 ADFG Reindeer Qunŋiq Ind. Lbs. 117 ADFG Rhubarb Quŋulliq Lbs. Lbs. 1 ADFG Ringed Seal Natchiq Ind. Lbs. 42 ADFG Rock Ptarmigan Niksaaktuŋiq Ind. Lbs. 1 ADFG Saffron Cod Uugaq Ind. Lbs. 0.21 ADFG Salmon Ind. Lbs. 3.1 ADFG Salmonberry, Aqpik, Aqpik Quarts Lbs. 1 ADFG Cloudberry NSB, Sandhill Crane Tatirgak Ind. Lbs. 4 DWM Seagull Eggs Mannich Ind. Lbs. 0.16 ADFG Silver Salmon Ind. Lbs. 4.59 ADFG Slimy Sculpin Kanayuq Ind. Lbs. 0.6 ADFG Snow Geese Kaŋuq Ind. Lbs. 4.5 ADFG Sour Dock Gal. Lbs. 1 ADFG Spotted Seal Qasiġiaq Ind. Lbs. 42 ADFG Stink Weed, Sargiq, Sargiġruaq Gal. Lbs. 1 ADFG Wormwood Tundra Swan Qugruk Ind. Lbs. 10 ADFG Weasel Itiġiaq Ind. Lbs. - ADFG Whitefish Ind. Lbs. 0.7 ADFG White-Fronted Geese Niġliq Ind. Lbs. 4.5 ADFG Wigeon Ugiihiq Ind. Lbs. 1.31 ADFG Wild Rhubarb, Quŋulliq Gal. Lbs. 1 ADFG Mountain Sorrel Wild Spinach Quagaq Gal. Lbs. 1 ADFG Wild Spinach, Sour Quagaq Gal. Lbs. 1 ADFG Dock, Arctic Dock Willow Ptarmigan Aqargiq Ind. Lbs. 1 ADFG Wolf Amaġuq Ind. Lbs. - ADFG Wolverine Qavvik Ind. Lbs. - ADFG Yellow-Billed Loon Tuullik Ind. Lbs. 9 ADFG
APPENDIX 3. List of subsistence resources historically utilized by residents of the North Slope of Alaska.
English-Common Iñupiaq Genus & Species
BIRDS
Bird Eggs Mannik
American Golden Plover Tuulligłuk Pluvialis dominica Black Brant Niġliñġaq Branta bernicla Black Guillemot Iŋaġiq Cepphus grylle Canada Goose Iqsraġutilik Branta canadensis Common Eider Amauligruaq Somateria mollissima Common Murre Akpa Uria aalge Dunlin Iłłauqtulik, Calidris alpina Siggukpaligauraq Glaucous Gull Nauyyaq, Nauyaq Larus hyperboreus Godwit Turraaturaq Limosa lapponica Golden Plover Tuullik Pluvialis dominica Greater Scaup Qaqłuktuuq Aythya marila Green-winged Teal Qaiŋŋiq Anas crecca King Eider Qiŋalik Somateria spectabilis Least Sandpiper Lavaluġauraq Calidris minutilla Long-billed Dowitcher Siggukpalik Limnodromus scolopaceus Lesser Snow Goose Kaŋuq Chen caerulescens Long-tailed Duck Aaqhaaliq Clangula hyemalis Mallard Kurugaqtaq Anas platyrhynchos Northern Shoveler Aluuttaq, Qaiḷuutaq Anas clypeata Pacific Loon Qaqsrauq Gavia pacifica Pectoral Sandpiper Puvviaqtuuq Calidris melanotos Pintail Kurugaq Anas acuta Red-Breasted Merganser Aqpaqsruayuuq Mergus serrator Red-Necked Phalarope Qayyiuġun Phalaropus lobatus Red Phalarope Auksruaq Phalaropus fulicaria Red-Throated Loon Qaqsraupiaġruk Gavia stellata Rock Ptarmigan Niksaaktuŋiq Lagopus mutus Ruddy Turnstone Taliqvak, Tuullignaq Arenaria interpres Sandhill Crane Tatirgak Grus canadensis Semi-palmated Plover Qurraaquraq Charadrius semipalmatus Semi-palmated Sandpiper Livalivaq Calidris pusilla
Small Sandpiper Saavġaq Calidris bairdii Snowy Owl Ukpik Nyctea scandiaca Spectacled Eider Qavaasuk Somateria fischeri Steller’s Eider Igniqauqtuuq Polysticta stelleri Thick-Billed Murre Akpa Uria lomvia Tundra Swan Quġruk Cygnus columbianus Whimbrel Siituvak Numenius phaeopus White-Fronted Geese Niġlivialuk Anser albifrons White-Rumped Sandpiper Qupilġuqsiuyuk Calidris fuscicollis
Wigeon Kurugaġnaq Anus americana Willow Ptarmigan Aqargiq Lagopus lagopus Yellow-Billed Loon Tuullik Gavia adamsii
MARINE MAMMALS
Bearded Seal Ugruk Erignathus barbatus Beluga Whale Qiḷalugaq/Sisuaq Delphinapterus leucas Bowhead Whale Aġviq Balaena mysticetus Polar Bear Nanuq Ursus maritimus Ribbon Seal Qaiġulik Histriophoca fasciata Ringed Seal Natchiq Phoca hispida Spotted Seal Qasiġiaq Phoca largha Walrus Aiviq Odobenus rosmarus
TERRESTRIAL MAMMALS
Arctic Ground Squirrel Siksrik Spermophilus parryii Arctic Marmot Siksrikpak Marmota broweri Black Bear Iggaġri Ursus americanus Brown Bear Akłaq Ursus arctos Caribou Tuttu Rangifer tarandus Dall Sheep Imnaiq Ovis dalli Ermine Itiġiaq Mustela erminea Fox, Arctic (White) Tiġiganniaq Vulpes lagopus Fox, Cross Qianġaq Vulpes vulpes Fox, Red Kayuqtuq Vulpes vulpes
Fox, Silver Qiġñiqtaq Vulpes vulpes Least weasel Itiġiaq Mustela nivalis Lynx Niutuiyiq Lynx canadensis Moose Tuttuvak Alces alces Musk ox Umiŋmak Ovibos moschatus Porcupine Qiŋaġluk Erethizon dorsatum Snowshoe Hare Ukalliq Lepus americanus Wolf Amaġuq Canis lupus Wolverine Qavvik Gulo gulo
FISH
Arctic Char Iqalukpik, Paiqłuk Salvelinus alpinus Arctic Cisco Qaaktaq Coregonus autumnalis Arctic Cod Iqaluġaq Boreogadus saida Arctic Flounder Nataaġnaq Liopsetta glacialis Arctic Grayling Sulukpaugaq Thymallus arcticus Arctic Lamprey Nimiġiaq Lampetra japonica Bering Cisco Tipuq Coregonus laurettae Blackfish Iłuuqiñiq Dallia pectoralis Broad Whitefish Aanaakłiq Coregonus nasus Burbot Tittaaliq Lota lota Capelin Paŋmaksraq Mallotus villosus Chum (Dog) Salmon Iqalugruaq Oncorhynchus keta Dolly Varden Iqalukpik Salvelinus malma Fourhorn Sculpin Kanayuq Myoxocephalus quadricornis Humpback Whitefish Pikuktuuq Coregonus pidschian Sheefish or Inconnu Siiġruaq Stenodu leucichthys King (Chinook) Salmon Iqalugruaq Oncorhynchus tshawytscha Lake Trout Iqaluaqpak Salvelinus namaycush Least Cisco Iqalusaaq Coregonus sardinella Longnose Sucker Milugiaq Catostomus catostomus Northern Pike Siulik Esox lucius Pacific Herring Uqsruqtuuq Clupea pallasii Pink (Humpback) Salmon Amaqtuuq Oncorhynchus gorbuscha Rainbow Smelt Iłhuaġniq Osmerus mordax Round Whitefish Saviġunnaq Prosopium cylindraceum Saffron Cod (Tom cod) Uugaq Eleginus gracilis Slimy Sculpin Kanayuq Cottus cognatus Sockeye (Red) Salmon Oncorhynchus nerka Starry Flounder Nataaġnaq Platichthys stellatus
INVERTEBRATES
Arctic Crab Puyyugiaq Clams Imaniq Least Shrimp Igliġaq
VEGETATION
Dried Plants Palliksrat Flower/Plant Nauriaq Root Piļġa Roots Masu, Aiġak Tea Tii Tea Leaves Tiiġruaq Tobacco Leaf Suraġruaq
PLANTS
Alder Nunaŋiak Alnus crispa Blueberry leaves Asiaviqutat Vaccinium uliginosum Buttercup Taqilakisaaq Ranunculus spp. Coltsfoot Mapkutitaaġruaq, Petasites frigidus Cottongrass Aqłaktaq Eriophorum spp. Cottongrass stems Qimmiurat Eriophorum spp. Crowberry Leaves Paunġat Empetrum nigrum Dwarf Fireweed Quppiqutat Epilobium latifolium Eskimo Potato Masu Hedysarum alpinum Fungus, bracket Avvatchiqiq Ganoderma applanatum Heather Pilġaurat, Cassiope tetragona Labrador Tea Tilaaqqiq, Ledum palustre Lichen, or brown moss Mumikataq Lichen, black Mumiqattat, kukuutit, mumiqqat Lichen, finger Kivviġiruaq Dactylina spp. Lichen Niqaaq Cladonia rangiferina Moss, Dried Maniq Moss, Reindeer Qaġliuraq Moss, Sphagnum Uġruq Onion Aiñaq Allium spp. Pink Plumes Ippiq, Polygonum viviparum and P. bistorta Soapberry, Soopollalie Uqpiŋñaq Shepherdia canadensis Stink Weed, Wormwood Sarġiq, Sargiġruaq, Artemisia tilesii Wild Rhubarb, or Quŋulliq, Oxyria digyna Mountain Sorrel Wild Spinach, Sour Dock Quaġaq, Rumex arcticus or Arctic Dock
Willow Uqpik, Salix spp. Willow, Felt-leaf Misuq, Ukpik Salix alaxensis
Willow, stems w/fuzzy ends Qimmiuraq Salix spp. Woolly lousewort Itqiḷiġruaq Pedicularis lanata
BERRIES
Bearberry, Kinnickkinnick Tinnik Arctostaphylos uva-ursi Bearberry, Red Aŋurvak, Arctostaphylos rubra
Bearberry, Black Kavlaq, Kavlat, Kavluraq Arctostaphylos alpina Blueberry Asiaq, Asiraq, Asiat, Asiavik Vaccinium uliginosum Crowberry Paunġaq, Paunġak, Paunġat Empetrum nigrum Lowbush Cranberry or Kimmigłaq, Kimmigñaq Vaccinium vitis-idaea Lingonberry Kimmiŋñat, Kimmigñauraq Kikminnaq Salmonberry, Cloudberry Aqpik, Aqpiik Rubus chamaemorus