Neets'ąįį Gwich'in Planning and Development in a Pre- and Post-Settlement Context
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From camps to communities: Neets'ąįį Gwich'in planning and development in a pre- and post-settlement context Item Type Thesis Authors Stern, Charlene Barbara Download date 23/09/2021 12:11:01 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/11122/8745 FROM CAMPS TO COMMUNITIES: NEETS’4H GWICH’IN PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT IN A PRE- AND POST-SETTLEMENT CONTEXT By Charlene Barbara Stern, M.C.R.P. A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Indigenous Studies University of Alaska Fairbanks May 2018 © 2018 Charlene Barbara Stern APPROVED: Dr. Michael Koskey, Committee Co-Chair Dr. Beth Leonard, Committee Co-Chair Dr. F. Stuart Chapin III, Committee Member Dr. kas aruskevich, Committee Member Dr. Michael Koskey, Chair, Center for Cross-Cultural Studies Mr. Todd Sherman, Dean, College of Liberal Arts Dr. Michael Castellini, Dean o f the Graduate School Abstract This study focuses on the Neets’^jj Gwich’in, whose traditional territory is located in the northeastern interior of Alaska, and their experiences with planning and development. Prior to settling into permanent villages, the Neets’^jj lived in widely scattered camps moving in relation to seasonal subsistence resources. Equipped with extensive knowledge of their country, Neets’^jj people knew at any given time where the best places for certain animals and resources were and thus would camp closer to those areas. According to Neets’^jj oral history, life in the “those days” was preoccupied with basic survival. Planning ahead, being prepared, and adapting to changing conditions were some of the key strategies that enabled the Neets’^jj to survive from one generation to the next in one of the harshest climates in the world. The past 170 years has brought unprecedented change to the Neets’^jj. The socio economic and political context which historically defined the experience of the Neets’^jj shifted dramatically as a result of colonization, the establishment of permanent settlements and the ensuing need for community infrastructure. Today, the Neets’^jj are centralized in two villages, Vashr^jj K’qq (Arctic Village) and Vjjht^jj (Venetie), located within the boundaries of the 1.8 million-acre Venetie Indian Reserve. The transition from Neets’^jj camps to permanent communities has introduced many new needs including landfills, roads, power generation, etc. Whereas Neets’^jj ancestors traditionally used planning as a survival strategy, their descendants today use planning to attract external investment for much needed infrastructure. This dissertation explores the ways in which the Neets’^jj Gwich’in have engaged in planning and development in a pre- and post-settlement context. iii iv Table of Contents Page Title Page................................................................................................................................................ i Abstract .................................................................................................................................................iii Table of Contents .................................................................................................................................. v List of Figures .......................................................................................................................................ix List of Tables ........................................................................................................................................xi List of Appendices.............................................................................................................................xiii Preface.................................................................................................................................................. xv Chapter 1: Tr ’ookit (The Beginning) .................................................................................................... 1 Permanent Settlement of Villages.................................................................................................. 6 Transference and Division of Land................................................................................................7 Institutionalization of Community Development.........................................................................9 The Challenge(s)............................................................................................................................12 A Case Study: The Neets’^jj Gwich’in ........................................................................................16 Research Questions ....................................................................................................................... 18 Assumptions and Limitations.......................................................................................................19 Chapter 2: Yeenii Deegweeya’ Datthak Gwidehtty ’aa Nat ’in Haa Gwik ’yaljik ............................ 23 Indigenous Planning Theory ........................................................................................................ 23 Neets’^jj Gwich’in Literature ...................................................................................................... 28 Chapter Reflections....................................................................................................................... 35 Chapter 3: Gwik’eehaldal Gwankaiihtii ............................................................................................37 Positionality...................................................................................................................................37 Contextualizing Research Among theNeets ’qH.........................................................................40 v Research Design........................................................................................................................... 44 Relational Accountability ........................................................................................................... 46 Research Questions ...................................................................................................................... 48 Data Collection ............................................................................................................................ 49 Interviews............................................................................................................................... 49 Visual Methods ...................................................................................................................... 50 Participant Observation......................................................................................................... 50 Data Analysis ............................................................................................................................... 51 Triangulation .......................................................................................................................... 52 Bringing the Research Home ...................................................................................................... 53 Chapter 4: Geegarinkhii Tt’ee Gwik’it T ’igwii’in ............................................................................55 Gwich’in Planning Terminology................................................................................................. 55 Neets ’qH Planning Model Characteristics................................................................................... 57 Seasonal...................................................................................................................................58 Gilbert family seasonal movements................................................................................ 58 Khaiits’a’ (Fall-time)....................................................................................................... 59 Khaii (Winter-time)..........................................................................................................61 Shreenyaa (Spring-time).................................................................................................. 64 Shin (Summer-time) ..........................................................................................................64 Strategic...................................................................................................................................67 Disciplined.............................................................................................................................. 69 Chapter Reflections....................................................................................................................... 70 Chapter 5: Ch’ijuk Gweedhaa.............................................................................................................73 From Camps to Semi-Permanent Settlements............................................................................74 Sheenjik Village ...................................................................................................................... 76 vi Vashrqjj K ’gg.......................................................................................................................... 77 Zheh Gwatsal (Christian Village)..........................................................................................78 VHhtqH......................................................................................................................................78