GUIDANCE for SUSTAINABLE TOURISM in KOTZEBUE, ALASKA by Annabelle C. Alvite
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Guidance for Sustainable Tourism in Kotzebue, Alaska Item Type Thesis Authors Alvite, Annabelle C. Download date 28/09/2021 14:41:33 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/11122/66 GUIDANCE FOR SUSTAINABLE TOURISM IN KOTZEBUE, ALASKA By Annabelle C. Alvite RECOMMENDED: ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ Advisory Committee Chair ____________________________________________________ Academic Program Head Department of Alaska Native and Rural Development APPROVED: ____________________________________________________ Vice Chancellor, Rural, Community and Native Education College of Rural and Community Development ____________________________________________________ Dean of the Graduate School ____________________________________________________ Date GUIDANCE FOR SUSTAINABLE TOURISM IN KOTZEBUE, ALASKA A THESIS Presented to the Faculty of the University of Alaska Fairbanks in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS By Annabelle C. Alvite, B.A. Fairbanks, Alaska December 2008 iii Abstract Tourism once thrived in Kotzebue, a rural largely Iñupiat Eskimo community in Northwest Alaska. Today there is very little evidence of the summer tourism that once characterized this remote Arctic town. Trends suggest a revival of tourism in Kotzebue, though little is being done to prepare for an almost inevitable rebirth. This research is intended to identify local concerns about tourism, the current state of tourism and offer guidance for sustainable tourism. Qualitative and inductive research was conducted to understand local feelings about tourism and possible reasons past tourism levels could not be sustained. Suggestions are given for a new direction for tourism. Secondary research examined the concept of sustainable tourism, profiles of current and potential visitors to the region, and tools and strategies to manage tourism and its impacts. The study concludes past tourism did not have major detrimental effects on the community, and there are both lingering resentment and caution about future tourism, as well as definite local interest in its development. iv Table of Contents Page SIGNATURE PAGE……..………………………...…………………………......i TITLE PAGE..........................................................................................................ii Abstract .................................................................................................................iii Table of Contents ………………………………..……………………………... iv List of Figures....................................................................................................... vi List of Tables......................................................................................................... vi Acknowledgments................................................................................................ vii Chapter 1 Introduction.........................................................................................1 1.1 The Personal Connection…………………..…………….…...…….. 4 1.1.1 Why Kotzebue.......................................................................... 5 1.2 Problem Statement...............................................................................6 1.3 Potential Outcomes.............................................................................. 8 Chapter 2 Community Overview...................................................................... 10 2.1 Economy and Culture…………..……………….……………….…12 2.2 People and Community..................................................................... 19 Chapter 3 Methodology...................................................................................... 22 Chapter 4 Tourism in Kotzebue........................................................................ 27 4.1 Tourism Downturn............................................................................ 30 4.2 Tourism Today................................................................................... 32 4.3 Selected Challenges............................................................................ 35 4.3.1 Sport Hunting.........................................................................37 4.4 Selected Strengths.............................................................................. 40 Chapter 5 Sustainable Tourism......................................................................... 42 Chapter 6 Principles and Guidelines.................................................................50 6.1 Survey Results……............................................................................ 53 Chapter 7 A Plan for Community Development............................................. 55 7.1 Possibilities......................................................................................... 58 v Page 7.2 New Direction for Tourism............................................................... 60 Chapter 8 Conclusion......................................................................................... 66 References……………………………………………...…………………….….70 vi List of Figures Page Figure 1. Location Map of Kotzebue, Alaska........................................................1 Figure 2. Location Map of Northwest Arctic Borough....................................... 10 List of Tables Table 1. Sustainable Arctic Tourism Principles................................................. 51 Table 2. Ten Principles for Arctic Tourism…………....................................... 52 vii Acknowledgments Thanks to Dr. Rick Knecht, Dr. Gordon Pullar, and JoAnn Ducharme for serving on my committee; to Larry Dickerson for starting me on this path; to Gail Staudinger who is always there for all RD students. Special thanks to Dr. Ralph Gabrielli, Ross Weisman, and Minnie Naylor for help clearing the trees. Thank you to Susan Georgette and her family, Hannah Loon, Judy Stein, Ross Schaeffer, Sr., Vika Seal Owens, Kathy Ward Westlake, Kat Keith, Siikauraq Martha Whiting, and countless others on the trail, at camp, on the ice, fishing, and berry picking, in Kotzebue and the region who continue to remind me how blessed we are to live in this amazing and inspiring land with such amazing and inspiring people. How fortunate are the visitors who can experience even a moment of this. Most of all, thanks to my endlessly patient, supportive husband, Stanley Tomaszewski, who happily, is part of this amazing place. 1 Chapter 1 Introduction When the spring came, the snow melted, the whales came north and the geese flew over our lands. We knew there would come a scientist or two to dig around and ask us questions. They would stay about as long as the geese did. The only difference was, we hated to see the geese leave (Alaska Native Science Commission n.d.). This quote from the Alaska Native Science Commission (ANSC) website describes the “ambivalent feeling about 'eco-tourism' in rural Alaska" from an Alaska Native perspective. The reflection ends with the questions: Who will gain? Who will lose? Similar ambivalence marks the general attitude of many toward tourism in Kotzebue, Alaska, a remote town above the Arctic Circle (Figure 1). The leaders and decision makers as well as many other residents are well traveled and have seen "tourism" in other places. Having known Kotzebue when tourism was at its height, they are very familiar with both the benefits and negative impacts of tourism. Ν Kotzebue (Canada) ■ Alaska (USA) Anchorage Figure 1. Location map of Kotzebue, Alaska. (Source: Base map, NWAB website.) 2 How often does one hear from returning travelers, "Go before it's too late" or “Go before tourism destroys it,” or before a place becomes “too touristy”? Ellen Goodman, columnist for the Boston Globe, writes in “Hawaii weighs the toll of tourism” that “Hawaii has always been a bit ambivalent toward tourists” (Anchorage Daily News, March 31, 2001), noting that Captain Cook, treated as a god when he arrived, was murdered a year later, “after he had . overtaxed his welcome.” A myriad of articles, books, organizations, conferences, initiatives and other venues have sprung up and continue to do so, to express and address concerns about the negative impacts of tourism around the globe and how to deal with it (Boo 1990; Bosselman et al.. 1999; Getz 1983; Hall et al.. 1995; Johnston 1997; McLaren 1998). As a result of international concerns about the damage caused by unplanned, uncontrolled global tourism, concepts such as “sustainable tourism” and “ecotourism” were born. Based on the definition of “sustainable development” as stated in the Brundtland Report, “Our Common Future,” through the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development (UNWCED) sustainable tourism “meets the needs of present tourists and host regions while protecting and enhancing opportunities for the future” (McLaren 1998:109) and “leads to management of all resources such that economic, social and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled while maintaining the cultural integrity, essential ecological processes, and biological diversity and life support systems” (UNWCED 1987) of the host destination. Sustainable tourism in essence is in harmony with the local environment, community and cultures, so that these are not harmed but rather, benefit from tourism development. I was truly blessed to have lived and traveled overseas for several years. From what I had seen of tourism as a whole, it had a long way to go to reach this lofty definition of being “sustainable.” As a result