_______________ OCS Study BOEM 2012-109 Subsistence Study for the North Aleutian Basin U. S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Alaska Region www.boem.gov [PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK] OCS Study BOEM 2012-109 Subsistence Study for the North Aleutian Basin Authors Katherine Reedy-Maschner, Ph.D. Herbert Maschner, Ph.D. Department of Anthropology, Idaho State University, 921 S. 8th Avenue, Stop 8005, Pocatello, ID 83209-8005 USA Prepared under BOEM Contract M08PC20053 by Idaho State University 921 S. 8th Avenue Pocatello, Idaho 83209 Published by U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Alaska Region 2012 DISCLAIMER This report was prepared under contract between the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and Idaho State University. This report has been technically reviewed by BOEM, and it has been approved for publication. Approval does not signify that the contents necessarily reflect the views and policies of BOEM, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. It is, however, exempt from review and compliance with BOEM editorial standards. REPORT AVAILABILITY This report is available only in compact disc format from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Alaska Region, by referencing OCS Study BOEM 2012-109. The report may be downloaded from the boem.gov website through the Environmental Studies Program Information System (ESPIS). You will be able to obtain this report also from the National Technical Information Service in the near future. Here are the addresses. You may also inspect copies at selected Federal Depository Libraries. U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Ocean Energy Management National Technical Information Service Alaska Region 5285 Port Royal Road 3801 Centerpoint Dr, Suite 500 Springfield, Virginia 22161 Anchorage, AK 99503-5820 Phone: (703) 605-6040 Fax: (703) 605-6900 Telephone requests may be placed at Email: [email protected] (907) 334-5200 Fax: (907) 334-5202 CITATION Reedy-Maschner, K.L. and H.D.G. Maschner. 2012. Subsistence Study for the North Aleutian Basin. U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Alaska Region, Anchorage, AK. OCS Study BOEM 2012-109. 428 pp. i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors and study team wish to thank the community leaders and residents of Akutan, False Pass, Nelson Lagoon and Port Heiden for their interest, participation and assistance in completing the project. The Idaho State University Informatics Research Institute, Corey Schou and Jonathan Holmes, provided invaluable work assistance in developing an entirely unique database and graphical network analysis tool that allowed us to track complex sharing and trading networks while maintaining genetic and marriage relationships. This innovative approach was critical to meeting project objectives. This report has been reviewed by the BOEM and approved for publication. Approval does not signify that the contents necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Bureau, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. Project Management Katherine Reedy-Maschner, Ph.D., Principal Investigator and Herbert Maschner, Ph.D., co-Principal Investigator Research and Support Staff Dr. Corey Schou, ISU Informatics Research Institute Jonathan Holmes, M.S., ISU Informatics Research Institute Crystal Callahan, M.S., Field Assistant Buck Benson, B.A., GIS Technician Andrea Kayser, B.A., Data entry and analyses Grace Dotson, M.A., Data entry and analyses Katie Wilson, B.A., Data entry and analyses BOEM Technical Oversight Chris Campbell, M.A., Sociocultural Specialist Contracting Officer’s Representative Environmental Studies Section ii TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................... iii LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................................ vii LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................................... viii ACRONYMS ............................................................................................................................... xiv PART I ............................................................................................................................................ 1 CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 1 Purpose ........................................................................................................................................ 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 1 Scope of the Project ................................................................................................................ 1 Timeline .................................................................................................................................. 2 Research Goals and Objectives ................................................................................................... 3 Research Questions, Hypotheses, Tasks ................................................................................. 4 CHAPTER 2. BACKGROUND ..................................................................................................... 9 Regional Background .................................................................................................................. 9 Study Background ..................................................................................................................... 15 Social Network Analysis....................................................................................................... 15 Petroleum Politics ................................................................................................................. 21 Subsistence-Commercial....................................................................................................... 22 Management Regimes ........................................................................................................... 25 Conclusions ............................................................................................................................... 28 CHAPTER 3. METHODS ............................................................................................................ 31 Ethnographic Methods .............................................................................................................. 31 Survey Methods ........................................................................................................................ 33 Database Construction .............................................................................................................. 36 Mapping, GIS, and Traditional Ecological Geographies .......................................................... 36 PART II ......................................................................................................................................... 38 VILLAGE PROFILES AND SURVEY RESULTS ..................................................................... 39 CHAPTER 4. NELSON LAGOON .............................................................................................. 39 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 39 Recent Village History .............................................................................................................. 39 Political Landscape of Nelson Lagoon ..................................................................................... 41 Demographic Profile ................................................................................................................. 43 Fisheries and Economic Development...................................................................................... 44 Subsistence Practices ................................................................................................................ 45 Subsistence Security ............................................................................................................. 52 Spatial Information ............................................................................................................... 60 Crews and Cooperative Hunting and Fishing ....................................................................... 60 Networks ............................................................................................................................... 61 Environmental and Harvest Abundance Issues ..................................................................... 62 Community Economics ......................................................................................................... 63 Expenses and Expense Networks .......................................................................................... 65 iii Subsistence Equipment Owned, Shared, Purchased ............................................................. 68 Positive Influence on Community Life ..................................................................................... 69 Summary ..................................................................................................................................