COASTAL ECOLOGYAND WILD RESOURCEUSE IN THE CENTRAL BERING SEA AREA: HOOPERBAY AND KWIGILLINGOK by Alice Stickney Technical Paper Number 85 Alaska Department of Fish and Game Division of Subsistence September 1984 This research/ was partially funded by ANILCA Federal Aid Funds, administered through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Anchorage, Alaska TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures ................................................... V List of Tables .................................................... Vii Acknowledgements .................................................. viii Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION.......................................... 1 Background and Resource Issues ........................ 1 Research Design ....................................... 3 The Study Communities ................................. 4 Previous Research ..................................... 8 Research Objectives .................................. 9 Methodology and Data Collection Methods ............... 10 Chapter 2. NATURAL SETTING AND ECOLOGY........................... 15 Regional Profile ...................................... 15 Climate ............................................. 16 Topography .......................................... 17 Ocean Currents and Sea Ice .......................... 18 Village Setting ...................................... 20 Chapter 3 HISTORICAL BACKGROUNDAND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT....... 24 Historical Overview of the Study Area ................. 24 Historic Subsistence Patterns ........................ 33 Population Trends ..................................... 37 Contemporary Village Setting ......................... 41 Hooper Bay .......................................... 41 Kwigillingok ....................................... 53 Chapter 4 SPRING................................................ 64 Environmental Characteristics ....................... 64 Biological Characteristics of Spring Species ........ 65 Kwigillingok Spring Subsistence Activities ............ 75 Seal Hunting ........................................ 75 Walrus Huntino e ...................................... 88 Waterfowl and Other Bird Hunting and Egg Gathering . 91 Beaver Hunting ...................................... 98 Muskrat Hunting ..................................... 98 Herring Fishing. .................................... 99 Whitefish Fishing ................................... 104 Plant Gathering ..................................... 106 Hooper Bay Spring Subsistence Activities.............* 111 Seal Hunting ....................................... 111 Walrus Hunting ...................................... 121 Waterfowl and Other Bird Hunting and Egg Gathering . 124 Beaver Hunting ...................................... 135 Muskrat Hunting ..................................... 137 Herring Fishing ..................................... 142 Plant Gathering ..................................... 149 Discussion............................................ 155 Chapter 5. SUM~~R................................................ 159 Environmental Characteristics ....................... 159 Biological Characteristics of Summer Species ........ 160 Kwigillingok Summer Subsistence Activities..........,. 164 Salmon Fishing ...................................... 164 Other Fishing ....................................... 173 Clam Digging ........................................ 176 Bird Hunting ........................................ 179 Berry and Wood Gathering ............................ 180 Hooper Bay Summer Subsist8ence Activities.............. 186 Salmon Fishing ...................................... 186 Other Fishing ....................................... 191 Clam Digging ........................................ 197 Bird Hunting ........................................ 200 Berry and Wood Gathering ............................ 291 Discussion........ ,..,................................ 210 Chapter 6. FALL..................................,...,........... 215 Environmental Characteristics....................... 215 Kwigillingok Fall Subsistence Activities.............. 219 Seal Hunting ........................................ 220 Walrus Hunting ...................................... 222 Fishing ............................................. 224 Waterfowl Hunting ................................... 226 Plant Gathering ..................................... 228 iii Hooper Bay Fall Subsistence Activities................ 233 Seal Hunting ........................................ 233 Belukha Hunting ..................................... 235 Waterfowl Hunting ................................... 237 Fishing ............................................. 239 Plant Gathering ..................................... 244 Discussion.. 250 Chapter 7. WINTER . 253 Environmental Characteristics ....................... 253 Biological Characteristics of Fall Species .......... 253 Kwigillingok Winter Subsistence Activities............ 261 Trapping and Hunting of Furbearers .................. 261 Fishing ............................................. 267 Small Game Hunting .................................. 274 Wood Gathering ...................................... 276 Hooper Bay Winter Subsistence Activities.............. 278 Trapping and Hunting of Furbearers .................. 278 Fishing ............................................. 288 Seal Hunting ........................................ 311 Small Game Hunting .................................. 314 Wood Gathering ...................................... 318 Discussion.............. 320 Chapter 8. RESOURCEUSE ISSUES . 324 Chapter 9. DISCUSSION . ..a....................... 333 REFERENCES. 343 APPENDICES . ..~..... 351 A. Yup'ik Terms for Wildlife Resources: Kwigillingok. 351 B. Yup'ik Terms for Wildlife Resources: Hooper Bay... 355 C. Selected Ethnobotany: Kwigillingok................ 359 D. Selected Ethnobotany: Hooper Bay.................. 364 E. Seasonal Round: Kwigillingok...................... 369 F. Seasonal Round: Hooper Bay........................ 370 iV LIST OF FIGURES 1. Map of Alaska Showing Study Communities ....................... 7 2. Hooper Bay Population Profile, December lgal.................. 44 3. Hooper Bay Household Sizes .................................... 46 4. Age and Sex of Hooper Bay Heads of Households ................. 47 5. Kwigillingok Population Profile, December lgal................ 55 6. Kwigillingok Household Sizes .................................. 57 7. Age and Sex of Kwigillingok Heads of Households ............... 58 a. Seal Hunting Areas of Kwigillingok Residents .................. 76 9. Bird Hunting Areas of Kwigillingok Residents .................. 93 10. Marine Fish Areas of Kwigillingok Residents ................... 101 11. Plant Gathering Areas of Kwigillingok Residents ............... 107 12. Marine Mammal Hunting Areas of Hooper Bay Residents ........... 112 13. Bird Hunting Areas of Hooper Bay Residents .................... 125 14. Beaver, Muskrat and Hare Areas of Hooper Bay Residents ........ 139 15. Marine Fish Areas of Hooper Bay Residents ..................... 143 16. Plant Gathering Areas of Hooper Bay Residents ................. 151 17. Salmon Fishing Areas of Kwigillingok Residents ................ 166 la. Tomcod, Blackfish and Clam Areas of Kwigillingok Residents .... 177 19. Berry Picking Areas of Kwigillingok Residents ................. iai 20. Wood Gathering Areas of Kwigillingok Residents ................ 183 21. Summer Whitefish Areas of Hooper Bay Residents ................ 193 22. Clam Areas of Hooper Bay Residents ............................ 198 23. Berry Picking Areas of Hooper Bay Residents ................... 203 24. Wood Gathering Areas of Hooper Bay Residents .................. 206 25. Tomcod and Blackfish Areas of Hooner Bav ResFdents ............ 240 V 26. Furbearer Harvest Areas of Kwigillingok Residents ............. 262 27. Mink, Otter and Fox Areas of Hooper Bay Residents ............. 280 28. Winter Whitefish Areas of Hooper Bay Residents ................ 295 29. Needlefish Areas of Hooper Bay Residents ...................... 302 Vi LIST OF TABLES 1. Village Groups of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Coast .................... 5 2. Census Information for Hooper Bay ............................. 39 3. Census Information for Kwigillingok ........................... 40 4. Hooper Bay Wage Employment Opportunities, 1982 ................. 48 5. Transfer Payments in Hooper Bay in 1982 ........................ 52 6. Kwigillingok Wage Employment Opportunties, 1982 ................ 59 7. Transfer Payments in Kwigillingok in 1981...................... 61 Vii Acknowledgements I would like to thank the many kind families in Kwigillingok and Hooper Bay, who shared their knowledge, experiences, and hospitality with me, especially those families who generously provided me with a place to stay. I appreciate the patience shown to me and the willingness to take me along on resource harvesting trips. Without their assistance, cooperation, and generosity, this report would not have been possible. The help of George Sam and Alberta Mann also facilitated this project. I would further like to thank Elizabeth Andrews for helping me put together this report, even when the task was daunting; Linda Ellanna for always having faith; and my other friends, especially Theresa Mercurio and Richard Merculief, for listening and giving me moral support when I needed it. Ruth Southern had the unenviable task of typing this manuscript several times, and I am grateful for her efforts and continual