Summer2015 Kawerak, Inc. 32nd Annual Rural Providers he Kawerak Regional and Rural Providers conference on Jun 1-4 offered workshops, Conference, By Barb Nickels, Conference Coordinator T meetings, and talking circles addressing a host of triumphs and challenges in western Alaska. Each day began with a keynote speaker, whose message was aired on KNOM each morning. To hear excerpts, go to : http://www.knom.org/wp/ blog/2015/06/08/in-their- own-words-keynote- speakers-from-the- kawerak-regional-and- rural-providers- Keynote speakers from the 2015 Kawerak Rural Providers’ Conference, from left to right: Donna Lee Ann Barr, Andrea Irrigoo, Lucy Apatiki, & Darlene Trigg. Photos: Nome Chamber of Commerce. See more regional conference photos on page 5. Lemonade Day 2015, By Alice Bioff Business Planning Specialist and Trisha Walters, E-commerce Specialist he purpose of Lemonade involve me and I'll understand," a June 13. One might think teaching fun and exciting for the entire day is teaching business Chinese proverb. Over 325 youth business skills to youth K-12 would community. After visiting a few T skills through experiential at approximately 170 stands across be difficult, but thanks to the stands and receiving feedback learning. "Tell me and I'll forget; the Bering Strait Region opened national program called Lemonade from parents, we find that show me and I may remember; up for business on Lemonade Day, Day, it can be done in a way that is Continued on page 8 PAID PAID PERMIT #456 PERMIT PRESRT STD PRESRT US POSTAGE POSTAGE US ANCHORAGE, AK ANCHORAGE, Most Creative Product Award: Cedar Busk, Ourea Busk, Violet Jack, Ezra Jack, and Turi Busk won in Unalakleet with the stand Tundra Treats! They will each receive a $20 gift card and a children's size Lem- onade Day apron. Thank you everyone who took the time to vote! Kawerak Newsletter Kawerak Inc. Kawerak, 948 Box PO 99762 AK Nome, phone (907)443-5231 “Our lemonade stand was named "Tundra Treats". We built our stand Kawerak Newsletter (formerly named Uqaaqtuaq News) is an informational newsletter out of recycled wood pallets and scrap wood. We also themed our produced by Kawerak with contributions from UAF Northwest Campus and other partner stand after the tundra and used a variety of berries in all our treats. agencies. Articles and photos can be sent to [email protected] or call (907)443-4345. We had blueberry lemonade, blueberry cinnamon rolls, salmonberry vanilla cupcakes, and cranberry-orange bread, all made from tundra Ublaakun suli translated in the Inupiaq language means: Tomorrow again! berries.” Quyanna! Visit our website at www.kawerak.org. Summer 2015 Kawerak, Inc. An Ocean Way of Life, By Katya Wassille, Eskimo Walrus Commission & Melissa Poe, University of Washingon, reprinted by permission of Earthzine, April 24, 2015. ife in Alaska Native coastal communities L revolves around the ocean and all that it provides. For thou- sands of years, Iñupiaq, Central Yup’ik, Cup’ik, St. Lawrence Island Yupik, and Aleut communities along Alaska’s Bering and Chukchi seas have depended on marine resources to meet their physical, nutritional, spiritual, and cultural needs. This dependence is the foundation of a reciprocal rela- A family’s walrus meat rack is full during a normal harvest season in Gambell, in the spring of 2012. tionship between the people and The same meat rack is nearly empty during the walrus harvest disaster in the spring of 2013. the ocean that has been main- Image Credits: Martin Robards, Wildlife Conservation Society tained since time immemorial. “Walrus will always be part of also provide small amounts of chain. People are part of this food through their traditional institu- our lives. It always has been part of money in an otherwise cash- chain. There is considerable tions and co-management roles. our lives...The food, the way we limited environment. Pacific uncertainty about how various But the vast majority of ocean talk about our stories, how we walrus are integral to the way of species will fare under more acidic resource consumption is global, interact with people, how we life, cultural identity, and commu- sea water conditions, and if walrus and the pollution from fossil-fuel respect people for doing this and nity health of the indigenous will be able to find alternative burning thousands of miles away doing that. That is basically how I people of the Bering and Chukchi prey, particularly if diminishing ice is already manifesting in climate think all the subsistence hunting seas. forces walrus to rely on coastal and ocean changes that affect does for us … it bonds us together Impacts to Walrus haul-outs, constraining their small-scale subsistence communi- and that is why we live here in this The impact of deteriorating sea foraging to smaller areas. Cumu- ties along the Bering and Chukchi community … we are subsistence ice, which walrus depend on for lative threats to walrus and clams seas. hunters. It will always be strong in resting, calving, nursing, and are expected, however, present- The Bering Sea communities the community.” - John Sinnok - other uses, is becoming more ing cause for concern for Alaska most dependent on Pacific walrus, Shishmaref. widely recognized. Now a new sea Native subsistence communities Gambell and Savoonga on St. Now, however, Alaska Native change threatens the walrus, and and their cultural continuity. Lawrence Island and Little hunting and fishing communities Alaska Natives. The main food Our walrus hunting is from a very Diomede in the middle of the face cumulative pressures from source for walrus - clams and long time ago … For the future, Bering Strait, have suffered ocean changes. Sea ice is dimin- other benthic calcifying organ- neqekaghput panineng (it is still severe food shortages in the past ishing and becoming increasingly isms - is vulnerable to ocean acidi- our food). One hundred years from two years. Unusual sea ice and unpredictable, fisheries are declin- fication. Lower pH levels in ocean now I’d like to see our community weather conditions have blocked ing, and culturally important spe- waters can impede shell forma- still hunting walrus. More than ever their hunters’ access to the cies such as the Pacific walrus are tion, weakening and killing clams we need to help each other, let us walrus, causing record low har- under threat. These changes and other seafloor invertebrates. work together. - Jason Papuuki vests and forcing them to declare upset travel routes and subsis- The same factor that is causing Nowpakahok -Gambell walrus harvest disasters in order tence strategies of hunters, make the sea ice to shrink (carbon diox- Impacts to Communities to obtain food aid. the seas less safe, impact animal ide emissions) also is driving down Respect, reciprocity, and avoid- For now, the Pacific walrus migrations, and undermine food pH in the Bering and Chukchi ing waste are traditional ecologi- population remains healthy security. seas, whose cold waters are cal principles of ocean steward- despite rapid habitat change. The From Barrow to Bristol Bay, already particularly vulnerable to ship for Alaska Native communi- communities of Gambell, Alaska Native communities acidification. ties of the Bering and Chukchi Savoonga, and Diomede are depend on the Pacific walrus as an Alaska Native subsistence hunt- seas. Communities limit their har- hopeful that favorable hunting important source of food, as well ers view ocean ecosystems as vests and take only what they conditions will return in coming as materials for skin boats and interconnected and recognize need each year. Respect and seasons, but their experience ivory to support practical and that negative impacts on a prey thanks are given to the walrus gives a taste of the perils looming artistic traditions of carving that species reverberate up the food through song and dance and as carbon dioxide emissions rise. other gestures of a spiritual nature These changes threaten not only to ensure balance. Food sharing food resources and community and gifts to elders and families in resilience, but cultural survival and need strengthen community physical and psychological well- cohesion and well-being. Walrus being. Subsistence cannot be hunting is one of the ways separated from culture, and the through which older family mem- possibility of unavailable marine bers impart ocean knowledge, resources hangs heavy on the subsistence skills, and steward- hearts and minds of Alaska ship principles to younger genera- Natives. tions, beginning with family hunt- The Future for Walrus and ing trips in childhood. Walrus-Reliant Communities If practicing stewardship and Alaska Native rights to marine minimizing the waste of ocean mammal subsistence harvests are resources were purely local recognized specifically in the Group of walruses hauled out on an ice floe at Cape Seniavin. actions, Alaska Native communi- Marine Mammal Protection Act Image Credit: Joel Garlich-Miller, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. ties might exert greater influence continued on page 3 Kawerak Newsletter Page 2 Summer 2015 Kawerak, Inc. Walk for Life, By Panganga Pungowiyi, Wellness Director 2015 GED Graduates By Ron Huffman, Community Education Program Director he 7th Annual Walk for Life was awerak’s Adult Basic Education (ABE) and General T held as a state- Educational Development (GED) program is proud wide event on May 9 to K to recognize three GED graduates this year. demonstrate the strength Hannah Farris, of Nome, attended University of Alaska Fair- of our communities by banks, Northwest Campus 39th Annual Commencement celebrating our own heal- Ceremony at Old Saint Joe’s on May 7. Two other GED ing and showing support graduates, Phylos Strickling and Taylor Overpeck, were not for those in need. The able to attend. Hannah was awarded a gold rope, for her sig- Nome Native Youth Lead- nificant accomplishment in achieving “honors status” based ership Organization on her high test scores which hosted the Walk for Life in ranked her among the top Nome.