Arctic Meeting

Concerns, Causes, Ideas for Action

www.nativeknowledge.org

Summary areas

Health of animals Imbalance of predators Respect for animals Health of people Sources of contaminants Onshore development Offshore development Climate change Use of our knowledge Ideas for Action

Concerns – health of animals

Caribou: skinny, sick (pus, tumors), fewer around – vegetation is slow growing and there may be too many caribou

Caribou with liver that is whitish with cysts on it

Groups of caribou that have died (Nuiqsut, Point Hope). Why? Need report.

Caribou used to be around lakes – now fewer

Moose also used to be around lakes and eat off bottom; now they taste different

Beluga: pus Polar Bears: hungry, skinny Grayling – taste varies from river to

river Fish with things ? in their bodies Skinnier wolves, wolverines, brown

bears

Concerns – health of animals

What happens when fox, wolf eat caribou with cysts on livers – had same cysts (see Warren’s comments)

Fewer small birds: spectacled eiders, phalaropes

Grayling taste different – better in rivers further south

Starving eider ducks (Kaktovik) – sensitive to long winter this year

Concerns – imbalance with too many predators

Imbalance in ecosystem with over-populations of predators

Grizzlies eat salmon eggs, decreasing salmon population

Too many seagulls are diminishing the small bird populations by eating their eggs – including Spectacled Eider

Ravens (Anaktuvuk Pass) also have been eating eggs

Concerns – imbalance with too many predators

Snow Geese, brants other species of waterfowl being killed by fox

A lot of foxes because they are no longer trapped

Polar bears getting nearer communities, damage camps

Not allowed to sell polar bear hides Should make pelts available to local

communities first

Concerns – human respect for animals

Some people disrespect animals like polar bears by tranquilizing them and tagging them

When the caribou gets fat, the collar can choke them. Why collar them? Need for a different procedure.

A moose seen from a plane that had died with a collar (Kaktovik)

Concerns – respect for animals

On Barter Island, put collars on grizzlies, they said they had “a lot of fun” doing this.

Collaring of a grizzlie can be too tight and cause them to lack oxygen (and act deranged)

Animal’s brain may not work right after being tranquilized

Knowing where fish and animals migrate is good, but tagging is disturbing

Concerns – respect for animals

Young hunters disturbing animals Should let first animals past before

tagging so as not to interrupt migration

Concerns – health of people

People getting sick after living near dump sites that we were not warned about

Nuclear testing 1947-68 – exposures affecting us now

Iodine 131 – people used as subjects of experiments, don’t know if study was finished and what results were. Traditional councils need to file in court to establish standing on this issue

Why did 6 people recently die from cancer in Anaktuvuk Pass?

Concerns – abandoned sites

Dew line sites – incomplete cleanup; stockpiled materials falling over

Metal and drums brought back up by the ice

Cape Lisburne – waste not contained Scattered drums left out on the land

have deteriorated and leak

Concerns: abandoned sites

Transformers filled with PCPs (PCBs?) Materials along coast displaced by storms

are dangerous Military, Coast Guard dumping offshore Drums of fuel, unknown chemicals lost in

rivers in the 40’s Drums being exposed along river banks

(Nuiqsut)

Concerns: natural sources of contaminants

Colville River basin: high source of mercury and other heavy metals

Concerns: onshore development

Past uncontrolled oil development resulted in loss of caribou and reindeer and mixing of herds. Herders left herds to take employment in the villages

Prudhoe Bay – at first no regulations on use of sand/gravel to make pads

Taking gravel from rivers can create dips that change the channel and may cause fish to not move up to traditional fishing areas. Can be designed to create good fish habitat

Large amounts of water from lakes being used for ice roads. Water includes fish fry. How will fish survive in winter?

Concerns – onshore development

Seismic testing in the winter used to kill fish (other techniques used now)

Devastation of fish in some lakes for several years – our knowledge didn’t affect management

Hunting areas closed due to development Industry helping to people upgrade their

homes (Nuiqsut) NPRA choppers are disrupting caribou

movements (Nuiqsut) Ice bridges across rivers should not be used.

Concerns: offshore development Offshore activity is increasing. Over

time this is infringing on our natural resources. Example: seismic testing east of North Star during time of Nuiqsut whaling

Offshore drilling platform left for 3 years (Kaktovik)

When transporting platform, dumped materials (drilling muds, sand) with oil leakage to get it unstuck

Concerns: Offshore oil development

Drilling near Cross Island – swift currents and deep waters on east? side, bearded seal

Displacement of whales from offshore activity

Concerns – offshore development

North Star EIS didn’t include biological assessments using traditional knowledge of seal, polar bears, whales

West of Wainwright – with north,north, west winds, it is very dangerous; oil industry needs to know this

North Star island – is a critical feeding area for migrating bowhead

North Star development coupled with climate change will affect Arctic cisco migration Kukpik, Colville rivers

Concerns: our communities

Water contaminated by chlorination treatment Contamination of local lakes Dumps with no pit liners Is the dust we create unhealthy? Our foods are good for our bodies (even

though our kids may say it stinks!) Taste of freezer meats different than meats

from ice cellars Abandoned Landfill – don’t know by whom -

(Nuiqsut) being exposed that is close to where people burbot fish

Concerns: our communities

Too much focus on money but Iñupiat way of life is being passed on

People throwing cans away when they are out on the land

Sensitivity of our people to environmental change

Drugs are contaminants we bring to ourselves

Concerns: climate/weather change

Warmer weather, ocean: fish caught in nets spoil faster (Kaktovik)

Erosion of coastline Earlier summers, different animals and

fish being seen Heavy waves making travel dangerous

(Pt. Hope) Different animals and fish being seen Meats can get warm and may spoil

Concerns: climate/weather change

Ozone depletion; our area is a most sensitive area

Tundra has changed – finding out about these changes BEO

Ice conditions have changed, affecting whaling seasons, offshore development

Erosion along rivers affecting our environment

Other Concerns

Long-range pollution: Orange clouds of industrial activities in Russia.

Concern – use of our knowledge

Government preference for written testimony when people aren’t comfortable writing.

We don’t see how what we say changes the law, management, governments, or corporations

Ideas for action

Present our traditional knowledge so that it is taken seriously and acted upon

Talk about our concerns in a way that has legal standing

We need to communicate with our youth in Iñupiaq about our traditional ways of living

Find out more about why these changes are happening

Ongoing program to measure contaminants

Ideas for Action

Remember value of our knowledge in what we do

Not be so lenient on ourselves; we get right on white people when they don’t do things right

Educate our children in our language about the reasons why our ways of life are valuable, like the ways we prepare our food

Learn to read and write in our language and document everything on paper and help each other

Ideas for action

Continue to use permitting system with public hearings

Money is there to pave streets through BIA and DOT.

Local contracting for clean up activities