Observations on the Utility of the Semi-directive Interview for Documenting Traditional Ecological Knowledge

Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) offers ecological information and insight relevant to ecological management and research that cannot be obtained from other sources. Its use is hindered by difficulties of access, in that TEK is typically not available to a wide audience. Documentation can overcome this obstacle, allowing TEK to be considered with other forms of easily disseminated information. This paper describes the author's experience using the semi-directive interview to document TEK about beluga whales in Alaska. This method allows the participants as well as the researcher to guide the interview, so that associations made by the participant, and not just those anticipated by the researcher, are discussed. Using maps as the starting point for discussions with individuals or groups, the interviews covered expected topics, such as migration and feeding behavior, as well as unanticipated topics, such as the possible influence of beavers on beluga distribution. The primary research session was followed a year later by a review session to verify the accuracy of the draft report, add missing information, or remove information the publication of which might harm community interests. The author found the semi-directive interview to be an effective and powerful method for accurate and comprehensive documentation of TEK. It worked especially well in group interviews, which allowed participants to stimulate and validate each other.Le savoir écologique traditionnel (SET) offre de l'information écologique et une opinion pertinente à la gestion et à la recherche écologiques qu'on ne peut obtenir d'autres sources. Un accès difficile gêne l'utilisation du SET, vu qu'en général il n'est pas disponible à un vaste public. On peut surmonter cet obstacle en créant de la documentation, ce qui permet de tenir compte du SET parallèlement à d'autres formes d'information facilement diffusée. Cet article décrit l'expérience de l'auteur qui s'est servi de l'interview semi-dirigée pour documenter le SET sur les bélougas de l'Alaska. Cette méthode permet aux participants autant qu'au chercheur de guider l'interview, de sorte que les associations faites par le participant, et pas uniquement celles anticipées par le chercheur, sont discutées. Des cartes servant à démarrer la discussion avec des individus ou des groupes, les interviews couvraient des sujets prévus comme la migration et le comportement alimentaire, en même temps que des sujets imprévus, comme l'influence possible des castors sur la distribution du bélouga. La recherche primaire était suivie un an plus tard d'une session de récapitulation afin de vérifier l'exactitude de l'ébauche du rapport et d'ajouter de l'information manquante, ou d'éliminer de l'information dont la publication aurait pu nuire aux intérêts de la collectivité. L'auteur a trouvé que l'interview semi-dirigée était une méthode efficace et puissante pour documenter le SET de façon précise et détaillée. Elle fonctionnait particulièrement bien dans les entrevues en groupes, qui offraient aux participants la possibilité d'échanges stimulants et de validation mutuelle

Traditional Knowledge of the Ecology of Belugas, Delphinapterus leucas, in Cook Inlet, Alaska

The population of belugas, Delphinapterus leucas, in Cook Inlet, Alaska, is geographically isolated and appears to be declining. Conservation efforts require appropriate information about population levels and trends, feeding and behavior, reproduction, and natural and anthropogenic impacts. This study documents traditional ecological knowledge of the Alaska Native hunters of belugas in Cook Inlet to add information from this critical source. Traditional knowledge about belugas has been documented elsewhere by the author, and the same methods were used in Cook Inlet to systematically gather information concerning knowledge of the natural history of this beluga population and its habitat. The hunters’knowledge is largely consistent with what is known from previous research, and it extends the published descriptions of the ecology of beluga whales in Cook Inlet. Making this information available and involving the hunters to a greater extent in research and management are important contributions to the conservation of Cook Inlet belug

Climigration? Population and climate change in Arctic Alaska

Residents of towns and villages in Arctic Alaska live on “the front line of climate change.” Some communities face immediate threats from erosion and flooding associated with thawing permafrost, increasing river flows, and reduced sea ice protection of shorelines. The term climigration, referring to migration caused by climate change, originally was coined for these places. Although initial applications emphasized the need for government relocation policies, it has elsewhere been applied more broadly to encompass unplanned migration as well. Some historical movements have been attributed to climate change, but closer study tends to find multiple causes, making it difficult to quantify the climate contribution. Clearer attribution might come from comparisons of migration rates among places that are similar in most respects, apart from known climatic impacts. We apply this approach using annual 1990–2014 time series on 43 Arctic Alaska towns and villages. Within-community time plots show no indication of enhanced out-migration from the most at-risk communities. More formally, there is no significant difference between net migration rates of at-risk and other places, testing several alternative classifications. Although climigration is not detectable to date, growing risks make either planned or unplanned movements unavoidable in the near future

Staying in place during times of change in Arctic Alaska: The implications of attachment,alternatives, and buffering

The relationship between stability and change in social-ecological systems has received considerable attention in recent years, including the expectation that significant environmental changes will drive observable consequences for individuals, communities, and populations. Migration, as one example of response to adverse economic or environmental changes, has been observed in many places, including parts of the Far North. In Arctic Alaska, a relative lack of demographic or migratory response to rapid environmental and other changes has been observed. To understand why Arctic Alaska appears different, we draw on the literature on environmentally driven migration, focusing on three mechanisms that could account for the lack of response: attachment, the desire to remain in place, or the inability to relocate successfully; alternatives, ways to achieve similar outcomes through different means; and buffering, the reliance on subsidies or use of reserves to delay impacts. Each explanation has different implications for research and policy, indicating a need to further explore the relative contribution that each makes to a given situation in order to develop more effective responses locally and regionally. Given that the Arctic is on the front lines of climate change, these explanations are likely relevant to the ways changes play out in other parts of the world. Our review also underscores the importance of further attention to the details of social dynamics in climate change impacts and responses

The Barrow Symposium on Sea Ice, 2000: Evaluation of One Means of Exchanging Information between Subsistence Whalers and Scientists

A Barrow Symposium on Sea Ice (BSSI) was held in early winter 2000. The National Science Foundation (U.S.) funded this symposium as the keystone event in a project designed to ally traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) with formal ice research and remote sensing. The goal of the project was to stimulate substantive interactions between scientists and technicians who study sea ice on one hand, and Inupiat Eskimos (primarily whaling captains and their crews) who use the ice routinely for travel, camping, and hunting, on the other. From different perspectives, at different scales, and for different purposes, the two groups have accumulated extensive knowledge of ice characteristics and dynamics. We evaluate strengths and weaknesses of the workshop format as a means of exchanging information between scientific and traditional knowledge.... To continue to develop the interactions and shared purposes that characterized the BSSI, a core group of participants needs to meet periodically to review progress on sea ice research in the region, and to seek ways to promote further collaboration between ice observers from the subsistence community and scientists. Research on sea ice appears likely to continue to flourish near Barrow. Both whalers and scientists are eager to share information and insights. Facilitating that exchange is not a trivial task. To be successful in the long run, the promising start made by the BSSI needs to be followed up with refinements in collaborative field research, as well as by regular opportunities for scientists and whalers to learn from one another