Abstract
The Bering Strait region of Alaska is a culturally, economically, biologically, and politically important area of the Arctic. Like the rest of the arctic, this area is experiencing rapid and dramatic changes, both climate- and development-related. From the perspective of many indigenous residents, there is a growing need for protections – particularly in relation to the marine environment – in the Bering Strait region. This chapter reviews some of the existing protections that are in place and the status of indigenous involvement in them. The pressing need for additional protected areas is considered in light of the diverse issues and challenges facing the area such as commercial fishing, increasing marine traffic, climate change and resource development. I argue that it is critical to include indigenous residents of the region in the development, creation and maintenance of protected areas. I also argue that effective methods for protection can extend beyond typical western understandings of the nature, process and meaning of protection as defining an area where activities are allowed or prohibited.
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Notes
- 1.
The term ‘stakeholder’ generally refers t o any member of the public or a group that is interested in a particular action. Tribes that are federally recognized have a higher status when it comes to federal actions that may impact them, and do not want to be treated as ‘stakeholders’.
- 2.
The NPFMC has argued, and the Department of Commerce (DOC) recently codified, that they are not required to carry out formal tribal consultation activities (DOC 2013). The NPFMC conducts “outreach” activities, as described in the meeting notes from the first meeting of their “Rural Community Outreach Committee” (NPFMC 2009c). This has caused consternation amongst tribes because of the role that the NPFMC plays in decision making in federal marine waters (Raymond-Yakoubian 2012).
- 3.
Kawerak, Inc. (Kawerak) is an Alaska Native non-profit tribal consortium serving the 20 tribes of the Bering Strait region. Among other activities, Kawerak conducts independent research and advocates for policies and management actions that are supported by member tribes. For more information see www.kawerak.org
- 4.
Traditional Knowledge can be briefly defined as a holistic body of knowledge, held by a specific group of people, encompassing teachings, observations, experiments and experiences, and based on long-term and intimate contact with the local environment. This knowledge represents a way of life and often includes spiritual teachings, r ules about proper behavio r and resource use, and is passed on from generation to generation (see also Raymond-Yakoubian and Raymond-Yakoubian 2015).
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Acknowledgements
The author thanks Carolina Behe, Brenden Raymond-Yakoubian, Raychelle Daniel and Mary David for valuable suggestions and comments on earlier versions of this chapter and Lily Gadamus for creating Fig. 1. This chapter was made possible, in part, through funding from Kawerak, Inc., the Arctic Yukon Kuskokwim Sustainable Salmon Initiative (projects 601, 712, 1333), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Subsistence Management (Study 10-151), the National Science Foundation (Grant No. ARC-1023686), the Oak Foundation (Grant No. 2010-OUSA-073), the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (Grant No. 2010-0061-004, project funding provided by Shell), the North Pacific Research Board (project 1013 and a Graduate Student Award), EPSCoR Alaska (NSF award #OIA-1208927 and the state of Alaska) and the Norton Sound Econom ic Development Corporation, each of which has provided funding for various projects that have facilitated the author’s involvement in and analysis of the issues discussed above. The author also thanks the tribes, communities and individuals in the Bering Strait region that have participated in research that this chapter is based on.
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Raymond-Yakoubian, J. (2016). Conceptual and Institutional Frameworks for Protected Areas, and the Status of Indigenous Involvement: Considerations for the Bering Strait Region of Alaska. In: Herrmann, T., Martin, T. (eds) Indigenous Peoples’ Governance of Land and Protected Territories in the Arctic. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-25035-9_5
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