Alaska Native Science Commission Southeast Alaska Regional Meeting Summary u Changes u Possible Causes of Changes u Ideas for Action

Changes u Decline in herring, spawning areas, spawning earlier u Sea otters moving into inside waters u Decline in local shellfish u Decline in halibut u Increases in porpoises, dolphin but not as many black and white dahl porpoises

Changes u More kelp where sea otters have been u Declines, deformities in sockeye salmon u Question: are deformed fish living because of a lack of predators like salmon sharks, sea lions u Declines in smelt, hooligan (candle fish) u Declines in rockfish u Disappearance of frogs

Southeast Regional Concerns Revised

Changes u Addition – AdF&G are opening up new seasons (sea cucumber, geoduck) when they don’t know the effect and without consultation with local people.

Changes u Deer with surface abnormalities u Change in the quality of black seaweed u Decline in quality of cedar bark u Decreased availability of plants for weaving, medicinal herbs, u Addition – the natural movement underway has put pressure on the environment and you have to go further and further. There are seasonal commercial pickers from outside u Commercial use of plants

Changes u Petroglyphs and stone monuments degrading (becoming brittle) in the rain u Changes in the way people relate to resources - loss of the spiritual relationship u Loss of respect –rituals we used to do with animals –self-regulation

Changes u Changes in who we are as human beings – the impact of pollution –cancer rates –western ways of thinking –intermarriages outside the clan –cash –technology - oil spills –long term impacts of historical illnesses (e.g. communicable diseases), mental health illnesses including drug and alcohol, lifestyle choices - need for healing

Changes u When you lose ability to harvest the resource, you lose culture –loss of homesites and consequent loss of resource use - heart of spiritual side –not just going to the grocery store - it is an equal relationship –Addition – the connection crossed generations and tied family together u Loss of control of land we use to get our medicines - decrease of land base

Changes u Loss of respect because of greed –large scale harvest of herring, trees –harvest for trophies –sport harvest of fish u Blockage of rivers to salmon spawning (weirs - ADF&G) u Fragmentation of traditional knowledge

Changes u Decrease of old growth forest habitat u Contamination of berries, other nearby plants like Indian Celery, deciduous trees from herbicides? u Contamination in communities - tie to education of outsiders u Decline of macrosystis (kelp) u Question: where declining? Include Craig and Hydaburg, Sea Otter Sound area as areas of decline. Pound fisheries take whole kelp plant and it doesn’t grow back.

Changes u Addition – invasive species brought by tankers. For example, tankers coming from China dumping ballast water to take bulk water from Sitka. There may not be enough temperature change to kill the invasive species. u Addition – look at Buccarelli Bay for effects of dumping ballast.

Possible causes of changes u Fishing pressure on herring, halibut u Addition: abalone, sea urchins, king salmon, ling cod, geoducks as well as many other species under fishing pressure u Local sources of pollution: mill, clearcuts, tailings, fuel tanks, lead u Riparian zones not wide enough to stop silting of streams u Addition – value of timber is an issue; there would need to be a trade of timber elsewhere to offset a larger zone

Changes u Community sources of pollution - asbestos, fuel tanks, batteries, lead- based paint, developments

Possible causes of changes u Warming of ocean - tuna, mackerel, barracuda, sunfish, giant turtle, white shark (southern exotic species) u Management of resources, hatcheries u Impact of non-use on local populations of wildlife

Possible causes of changes u Climate changes - adapting to it –timing of berries, cedar bark –bears not hibernating –berries not as sweet –fish movements (salmon to cold water areas) –red algae blooms when the water was warmer (e.g. Kasaan) –Addition – about 15 miles during a warm summer and spring (not sure maybe ’95 or ‘96

Possible causes of changes u Tourists and charter operators throwing away garbage and fish u Limited areas for burials given current practices instead of cremation u Western institutions impacts on how we live (e.g. education, ADF&G, organized religion)

Ideas for action u Marine buffer zones for subsistence u Increased use of sea otters - control of sea otters u Passive tourism u Education of outsiders with the right information! - on local customs

Ideas for action u Education of ourselves including youth, adults and elders: respect u Addition - working with the school districts and Indian Education programs, cultural centers. u Protecting intellectual property rights u Bridging traditional knowledge with science u Addition bridging traditional knowledge and mental health. Examples include fitting jobs with personalities or helping kids with learning disabilities

Ideas for Action u Bringing traditional knowledge back together u Addition – have Native corporate economic interests and tribal interests work together

Ideas for action u Do a baseline study, including traditional knowledge survey, what resources were here and in what abundance when the system was healthy. u Do a large area contaminants analysis to provide comparison data to that around mill (e.g. arsenic in rock fish) u Addition – 2 entities looking at mill, so try to work with them on above.

Ideas for action u Educate the elected leaders (e.g. Congressional delegation) u Addition – also tribal leaders u Give Tongass National Forest back to our people u Look at what is going on with the rain - Asian sources of acid rain u Make a time or a place away from town to rekindle our relationship with the natural elements

Ideas for action u Limits on harvest, equipment (gear) u Addition – consider commercial versus subsistence activity. Look at potential effects of new tourist lodges, guiding on resources. u Agreements based on self-regulation, on spiritual relationship with resource u Recognizing responsibilities of clans u Addition – acknowledging areas that clans traditionally use and occupy and have a stewardship responsibility