Northwest Alaska Research Articles

Formation processes of archaeobotanical assemblages of an early Thule Iñupiaq dwelling at Cape Espenberg, northwest Alaska

Archaeobotany remains an underdeveloped discipline in the Arctic, with comparatively little known about the processes involved in the formation of plant assemblages in ancestral Inuit sites. Archaeobotanical records from seasonal forager sites at high latitudes present several peculiarities: 1) excellent preservation; 2) lack of domesticated species prior to contact with Europeans; 3) few, if any, carbonized remains; 4) taxa from the immediate environment. Under these conditions, it can be difficult to differentiate between macrobotanicals resulting from human activities and those introduced naturally during or after site occupation. In this article, we present the results of archaeobotanical analysis of an early Thule Iñupiaq winter dwelling dated to the late 13th – early 14th centuries at Cape Espenberg (KTZ-304), northwestern Alaska. In order to define plant-related practices among past Iñupiat people, we are attempting to determine how the archaeobotanical assemblage is formed, and delineate the macrobotanical remains associated with human activities. Comparison of roof and cultural layer samples with fill and off-site samples, as well as the results of five 14C dates on seeds, provide a clear archaeobotanical signature of the cultural levels and demonstrate that the plant assemblage associated with the occupation layers derives from human activities directly and indirectly linked to plant use.

Architectural wood remains and climatic variations in early 2nd millennium CE, northwest Alaska: reflections on the possibilities and limits of Dendroarchaeology

Architectural wood elements are well-preserved in cold soils and archaeological Thule/Iñupiat sites of the early 2nd millennium CE in northwestern Alaska. These organic remains, at the intersection of archaeology, palaeoclimatology, and ecology, offer an annual and local resolution rarely accessible to archaeologists, providing insights on past climate variations. In a context where cultural variations of past arctic people are often interpreted as responses to climatic and environmental changes, this paper is a state-of-the-art examination of the dendroclimatic potential of Iñupiat architectural wood remains based on current knowledge. The focus is especially on current possibilities and limits of early Iñupiat architectural wood remains and the need to build a finer sequence for the period of the Medieval Climate Anomaly [MCA] (9th-13th century) to contribute to a broader understanding of the climatic framework of the early 2nd millennium and of early Iñupiat socio-ecological dynamics in Northwest Alaska for future research.

The Perennial Exit of Teachers From Alaska and the Inadequacy of Herzberg Theory: A Follow-Up Qualitative Study

<p style="text-align:justify">The researcher assessed the subject teachers’ levels of satisfaction and/or dissatisfaction using the Herzberg Two-Factor Theory. The study assesses employee motivation and hygiene, as discussed in the first part of the study about exploring the socio-demographic profile and job satisfaction level among teachers in Alaska. Frederick Herzberg (1923–2000) was a well-known author, and his work was praised by the Harvard Business Review. His theory has been widely accepted by many different groups and studies, with many people adapting and applying the theory to business management. For many years, teachers have been leaving school districts, particularly in Alaska, and this project seeks to investigate the causes of this phenomenon. Running a school is like running a business, except your clients or customers are students and parents. You must be able to choose what type of education they require. Schools have a system structure that is like a business. A school district that oversees several schools is analogous to a conglomerate that oversees a group of businesses. The study was conducted in the Bering Strait School District, in northwest Alaska, which serves fifteen isolated villages and two islands. Various methods including survey questionnaires, interviews and data gathering, were used and implemented. Out of 30 targeted respondents, 13 had high hygiene and high motivator factor (HHHM) scores and were further analyzed through interviews, with the data gathered subjected to thematic analysis. It was noted that some of the factors that affected the respondents in leaving their school are professional-related reasons, professional growth, job stability, physiological growth, no consistent reliable childcare options or childcare, very cold weather, and emotional reasons. Lack of these factors can influence the participants to seek such services elsewhere—from another workplace that can provide them with these services, and thus give them comfort, and peace of mind as well.</p>

The Perennial Exit of Teachers From Alaska and the Inadequacy of Herzberg Theory: A Follow-Up Qualitative Study

<p style="text-align:justify">The researcher assessed the subject teachers’ levels of satisfaction and/or dissatisfaction using the Herzberg Two-Factor Theory. The study assesses employee motivation and hygiene, as discussed in the first part of the study about exploring the socio-demographic profile and job satisfaction level among teachers in Alaska. Frederick Herzberg (1923–2000) was a well-known author, and his work was praised by the Harvard Business Review. His theory has been widely accepted by many different groups and studies, with many people adapting and applying the theory to business management. For many years, teachers have been leaving school districts, particularly in Alaska, and this project seeks to investigate the causes of this phenomenon. Running a school is like running a business, except your clients or customers are students and parents. You must be able to choose what type of education they require. Schools have a system structure that is like a business. A school district that oversees several schools is analogous to a conglomerate that oversees a group of businesses. The study was conducted in the Bering Strait School District, in northwest Alaska, which serves fifteen isolated villages and two islands. Various methods including survey questionnaires, interviews and data gathering, were used and implemented. Out of 30 targeted respondents, 13 had high hygiene and high motivator factor (HHHM) scores and were further analyzed through interviews, with the data gathered subjected to thematic analysis. It was noted that some of the factors that affected the respondents in leaving their school are professional-related reasons, professional growth, job stability, physiological growth, no consistent reliable childcare options or childcare, very cold weather, and emotional reasons. Lack of these factors can influence the participants to seek such services elsewhere—from another workplace that can provide them with these services, and thus give them comfort, and peace of mind as well.</p>

Prevalence of Childhood Hearing Loss in Rural Alaska.

Childhood hearing loss has well-known lifelong consequences. Certain rural populations are at higher risk for infection-related hearing loss. For Alaska Native children, historical data on hearing loss prevalence suggest a higher burden of infection-related hearing loss, but updated prevalence data are urgently needed in this high-risk population. Hearing data were collected as part of two school-based cluster-randomized trials in 15 communities in rural northwest Alaska over two academic years (2017-2019). All enrolled children from preschool to 12th grade were eligible. Pure-tone thresholds were obtained using standard audiometry and conditioned play when indicated. The analysis included the first available audiometric assessment for each child (n = 1634 participants, 3 to 21 years), except for the high-frequency analysis, which was limited to year 2 when higher frequencies were collected. Multiple imputation was used to quantify the prevalence of hearing loss in younger children, where missing data were more frequent due to the need for behavioral responses. Hearing loss in either ear was evaluated using both the former World Health Organization (WHO) definition (pure-tone average [PTA] > 25 dB) and the new WHO definition (PTA ≥ 20 dB), which was published after the study. Analyses with the new definition were limited to children 7 years and older due to incomplete data obtained on younger children at lower thresholds. The overall prevalence of hearing loss (PTA > 25 dB; 0.5, 1, 2, 4 kHz) was 10.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 8.9 to 12.1). Hearing loss was predominately mild (PTA >25 to 40 dB; 8.9%, 95% CI, 7.4 to 10.5). The prevalence of unilateral hearing loss was 7.7% (95% CI, 6.3 to 9.0). Conductive hearing loss (air-bone gap of ≥ 10 dB) was the most common hearing loss type (9.1%, 95% CI, 7.6 to 10.7). Stratified by age, hearing loss (PTA >25 dB) was more common in children 3 to 6 years (14.9%, 95% CI, 11.4 to 18.5) compared to children 7 years and older (8.7%, 95% CI, 7.1 to 10.4). In children 7 years and older, the new WHO definition increased the prevalence of hearing loss to 23.4% (95% CI, 21.0 to 25.8) compared to the former definition (8.7%, 95% CI, 7.1 to 10.4). Middle ear disease prevalence was 17.6% (95% CI, 15.7 to 19.4) and was higher in younger children (23.6%, 95% CI, 19.7 to 27.6) compared to older children (15.2%, 95% CI, 13.2 to 17.3). High-frequency hearing loss (4, 6, 8kHz) was present in 20.5% (95% CI, 18.4 to 22.7 [PTA >25 dB]) of all children and 22.8% (95% CI, 20.3 to 25.3 [PTA >25 dB]) and 29.7% (95% CI, 27.0 to 32.4 [PTA ≥ 20 dB]) of children 7 years and older (limited to year 2). This analysis represents the first prevalence study on childhood hearing loss in Alaska in over 60 years and is the largest cohort with hearing data ever collected in rural Alaska. Our results highlight that hearing loss continues to be common in rural Alaska Native children, with middle ear disease more prevalent in younger children and high-frequency hearing loss more prevalent with increasing age. Prevention efforts may benefit from managing hearing loss type by age. Lastly, continued research is needed on the impact of the new WHO definition of hearing loss on field studies.

Changing the Paradigm for School Hearing Screening Globally: Evaluation of Screening Protocols From Two Randomized Trials in Rural Alaska.

Diagnostic accuracy was evaluated for various screening tools, including mobile health (mHealth) pure-tone screening, tympanometry, distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE), and inclusion of high frequencies to determine the most accurate screening protocol for identifying children with hearing loss in rural Alaska where the prevalence of middle ear disease is high. Hearing screening data were collected as part of two cluster randomized trials conducted in 15 communities in rural northwest Alaska. All children enrolled in school from preschool to 12th grade were eligible. Analysis was limited to data collected 2018 to 2019 (n = 1449), when both trials were running and measurement of high frequencies were included in the protocols. Analyses included estimates of diagnostic accuracy for each screening tool, as well as exploring performance by age and grade. Multiple imputation was used to assess diagnostic accuracy in younger children, where missing data were more prevalent due to requirements for conditioned responses. The audiometric reference standard included otoscopy, tympanometry, and high frequencies to ensure detection of infection-related and noise-induced hearing loss. Both the mHealth pure-tone screen and DPOAE screen performed better when tympanometry was added to the protocol (increase in sensitivity of 19.9%, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 15.9 to 24.1 for mHealth screen, 17.9%, 95% CI: 14.0 to 21.8 for high-frequency mHealth screen, and 10.4%, 95% CI: 7.5 to 13.9 for DPOAE). The addition of 6 kHz to the mHealth pure-tone screen provided an 8.7 percentage point improvement in sensitivity (95% CI: 6.5 to 11.3). Completeness of data for both the reference standard and the mHealth screening tool differed substantially by age, due to difficulty with behavioral testing in young children. By age 7, children were able to complete behavioral testing, and data indicated that high-frequency mHealth pure-tone screen with tympanometry was the superior tool for children 7 years and older. For children 3 to 6 years of age, DPOAE plus tympanometry performed the best, both for complete data and multiply imputed data, which better approximates accuracy for children with missing data. This study directly evaluated pure-tone, DPOAE, and tympanometry tools as part of school hearing screening in rural Alaskan children (3 to 18+ years). Results from this study indicate that tympanometry is a key component in the hearing screening protocol, particularly in environments with higher prevalence of infection-related hearing loss. DPOAE is the preferred hearing screening tool when evaluating children younger than 7 years of age (below 2nd grade in the United States) due to the frequency of missing data with behavioral testing in this age group. For children 7 years and older, the addition of high frequencies to pure-tone screening increased the accuracy of screening, likely due to improved identification of hearing loss from noise exposure. The lack of a consistent reference standard in the literature makes comparing across studies challenging. In our study with a reference standard inclusive of otoscopy, tympanometry, and high frequencies, less than ideal sensitivities were found even for the most sensitive screening protocols, suggesting more investigation is necessary to ensure screening programs are appropriately identifying noise- and infection-related hearing loss in rural, low-resource settings.

Feasibility of a Supportive Text Messaging Intervention in Northwest Alaska.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s41347-022-00293-z.

ALASKA NATIVE SUCCESSFUL AGING IN NORTHWEST ALASKA: AGING IN A GOOD WAY STARTS WITH YOUR FAMILY

Abstract Alaska Natives (AN) view aging from a holistic perspective. One of the challenges of researching with cultural groups is the lack of data, or research, on culture and aging. This research explored successful aging from an AN perspective. A community-based participatory research (CBPR) model was used to engage participants at every stage of the research process. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 AN men and 25 women. Kleinman’s Explanatory Model of Illness was adapted to gain a sense of the beliefs about aging and to guide the data analysis to establish an AN understanding of successful aging or attaining “Eldership” in Northwest Alaska. The foundation of the Norton Sound southern sub-region Model of Successful Aging is family, which contributed to Elders’ feelings of emotional well-being, ability to engage in their Native Way of life, maintain their physical health, and continue spiritual practices.

Alaska Native successful ageing in Northwest Alaska: how family impacts how one ages in a good way

ABSTRACT Since time immemorial Alaska Natives (AN) lived and aged well, yet today they experience high rates of illness and lower access to care because of colonisation. Aand this research explores successful ageing from an AN perspective or what it means to achieve “Eldership” in the rural Northwest Alaska. A community-based participatory research approach was used to engage participants at every stage of the research process. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 AN men and 25 women and the interviews were professionally transcribed. Kleinman’s explanatory model served as the foundation of the questionnaire to gain a sense of the beliefs about ageing and guide the thematic analysis to establish an AN understanding of successful ageing. The foundation of the Norton Sound southern sub-region Model of Successful Ageing is the reciprocal relationship between Elders and family which enables Elders to access meaningful activities, including Native ways of life, physical health, spirituality, and emotional well-being. Community-based interventions should foster opportunities for Elders to share their Native way of life alongside family and community members, which will enable them to remain physically active, maintain healthy emotional well-being, continue engaging in spiritual practices, and contribute to the health and well-being of families.

A high-resolution map of coastal vegetation for two Arctic Alaskan parklands: An object-oriented approach with point training data.

Bering Land Bridge National Preserve and Cape Krusenstern National Monument in northwest Alaska have approximately 1600 km of predominantly soft-sediment coastlines along the Chukchi Sea, a shallow bay of the Arctic Ocean. Over the past decade, marine vessel traffic through the Bering Strait has grown exponentially to take advantage of new ice-free summer shipping routes, increasing the risk of oil spills in these fragile ecosystems. We present a high-resolution coastal vegetation map to serve as a baseline for potential spill response, restoration, and change detection. We segmented 663 km2 of high-resolution multispectral satellite images by the mean-shift method and collected 40 spectral, topographic and spatial variables per segment. The segments were classified using photo-interpreted points as training data, and verified with field based plots. Digitizing points, rather than polygons, and intersecting them with the segmentation allows for rapid collection of training data. We classified the map segments using Random Forest because of its high accuracy, computational speed, and ability to incorporate non-normal, high-dimensional data. We found creating separate classification models by each satellite scene gave highly similar results to models combining the entire study area, and that reducing the number of variables had little impact on accuracy. A unified, study area-wide Random Forest model for both parklands produced the highest accuracy of various models attempted. We mapped 18 distinct classes, with an out-of-bag error of 11.6%, resulting in an improvement to the past per-pixel classification of this coast, and in higher spatial and vegetation classification resolution. The resulting map demonstrates the utility of our point-based method and provides baseline data for incident preparedness and change detection. Elevation is highly correlated with the ordination of the vegetation types, and was the most important variable in all tested classification models. The vegetation classification brings together the largest amount of vegetation data for the Chukchi Sea coast yet documented.

Dramatic thinning of Alaskan river ice and its climatic controls

River ice thickness (RIT) directly influences human activities, such as rural transportation and subsistence activities, in addition to ecosystem and hydrology processes in the Arctic. Knowledge of RIT response to the rapid Arctic warming is very limited or essentially lacking. The scientific objective of this study is to investigate changes and variations in RIT and their response to rapid Arctic warming. We used ground-based measurements of 45 river gauge sites from 1961 through 2015 spanning 12 river basins across Alaska. The results indicate that the long-term mean maximum river ice thickness (MRIT) ranged from 40.3 ± 12.7 cm in the southeast to 187.3 ± 31.9 cm in northwest Alaska. MRIT decreased dramatically from 1961 to 2015, on average, at a rate of −0.26 ± 0.17 cm per year, and RIT declined significantly in all months from October through March, and more rapidly in winter than in autumn and spring. The impacts of air temperature and snowfall on MRIT change were analysed, and their relative influences were 74% and 26%, respectively. Specifically, an increase in air temperature was the primary factor contributing to MRIT decrease, while increasing snowfall, and snow on river ice enhanced MRIT decline. Seasonally, snowfall was the primary regulator for thickness change and higher air temperature resulted in RIT declining in autumn, while ice thickness decrease was mostly driven by warming in spring. However, neither air temperature nor snowfall is the primary control factor for declining RIT in winter, and further work needs to be done to detect the reason.

Predation on ringed seals in subnivean lairs in northwest Alaska during spring 1983 and 1984

Marine Mammal ScienceVolume 39, Issue 1 p. 311-321 NOTE Predation on ringed seals in subnivean lairs in northwest Alaska during spring 1983 and 1984 Donna D. W. Hauser, Corresponding Author Donna D. W. Hauser [email protected] orcid.org/0000-0001-8236-7372 International Arctic Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska Correspondence Donna D. W. Hauser, 2160 Koyukuk Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99775. Email: [email protected] Contribution: Data curation, Formal analysis, Funding acquisition, ​Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Resources, Software, Visualization, Writing - original draft, Writing - review & editingSearch for more papers by this authorKathryn J. Frost, Kathryn J. Frost Alaska Department of Fish and Game (retired), Kailua, Hawaii Contribution: Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, ​Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Resources, Validation, Writing - review & editingSearch for more papers by this authorJohn J. Burns, John J. Burns Living Resources, Fairbanks, Alaska Contribution: Conceptualization, Funding acquisition, ​Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Writing - review & editingSearch for more papers by this author Donna D. W. Hauser, Corresponding Author Donna D. W. Hauser [email protected] orcid.org/0000-0001-8236-7372 International Arctic Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska Correspondence Donna D. W. Hauser, 2160 Koyukuk Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99775. Email: [email protected] Contribution: Data curation, Formal analysis, Funding acquisition, ​Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Resources, Software, Visualization, Writing - original draft, Writing - review & editingSearch for more papers by this authorKathryn J. Frost, Kathryn J. Frost Alaska Department of Fish and Game (retired), Kailua, Hawaii Contribution: Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, ​Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Resources, Validation, Writing - review & editingSearch for more papers by this authorJohn J. Burns, John J. Burns Living Resources, Fairbanks, Alaska Contribution: Conceptualization, Funding acquisition, ​Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Writing - review & editingSearch for more papers by this author First published: 12 August 2022 https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12969 Funding information: North Pacific Research Board, Grant/Award Number: 1811; Outer Continental Shelf Environmental Assessment Program, Grant/Award Number: NA-81-RAC-00045 Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Volume39, Issue1January 2023Pages 311-321 RelatedInformation

Implementation beyond the clinic: Community-driven utilization of research evidence from PC CARES, a suicide prevention program.

While implementation and dissemination of research is a rapidly growing area, critical questions remain about how, why, and under what conditions everyday people integrate and utilize research evidence. This mixed-methods study investigates how participants of Promoting Community Conversations About Research to End Suicide (PC CARES) make sense of and use research evidence about suicide prevention in their own lives. PC CARES is a health intervention addressing the need for culturally responsive suicide prevention practices in rural Alaska through a series of community Learning Circles. We analyzed PC CARES transcripts and surveys for 376 participants aged 15+ across 10 Northwest Alaska Native villages. Quantitative analysis showed significant correlations between five utilization of research evidence (URE) factors and participants' intent to use research evidence from PC CARES Learning Circles. Key qualitative themes from Learning Circle transcripts expanded upon these URE constructs and includednavigating discordant information, centering relationships, and Indigenous worldviews as key to interpreting research evidence. We integrate and organize our findings to inform two domains from the Consolidated Framework for Research Implementation:(1) intervention characteristics and (2) characteristics of individuals, with emphasis on findings most relevant for community settings where self-determined, evidence-informed action is especially important for addressing health inequities.

Impacts on tundra vegetation from heavy metal-enriched fugitive dust on National Park Service lands along the Red Dog Mine haul road, Alaska.

The DeLong Mountain Transportation System (DMTS) haul road links the Red Dog Mine-one of the world's largest zinc mines-with a shipping port on the Chukchi Sea in northwest Alaska, USA. The road traverses 32 km of National Park Service (NPS) lands managed by Cape Krusenstern National Monument (CAKR). Fugitive dusts from ore concentrate transport and mining operations have dispersed zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and metal sulfides onto NPS lands since the mine began operating in 1989. This study assessed the effects of metal-enriched road dusts on the diversity and community structure of lichens, bryophytes, and vascular plants in dwarf-shrub tundra within CAKR. In a Bayesian posterior predictions model, lichen species richness (LSR) was highly correlated to distance from the haul road and was distributed on the landscape consistently with the spatial patterns of Zn, Pb and Cd patterns published earlier in this journal. The mean modeled LSR of the 3000-4000 m distance class was 41.3, and LSR decreased progressively down to 9.4 species in the 0-50 m class. An ordination of 93 lichen species by 91 plots revealed strong community patterns based on distance from the haul road. The major community gradient was highly correlated (r = 0.99) with LSR and negatively correlated with Cd, Pb and Zn (-0.79 < r < -0.74). Ordinations of bryophyte classes showed less response than lichens to distance from the road and heavy metals values, and vascular plant ordination showed less still. Measures of bryophyte health such as the midrib blackening and frond width of Hylocomium splendens were positively correlated with distance from the haul road and negatively correlated with this same suite of elements. A total area of approximately 55 km2 showed moderate to strong impacts on lichens from fugitive dusts. This is equivalent to an area of almost 1 km on both sides of the haul road running 32 km through CAKR.

Ringed seal (Pusa hispida) breeding habitat on the landfast ice in northwest Alaska during spring 1983 and 1984.

There has been significant sea ice loss associated with climate change in the Pacific Arctic, with unquantified impacts to the habitat of ice-obligate marine mammals such as ringed seals (Pusa hispida). Ringed seals maintain breathing holes and excavate subnivean lairs on sea ice to provide protection from weather and predators during birthing, nursing, and resting. However, there is limited baseline information on the snow and ice habitat, distribution, density, and configuration of ringed seal structures (breathing holes, simple haul-out lairs, and pup lairs) in Alaska. Here, we describe historic field records from two regions of the eastern Chukchi Sea (Kotzebue Sound and Ledyard Bay) collected during spring 1983 and 1984 to quantify baseline ringed seal breeding habitat and map the distribution of ringed seal structures using modern geospatial tools. Of 490 structures located on pre-established study grids by trained dogs, 29% were pup lairs (25% in Kotzebue Sound and 33% in Ledyard Bay). Grids in Ledyard Bay had greater overall density of seal structures than those in Kotzebue Sound (8.6 structures/km2 and 7.1 structures/km2), but structures were larger in Kotzebue Sound. Pup lairs were located in closer proximity to other structures and characterized by deeper snow and greater ice deformation than haul-out lairs or simple breathing holes. At pup lairs, snow depths averaged 74.9 cm (range 37-132 cm), with ice relief nearby averaging 76 cm (range 31-183 cm), and ice deformation 29.9% (range 5-80%). We compare our results to similar studies conducted in other geographic regions and discuss our findings in the context of recent declines in extent and duration of seasonal cover of landfast sea ice and snow deposition on sea ice. Ultimately, additional research is needed to understand the effects of recent environmental changes on ringed seals, but our study establishes a baseline upon which future research can measure pup habitat in northwest Alaska.

Considering the Revolution

Considering the Revolution

Siamit: A Novel Academic-Tribal Health Partnership in Northwest Alaska.

American Indians and Alaska Natives hold a state-conferred right to health, yet significant health and health care disparities persist. Academic medical centers are resource-rich institutions committed to public service, yet few are engaged in responsive, equitable, and lasting tribal health partnerships to address these challenges. Maniilaq Association, a rural and remote tribal health organization in Northwest Alaska, partnered with Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School to address health care needs through physician staffing, training, and quality improvement initiatives. This partnership, called Siamit, falls under tribal governance, focuses on supporting community health leaders, addresses challenges shaped by extreme geographic remoteness, and advances the mission of academic medicine in the context of tribal health priorities. Throughout the 2019-2020 academic year, Siamit augmented local physician staffing, mentored health professions trainees, provided continuing medical education courses, implemented quality improvement initiatives, and provided clinical care and operational support during the COVID-19 pandemic. Siamit began with a small budget and limited human resources, demonstrating that relatively small investments in academic-tribal health partnerships can support meaningful and positive outcomes. During the 2020-2021 academic year, the authors plan to expand Siamit's efforts with a broader social medicine curriculum, additional attending staff, more frequent trainee rotations, an increasingly robust mentorship network for Indigenous health professions trainees, and further study of the impact of these efforts. Such partnerships may be replicable in other settings and represent a significant opportunity to advance community health priorities, strengthen tribal health systems, support the next generation of Indigenous health leaders, and carry out the academic medicine mission of teaching, research, and service.

Increasing freshwater and dissolved organic carbon flows to Northwest Alaska’s Elson lagoon

Manifestations of climate change in the Arctic are numerous and include hydrological cycle intensification and permafrost thaw, both expected as a result of atmospheric and surface warming. Across the terrestrial Arctic dissolved organic carbon (DOC) entrained in arctic rivers may be providing a carbon subsidy to coastal food webs. Yet, data from field sampling is too often of limited duration to confidently ascertain impacts of climate change on freshwater and DOC flows to coastal waters. This study applies numerical modeling to investigate trends in freshwater and DOC exports from land to Elson Lagoon in Northwest Alaska over the period 1981–2020. While the modeling approach has limitations, the results point to significant increases in freshwater and DOC exports to the lagoon over the past four decades. The model simulation reveals significant increases in surface, subsurface (suprapermafrost), and total freshwater exports. Significant increases are also noted in surface and subsurface DOC production and export, influenced by warming soils and associated active-layer thickening. The largest changes in subsurface components are noted in September, which has experienced a ∼50% increase in DOC export emanating from suprapermafrost flow. Direct coastal suprapermafrost freshwater and DOC exports in late summer more than doubled between the first and last five years of the simulation period, with a large anomaly in September 2019 representing a more than fourfold increase over September direct coastal export during the early 1980s. These trends highlight the need for dedicated measurement programs that will enable improved understanding of climate change impacts on coastal zone processes in this data sparse region of Northwest Alaska.

A stable isotope record of late Quaternary hydrologic change in the northwestern Brooks Range, Alaska (eastern Beringia)

ABSTRACTA submillennial‐resolution record of lake water oxygen isotope composition (δ18O) from chironomid head capsules is presented from Burial Lake, northwest Alaska. The record spans the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM; ~20–16k cal a bp) to the present and shows a series of large lake δ18O shifts (~5‰). Relatively low δ18O values occurred during a period covering the LGM, when the lake was a shallow, closed‐basin pond. Higher values characterize deglaciation (~16–11.5k cal a bp) when the lake was still closed but lake levels were higher. A rapid decline between ~11 and 10.5k cal a bp indicates that lake levels rose to overflowing. Lake δ18O values are interpreted to reflect the combined effects of changes in lake hydrology, growing season temperature and meteoric source water as well as large‐scale environmental changes impacting this site, including opening of the Bering Strait and shifts in atmospheric circulation patterns related to ice‐sheet dynamics. The results indicate significant shifts in precipitation minus evaporation across the late Pleistocene to early Holocene transition, which are consistent with temporal patterns of vegetation change and paludification. This study provides new perspectives on the paleohydrology of eastern Beringia concomitant with human migration and major turnover in megafaunal assemblages.

Co-production of knowledge reveals loss of Indigenous hunting opportunities in the face of accelerating Arctic climate change

Profound sea ice loss is rapidly transforming coupled social-ecological Arctic marine systems. However, explicit impacts to harvesting of traditional resources for coastal Indigenous communities remain largely unquantified, particularly where the primary research questions are posed by the Indigenous community as a result of emerging approaches such as knowledge co-production. Here, we directly link reduced sea ice coverage to decreasing harvesting opportunities for ugruk (bearded seal, Erignathus barbatus) as a component of a partnership among a multidisciplinary team of scientists, Indigenous Elder Advisory Council, and sovereign Indigenous tribe in northwest Alaska, USA. We collaboratively established research questions, coordinated data collection, and interpreted results to understand the causes and consequences of changing ugruk harvests for the community of Qikiqtaġruk (Kotzebue). The duration of spring ugruk hunts by the Qikiqtaġruŋmiut declined significantly during 2003–2019 due to a shift (∼3 weeks earlier) in the timing of regional sea ice breakup. Harvests now cease ∼26 d earlier than in the past decade. Using historical sea ice records, we further demonstrate that ice coverage in May now resembles conditions that were common in July during the mid-20th century. Overall, we show that climate change is constraining hunting opportunities for this traditional marine resource, although Qikiqtaġruŋmiut hunters have so far been able to offset a shortened season with changes in effort. Notwithstanding recent hunting success in unprecedentedly sparse ice conditions, accessibility to traditional resources remains a prominent concern for many Arctic communities. Management and policy decisions related to Arctic marine mammal resources, such as ugruk, are therefore also interwoven with food security, well-being, and culture of Indigenous communities. Hence, research that originates with Indigenous sovereignty over the entire research process, such as demonstrated here, has the potential to also lead to more inclusive, sustainable, and equitable outcomes in the face of rapid and accelerating Arctic change.