Abstracts
Abstract
The Nelson Island Natural and Cultural History Project originated in the desire of community members in the Yup’ik villages of Chefornak, Nightmute, Toksook Bay, Tununak, and Newtok to document and share their history with their younger generation. To do so, they invited non-Native scientists to join them in village gatherings as well as on a three-week circumnavigation of Nelson Island (Alaska), during which elders reflected on changes in weather patterns, animal migrations, sea-ice conditions, and related harvesting activities. To date, a defining feature of our conversations has been the integrated way in which information is shared and elders’ reticence to distinguish between human impacts on the environment and the “natural” effects of climate change.
Résumé
Le projet d’histoire culturelle et naturelle de l’île Nelson trouve ses origines dans la volonté des membres des communautés yup’ik de Chefornak, Nightmute, Toksook Bay, Tununak et de Newtok de documenter et partager leur histoire avec les jeunes générations. Pour ce faire, ils ont invité des scientifiques non autochtones à se joindre à eux lors de rassemblements communautaires et d’une circumnavigation de l’île Nelson (Alaska) d’une durée de trois semaines. C’est dans ce contexte que les aînés ont exprimé leurs points de vue sur les changements des conditions métérologiques, des migrations des animaux, de l’état de la banquise ainsi que des activités de chasse, de pêche et de cueillette. À ce jour, l’une des caractéristiques déterminantes qui se dégage de nos conversations est la volonté de partager les informations de façon intégrée et la réticence des aînés à distinguer les impacts humains sur l’environnement des effets dits «naturels» du changement climatique.
Appendices
References
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