Under a prior contract with the National Science Foundation, ANSC provided organizational support to the following ANSC projects listed below from those completed to those current or ongoing.  In addition to NSF-funded projects, ANSC administers and collaborates on projects funded through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Alaska Humanities Forum, the Northwest Arctic Borough, the Copper River Native Association, the Alaska Science and Technology Foundation and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

A Subsistence Technical-Planning Meeting - To Protect Traditional-Tribal Life Ways

Purpose:

• To identify issues and concerns in Indian Country regarding contaminants in Traditional Foods.
• Discuss issues, resources, and gaps concerning contaminants and how they effect tribal ways of life.
• Share stories, information, and knowledge to develop a process and structure to protect traditional ways of life.

Goals:

• To develop recommendations.
• To develop a process for understanding, naming and defining a tribal way of life/ traditional lifeways/ subsistence, or finding an appropriate term to identify the issue.
• To determine the need for and to plan for future tribal gatherings

For more information please click HERE!

Computer-Assisted Translation of Alaska Native Languages

With the Transnational Arctic and Antarctic Institute, the ANSC and North Slope Borough are participating in the design and direction of Inupiaq language software.

Traditional Knowledge Systems in the Arctic

The ANSC convened and facilitated a meeting with arctic researchers and Native scientists to discuss research priorities for arctic social science research, begin the planning for the project and identify a method.  Reference manuals and reports were completed and disseminated.  As a follow-up to this workshop, the ANSC convened and facilitated another meeting that brought together a diverse group of Native scientists to further discuss research priorities, intellectual property rights, and the use of local and traditional knowledge in research agendas.

Contamination of Subsistence Harvest

In collaboration with the University of Alaska Anchorage and the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER), the ANSC designed and conducted risk assessment surveys to build a contaminants database that will be used by researchers and communities.

Community-Based Assessment of Traditional Values

In partnership with Maniilaq, NANA and Northwest Arctic Borough School District, the ANSC facilitated community discussions and conducted  surveys to provide borough residents an opportunity to define and discuss their visions of traditional Inupiaq values.

Indigenous People and Ecosystem Management

The ANSC convened and facilitated a workshop that helped indigenous resource managers from across the circumpolar North share information on practices, methods and lessons in decision-making processes involving resource management and environmental assessment.

Northern Native Communities Development

The ANSC collaborated with Alaskan Native entities to select Alaska and Russian Native participants in a forthcoming project that will bring together social scientists, Natives and others from Alaska and Russia.

ANSC UPDATE

Under the National Science Foundation Co-Operative Agreement, following prior grant contract (1996-1999) with the ANSC achieved the following results:

• The ANSC has established linkages and communications throughout Alaska Native communities, state, federal, local and private agencies, university and educational institutes and Arctic and Alaskan residents.  Linkages range from projects that focus on local and traditional knowledge (Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Project, Governorís Office, Minerals Management Service, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs) to those that center on health issues (Indian Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, Southcentral Foundation, Alaska Native Health Board and National Indian Health).

• The ANSC's Administration and Board of Commissioners have written the articles of incorporation and by-laws, developed a policies and procedures manual, and was approved for the non-profit 501(c)(3) status.

• An organizational network and existing program information are available, as well as a growing library of Alaska Native research efforts.  A Microsoft ACCESS database inventory of materials is in progress, including a resource network of individuals who serve as Native knowledge specialists and consultants.  Specific archival databases are underway to provide inventories of statewide collections pertaining to traditional knowledge and materials from the Social Transition in the North project.

• Additional funding support was sought and secured from federal, Native and private sources.  ANSC administered and collaborated on projects funded through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Alaska Humanities Forum, the Northwest Arctic Borough, the Copper River Native Association, the Alaska Science and Technology Foundation and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

• As an advocate for Alaskan Native science, the ANSC provides leadership, advocacy and vision to assist Native communities in their development and sustainability by providing training and technical assistance, connecting research to communities through sponsorship of community forums and training (example: developing research methodology training materials and conducting community training for the Copper River Native Association).  At the international level, the ANSC is collaborating with Alaska Native entities  to review materials and bring together social scientists, Natives from Alaska and Russia in an effort entitled, Northern Native Communities Development.
  
  
• The Science Advisory Group for the Social Transition in the North project was created in order to assist the ANSC in setting the direction, budget and timeline for the completion of this project.  Year Three field research was completed in Chukotka, archiving project continues, final review and future of data/archives is in progress.
  

• The ANSC recently completed the first year of regional meetings, which employed Native protocols to document traditional knowledge held by Native experts.  An important goal of these meetings is to identify internal community and regional protocols so that there are specific guidelines for research in each community.