1. Voices of the Upper Yukon RiverSurveying Local and Traditional Knowledge of the Salmon Fisheries

2. Traditional Ecological Knowledge, or TEK is A cumulative body of knowledge and beliefs, handed down through generations by cultural transmission, about the relation of living beings, including humans, with one another and with their environment. TEK is an attribute of societies with historical continuity in resource use practices; by and large, these are non- industrial or less technologically advanced societies, many of them are indigenous or tribal. -Fikret Burkes, Natural Resources Institute, Univ. of Manitoba 3. Why TEK is important Any study aimed at understanding the natural environment must include the role of humans as participants within the natural environment. -John Sallenave, Senior Policy Advisor, Canadian Arctic Resources Committee 4. Objectives of this study include... Collecting data on the Upper Yukon Riversubsistence fisheries.Learning the seasonal cycle of subsistence living,finding out how people live here. Learning local place names and interactions amongspecies. Learning how to better manage Yukon Riverfisheries. Training local research associates. Establishing better relations between localstakeholders and the NPS. Encouraging more local participation in subsistencepolicy decisions. 5. In Search of Local ExpertiseIn 2005, research began in Eagle and Eagle Village on a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service project, to document local subsistence knowledge and practices concerning the Yukon River Salmon Fishery. Researchers asked 19 local fishers for their observations about the stock status and health of the salmon runs, local harvest and processing techniques, and recommendations for better management of the fishery. 6. Eagle, Alaska Eagle has been the historical home to Han Native Alaskans since before the arrival of Europeans in Alaska. In the late 1800s, Eagle became a supply and trading center for miners working the upper Yukon River. By 1898, its population had exceeded 1,700. In 1901 Eagle was the first incorporated city in the Alaska Interior The gold rushes in Nome and Fairbanks lured people away from Eagle. Present-day Eagle is home to around 200 people, mostly of European descent. Eagle Village has a small population that is about 50 percent Han. 7. Local resident researchers One of the goals of the study was to train local Eagle and Eagle Village residents in interviewing, camera work and oral history documentation skills. Local researchers showed an unique understanding of their subjects, including familiarity with place names, fishing methods, and life ways. Local fishers trusted neighbors not to give up their hard-won, closely-held, secrets. 8. Fishers told personal storiesChief Isaac Juneby was born inEagle Village, and has beensubsistence fishing on theYukon River since he was 11years old.One of the things that I like to door pass on is that traditionalculturepassing on anythingthat I know that will be beneficialto them in the years to comeIonce said that that I would ratherknow that the fish I eat are goodbecause I prepared them with myown hands. 9. Subsistence fishing is the basis of life on the Upper YukonPeople out here dont havechoices. Its a thousand miles toget to the grocery store, and forsome people thats not even anoption. The fish run is veryimportant to them and they needto be able to get to the fish.-Scarlett Hall 10. Fishing fuels other year-round activities that comprise bush life Dog teams are used for hunting, trapping, and recreation. Dogs are more reliable than a snowmobile, and cost less to maintain. On average, one dog requires about 200 chum salmon per year.A lot of our winter travel with the dogs, for hauling wood and water and just transportation back and forth during wintertime on the river. Its safer than any other type of transportation. We take the kings in the summer for ourselves and then in the fall when the chum roll around we start putting them on the rack for the dogs. -Scarlett Hall Andy Bassichs dog team 11. Fish wheels gather fast Fish wheels are the most efficient way to catch the large amounts of salmon some families require.Yesterday we turned the wheelfor 24 hours, we couldnt stay ontop of it. We had about 550 fishin the morning, cleaned them outand then by afternoon, thebaskets were completely full, thefish were falling out of the boxesback into the river... Andy Bassich 12. but nets are easier to assemble Elders like Matthew Malcolm are legendary for their knowledge and net-handling skills. It is just really something to watch Matthew fish! When youre out there with the boat, hes pulling, getting the boat up so that hes pulling up the net, hes taking the fish out of the net. Sometimes he gets in trouble, you know, and we give him hand, but usually he does this himself. And it is amazing, to watch him get these fish out of the nets sometimes, it is just incredible!!! -Barry Westphal 13. Economic changes pose challengesYou average the yearwith $25 to $50 a daychecking your nets andwheel. You know, ifyou're not getting goodfish, you can't afford torun up and down theriver. You know, it'snot worth it. You know,with the gas price up,no way.. It's wear andtear on your motor,yourself. Albert Carroll, Jr. Andy Bassich heads out to check his fish wheel 14. Many spoke of environmentalchanges seen over the years Its much warmer now in the wintertime than what we used to have. So evidently, this has affected the water, I mean, this has affected the fish. One of the things you could notice is that there are getting, a lot of more sandbarsSo you see this sudden change within our lifetimesnot in evolutionary timeaffects the water and the animals. I think that will drastically affect them one way or another. -Chief Isaac Juneby 15. King salmon caught now are smaller than in the past. Nearly all the fishersinterviewed found that theking salmon they catch havebecome smaller and smallerover the years.Instead of the huge, big kingswere getting smaller fish.And you know, theresseveral ideas to why thatshappening and one of them isthe large mesh nets that arebeing used commerciallywhich target big fish. Wedont want to lose thatgenetic line. -Scarlett Hall 16. Bigger nets catch larger fishDrift-nets and large-meshgear--in my opinion--targetlarge females. And I thinkwere beginning to change thegenetics of the Yukon Riverstocks and thats a hugeconcern of mine at this pointin time. I know when I firstcame here in, in 1983-84, itwas quite common to see a 65-pound fish come out of theriver and, I doubt very muchthat there are probably morethan 4 or 5 that I saw last yearout of the whole Eagle areathat were that big.-Andy Bassich 17. The Old Days I remember fish that were just like humongous, you know, I mean, huge fish, that would swamp the boat practically if they werent dead, you know, just. I remember one time my dad and I checked the net across from our old fish camp down there. I was young teenager or something and the fish was giant and it wasnt dead and, you know, he wanted to keep it of course. And it almost flipped us! -Sonja Sager Fisher Mike Molchan hoists a large kingsalmon in this archival photo 18. Pests and disease Some fishers attribute occasionaloutbreaks of Ichthyophonus andtape worms to warmer air andwater temperatures. Parasitic sealampreys let go in fresh water butleave scars.Last year I caught a lot of fishthat had lamprey marks on itIjust throw it away because, evenfor dogs I dont think it would begood. And I had quite a bit of fishthat were like that. And one ofthem was a big fish and it actuallywas pretty bad. The quality of fish,in sickness, that one I noticed. Tape worms reside in the stomach and gut-Chief Isaac Juneby of salmon 19. Many fishers took time offto let king stocks rebuild Today, Upper Yukon fisherslike Don Woodruff are morelikely to ease off their efforts ifthey see a weak run. Ive taken a bit of a sabbaticalfrom the king salmon fishingbecause I wanted the stocks torebuild. And I took a personalleave to make my contribution tosalmon getting up on thespawning ground until they buildup enough where I think that wecan start harvesting em againfor personal consumption anddrying em for strips. 20. Salmon meals take many forms Primary means of processing are: drying, smoking, kippering, jarring (canning) and freezing. There is a tremendous variety in cutting techniques, drying and or smoking systems, jarring, and recipes for cooking. 21. Salmon eggs are rich in protein Skeins of chum eggs hang to dry Chum salmon eggs fill five-gallon buckets Eggs can be brined or dry salted, too. 22. The spirit of sharing lives along the Upper Yukon The same spirit that compels some to forgo fishing when runs are weak provides a sense of community and sharing. When you get your first anything, you share it with the elders, you share it with the whole village. There used to be a guy here, if he caught one fish he made a big pot of soup just so it would feed everybody. Thats what we tried to get across, that anything you kill should be sharedyour first salmon, that should go to the whole village. -Ethel Beck 23. Teaching traditional life ways I want him to have a connectionto the land just like I do. And Idont see how he cannot, youknow, growing up here. You tellyour kid, dont step on the edgeof the cut bank, tell you kid,hey, thats overflow, tell him allthose kinds of things. You shouldalways just do subsistence and Ithink thats the important thing.Take what you need and try totake good care of it.Sonja Sager Sonja Sager and son Finn 24. But those ways face changes Theres a certain segment of young people that would like to find out if theyve got what it takes to go out and cut logs and build a cabin and fish and hunt and find out if they have what it takes. You cant do that now. My grandson will not be able to go downriver and build a cabin on a nice looking bench over the river. But I think people should have the opportunity because were not short on land, were short on people. -John Borg John Borg talks with interviewer 25. Keeping this life aliveFishers were asked what measures would best preserve and enhancesalmon runs that are the fuel to their unique life way. Responses included:1) Remove requirement to completely pull nets during closures. 2) Undertake further study on the effect of large mesh nets on size selectivity. 3) Rethink models of customary and traditional. Go beyond racialconceptions of fishing dependence and recognize that there is now a 40-plus year history of non-Natives learning about the fishery from Nativeexperts, who are fast disappearing. 4) Develop quantitative analyses of subsistence fisheries. 5) Study correlations between low snow cover and/or cold winters for effectupon fry survival. 6) Study the demographics. Are there more or fewer subsistence fishersriverwide? More or less harvest? 26. I think the northern environment is particularly delicate because it grows so slowly. Whatever damage is done may not be reversible. We need to think of it not as what I can get out of it but rather how we can preserve it for others. When I say others I dont always mean people. We are here with animals, and without them we wouldnt be here.-Elizabeth Sager