Resources: Our Northern Neighbors
How do our northern neighbors in Canada, the northern lower 48, and other Arctic nations, address and solve problems like those of rural Alaska? What might we learn from them?
The United States Arctic Research Commission has a portal with links to “a broad collection of Arctic science websites that are distributed among society, environment, economics, reference, organizations, and abbreviations to provide information to a broad cross-section of users.
ARCUS (Arctic Research Consortium of the United States) “is a nonprofit organization consisting of institutions organized and operated for educational, professional, or scientific purposes to advance arctic research and education.”
The Arctic Council is the leading intergovernmental forum promoting cooperation, coordination and interaction among the Arctic States, Arctic indigenous communities and other Arctic inhabitants on common Arctic issues, in particular on issues of sustainable development and environmental protection in the Arctic.
The Indigenous Environmental Network “is an alliance of Indigenous Peoples whose shared mission is to protect the sacredness of earth mother from contamination and exploitation by respecting and adhering to indigenous knowledge and natural law”
The Inuit Circumpolar Council, or ICC, “is the body that represents all Inuit from Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and Chukotka on matters of international importance.”
Longhouse Media’s mission is to “catalyze Indigenous people and communities to use media as a tool for self-expression, cultural preservation, and social change.” Co-Founder Tracy Rector, M.Ed, is a mixed-race (Choctaw/Seminole) filmmaker, curator, and community organizer.
The Oceti Sakowin Camp at Standing Rock “is a first of its kind historic gathering of Indigenous Nations. The most recent such assembly of Tribes occurred when the Great Sious Nation gathered before the Battle at Little Big Horn.” The Standing with Standing Rock website posts news regarding the DAPL.
Schooling the World produced a thought-provoking film that takes a close look at the history of western education’s impact on traditional cultures, by focusing on the Ladakh in the northern Indian Himalayas.
Wild Foods and Medicines blog: Elise Krohn is an herbalist and native foods specialist in the state of Washington. From her website, “Building relationships between plants and people is at the heart of Elise’s work.” She has written about many plants familiar to Alaskans.
From Garden Warriors to Good Seeds: Indigenizing the Local Food Movement showcases a variety of indigenous efforts to develop local food resources. It is a visually appealing website.
Birchbark Books is a “tiny independent bookstore” in Minneapolis that is “a locus for Indirigirati–literate Indigenous people who have survived over half a millennium on this continent.” The bookstore is owned, and the website is illustrated, by acclaimed Ojibwe writer Louise Erdrich, this store demonstrates her passion for building communities that will sustain over time. The blog features thoughtful book reviews written by Louise Erdrich. The website’s online store has a section for native titles, including children’s and young adult sections.