Observing Locally, Connecting Globally
University of Alaska Fairbanks
by Sidney Stephens
Imagine cruising 30 miles down the Tanana River from Perkins Landing to Fox Farm on a warm, sunny July day. Imagine that your boat was piloted by one of three expert Athabascan captains: Elder Howard Luke who has lived, hunted, trapped and fished the river his entire life; Sam Demientieff, member of the Demientieff Navigation family, who grew up barging freight to communities on the Tanana, Yukon, Koyukuk, Iditarod and Innoko Rivers or Wes Alexander, the only five-time winner of the Yukon 800 riverboat marathon, now running riverboat tours to his historic Fox Farm allotment. Imagine the stories you'd hear and the lessons you'd learn.
Well, the 20 teachers in the first Observing Locally, Connecting Globally (OLCG) class didn't have to imagine because just such a trip kicked off this two-week class. After a brief introduction to our captains and equipped with Howard's river map, topo maps and GPS receivers, participants boarded their boats. Before casting off, the captains each talked about the fickle, ever-changing nature of the Tanana. How its level is affected by hot weather but, unlike the Chena River, not much affected by rain. How sandbars and channels shift and change over night and over time. How banks crumble and ledges form due to erosion and permafrost.
Once underway, each captain pointed out examples of these phenomena, intermingling navigational tips with personal reminiscences of their lives on the river. For example, Sam pointed out different riffles and what they might hide, but also shared barging stories like when the burnt skeleton of the Elaine G stuck out from a sandbar for years until the constant force of the river and ice dispersed it. Or when the ding, ding of the pilot's bell called all hands on deck to witness the historic passing of the Steamboat Nenana on its last run to Fairbanks. Wes talked about his childhood fascination with the river and about his grandfather's patient instruction to watch and remember everything. By paying attention to details and traveling the river over and over again, Wes mentally cataloged hundreds of river variables now used to interpret each riffle, sand bar, cut bank and eddy. Howard, too, has a mental map of the river but preferred to talk of people and places such as Lost Creek, so called because a bootlegger got lost in there and never came out, or Fox Farm itself where, as a boy, Howard skinned and tanned fox hides for the "Old Man."
Traveling
with these men, one was awed by their knowledge and confidence and intrigued
by glimpses of the river as they know it. For them, the Tanana was clearly
much more than part of the scenic view from the Parks Highway or a water
body to be studied and measured. It was an integral part of each of their
lives and stories. So what kind of a course was this anyway and how did a river trip fit in? Good questions. Essentially, OLCG is a new project aimed at promoting global change education in Alaska by first engaging students in local environmental observations and monitoring relevant to their community and then connecting these investigations with a broader understanding of global change. We began this course for teachers with the river trip because the study of global change is, of necessity, the study of earth as a system—its interconnected atmosphere, water, soil and living things. Our three captains demonstrated an incredibly rich understanding of these inter-relationships as they finessed their way down the Tanana. They embodied the kind of long-term observation and systems-thinking necessary not only to navigate a dynamic river, but to monitor the local environment and connect to global change. Thus they set not only the tone, but the standard for the rest of our class, not to mention providing us with one heck of a great day on the river!
Once back in class, we attempted to put these ideas of long-term observation and systems thinking into practice by focusing on the international GLOBE curriculum combined with the constant input of local experts like Dixie Dayo, Mary Shields and Elders Jonas Ramoth and Catherine Attla. This format was based on the belief that the linking of local knowledge with science instruction in schools is a mutually beneficial process that can only enhance both the cultural well being and the science skills and knowledge of students.
For
example, weather is one of the most critically-observed and mentally cataloged
phenomena in villages all over Alaska. Being able to observe and predict
the weather is of critical survival value to people traveling on land or
water. Weather extended to climate is also of critical importance when considering
issues of global change. Consequently, we began our class focus on weather
by first listening to Jonas and Catherine share their knowledge and perspectives.
Then we honed in on and practiced specific GLOBE protocols for gathering
atmospheric data (e.g. minimum/maximum temperature, snow/rain fall and pH,
cloud type and percent cover) and for submitting weather data on the Internet.
This same local/GLOBE format was followed for hydrology, land cover and
soil investigations in hopes that participating teachers would then implement
and extend such studies with their own K-12 students. And though we feel happy with OLCG's first attempt at merging Native knowledge with global change education, we realize that we have much to learn and that there is a long way to go before such teaching is either perfected or made prominent in most rural schools and communities. Luckily, the National Science Foundation funded this project for three years which will enable us to support teachers and students throughout the year, connect to related local and international projects and plan and carry out two more summer institutes. If you'd like more information on how you can be a part of this effort, please contact us: Sidney Stephens (ffssl@uaf.edu), Elena Sparrow (ffebs@uaf.edu or 474-7699), Leslie Gordon (lgordon@northstar.kl2.ak.us) or Martha Kopplin (mkopplin@northstar.k12.ak.us or 452-2000 ext. 431).
1. The GLOBE curriculum (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the
Environment) is an extremely comprehensive, well-tested and hands-on program
in which K-12 students collect atmosphere, soil, hydrology, land cover
and phenology data over time, entering it on the Internet for scientists
and others to analyze and use. See www.globe.gov
for more information.
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The Website for National Science Foundation Grant No. ES1-9910219
Last Modified on May 1, 2002 by Sidney Stephens
