The Sensitivity of Alaskan and Yukon Rivers, Fish, and Communities to Climate (Arctic Rivers) Project聽is guided by an聽Indigenous Advisory Council. The Council is an advisory body helping project investigators make decisions about research design, analysis, and deliverables with an eye to ensuring that Indigenous Knowledge and perspectives are included, valued, and protected and that the project benefits the Indigenous peoples it is intended to serve.聽

The Arctic Rivers project recognizes the rights of Indigenous communities to shape the research that occurs in our homelands, to assert our knowledge as a valid way of knowing. Co-production of knowledge involves the contribution and equal distribution of power between Indigenous stakeholders, researchers, and project members, in a manner that integrates the various knowledge systems present and informs the guidelines, goals, and expectations of the project.聽

We have developed聽Arctic Rivers Knowledge Co-production Protocols聽with the Council to provide guidance to ensure that Indigenous knowledge and perspectives are respected, valued, and acknowledged on an equal basis with western science and are included throughout the entire project. Our project and research team are bound by these protocols. You can download and view our Co-production Protocols.

Our team will continue to聽work with the Council to:聽

  • Promote and protect聽Indigenous Knowledges (IKs): Promote Indigenous Knowledge (IK) Protection throughout the project; Help the Project Team develop IK protection protocols.
  • Research design, analysis, deliverables:聽Help Project Team gather & evaluate input from the broader community and make decisions about how to proceed; Provide guidance to ensure that output is relevant, understandable, and useable
  • Clear, widespread communication:聽Recommend the best communication pathways and methods for the project to: Receive broad community input; Distribute project information & products; Review materials to improve their understandability and relevancy
  • Arctic Rivers Summit, Anchorage (date TBD): Lead the design of the Summit agenda; Help host the two-day Summit; Review a paper documenting output from the Summit; If interested, help write the paper.

Indigenous Advisory Council

Alestine Andre

Alestine Andre

Alestine is a Gwichya Gwich'in woman from the community of Tsiigehtshik (formerly Arctic Red River) in the Northwest Territories and represents the Gwich'in Nation. She holds a Master's degree from the School of Environmental Studies at the University of Victoria, B.C. and has decades of first-hand climate change observations along the Mackenzie River. For more than two decades, Alestine was the Heritage Researcher for the Gwich'in Tribal Council Department of...
Victoria Qutuuq Buschman

Victoria Qutuuq Buschman

Victoria Qutuuq Buschman has a Dr. of Conservation Biology researching how Indigenous communities contribute to Arctic biodiversity conservation, including wildlife management and the development and establishment of protected areas. Originally from Alaska and Northern California, she now lives in Greenland where she focuses on circumpolar perspectives on wildlife management and the establishment and development of protected areas. Victoria has always known she wanted to be a biologist and was interested...
Evelynn Combs

Evelynn Combs

Evelynn was born in Healy Lake, Alaska, and represents the Mendas Cha'ag, Naltsiin Athabascan. She has served six years on her elected council and recently resigned as chief to become the tribe's Tribal Administrator. The last eight years has consisted of frequent travel to delegate for her tribe at various conferences; namely the Bureau of Indian Affairs providers conference, TCC special convention, and most recently for a cultural committee serving...
Serena Fitka

Serena Fitka

Serena grew up in St. Mary鈥檚, Alaska in the lower Yukon River watershed area. She now lives with her family in Valdez, Alaska. She is the Executive Director of the Yukon River Drainage Fisheries Association (YRDFA) -- a non-profit organization that represents local fishers in 42 communities along the Yukon to ensure that the 鈥渧oices of fishing communities are heard when management decisions are being made.鈥� Serena鈥檚 work with YRDFA...
Elizabeth Moses

Elizabeth Moses

Elizabeth is a citizen of the First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun in Mayo Yukon. She has a degree in social work and certificate in Women鈥檚 Studies that compliments the cultural knowledge she has in respect of the matrilineal custom in Yukon. She has worked with many First Nation groups like the Yukon Native Brotherhood, the Yukon Association of Non Status Indians, the Council for Yukon Indians, the Yukon Aboriginal...

Emily Murray

Emily is an Inupiat elder and activist living in Elim, Alaska. As Vice President, she represents the Norton Bay Inter-Tribal Watershed Council (NBITWC) and has over 10 years of experience campaigning, writing and advocating. Her topics of expertise include subsistence, land and water resource protection. Murray is the lead for research and writing on the Norton Bay Climate Action Plan. She is also on the Planning Committee for the Norton...
Charles Prince

Charles Prince

Charles was born and raised in Alaska and currently lives in St. Mary鈥檚. He鈥檚 lived his whole life in a rural village and from a young age he participated in subsistence fishing and hunting and now fishes commercially. After graduating from high school in 1995, he started working for his Tribe managing the Environmental Program from 1999-2018. Charles has also completed two terms as a board member of the Native...
Patricia Salmon's community

Patricia Salmon

Patricia Salmon is a member of the Draanjik Gwitch鈥檌n tribe from Chalkyitsik, Alaska. She was born in Fort Yukon, and lives a subsistence lifestyle on the Draanjik River where she was raised with four siblings. Her background combines modern education and a traditional Athabascan upbringing. She is fluent in two languages, English and Gwich鈥檌n. She has two grown children and two grandchildren. Ms. Salmon is a student at the University...
Jenessa Tien

Jenessa Tlen

Jenessa describes herself as a proud Indigenous woman. She represents the Kluane First Nations (KFN) and lives in Burwash landing in Yukon Canada and has worked first hand with different research projects in her traditional territory. She represented Kluane/Canada's youth in the 2012 Bio Diversity Conference for the Cop11 meetings in India and worked with Ikaarvik in representing KFN -- with the main objective of taking research into their own...

Michael Williams

Michael represents the Yupiaq, Akiak Native Community and has held many titles throughout his life. He is currently the Chairman of the Kuskokwim Inter-Tribal Fish Commission and is the former BH Counselor and Former President of the Yupiit School District. He is now retired and says he is 鈥渂ack to just enjoying life鈥�. He shares, 鈥淚 want to use my experience to have a healthy way of life again, and...