Old Harbor studies the old ways

Old Harbor is turning to its past to plot out its future.

With support from Alaska Sea Grant, a group of researchers are partnering with the Alutiiq Tribe of Old Harbor to study how people in the 200-person Kodiak Island village have managed their fisheries throughout history. The research will be combined with educational efforts in hopes the knowledge can help the younger generation weather the challenges confronting the community’s present-day fisheries.

“There’s a very strong oral history of sustainable fishing by ancestors ,” said University of Alaska Fairbanks researcher Nicole Misarti. “They knew when to fish, where to fish, and how many fish to take. The community is interested in us digging into the past to help support those values.”

While dozens of fishing boats once filled Old Harbor, only a few remain today, raising concerns about the future of local fisheries in the face of changing ocean conditions, rising costs and limits to entry permits. These trends contrast with the community’s rich past: local archaeological sites evidence more than 7,500 years of human presence, built around long-sustained relationships with marine ecosystems. Centuries-old middens offer information about historic fishing activities, which can be brought to light using stable isotope analysis and other techniques.

In an effort to utilize these ancient sites to advance community priorities, the Alutiiq Tribe of Old Harbor is collaborating with researchers from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the University of Washington, and the State University of New York at Cortland. The partners received an Alaska Sea Grant Community Partnership Development Grant to support a collaborative workshop in Old Harbor. The event brought together researchers and scholars with local elders, educators and fishermen.

“If we really wanted to do meaningful work in the community, we needed to start with the community first,” said SUNY Cortland researcher Hollis Miller.

The workshop laid the foundation for future work at Old Harbor in historical ecology, oral history, Indigenous fisheries stewardship and youth education. One theme that emerged was the importance of involving youth in research, noting that future generations will be critical in sustaining both fisheries and cultural knowledge. The researchers and Tribe plan to build on activities like the annual Nuniaq Culture Camp, a summer program for Tribal youth that incorporates traditional Alutiiq/Supqiaq activities and includes work at an archeological dig. This year’s camp will also involve Elders who will share stories about historic fishing and discuss ways to maintain the practice as a core element of the Alutiiq/Supqiaq identity.

“The goal is to help kids see possible pathways, maybe becoming scientists, managers or cultural leaders who can advocate for co-management,” said University of Washington researcher Ben Fitzhugh. “If young people understand both systems [of fisheries management], they can help bridge them.”

The next stage of the project will be to develop a planning document to map out future research and education efforts. The plan will outline key research questions about historical fisheries and strategies for expanding youth education at both Nuniaq Culture Camp and in local schools, and help to ensure that local values and community priorities guide stewardship of both cultural heritage and marine resources.