Planning: Measuring Wind Direction Change on St. Lawrence Island, Alaska, Using Traditional Ecological Knowledge

Saint Lawrence University, Canton NY

Investigators

Abstract

This planning award lays the foundation for a participatory project to assess climate change impacts on prevailing wind direction on a Bering Sea island. Observation and interpretation of wind direction are components of traditional ecological knowledge in the Bering Strait region. For Indigenous St. Lawrence Islanders, wind direction is relevant to terrestrial wayfinding and sea ice navigation. Although there is little scientific data on prevailing wind direction on St. Lawrence, residents possess knowledge of wind patterns and construct shelters with prevailing winds in mind. This work asks whether wind direction has changed recently and will test whether wind direction can be reconstructed in the absence of instrumentation. This planning award supports travel to St. Lawrence Island to develop collaborative relationships with Savoonga residents and to conduct initial assessment of Indigenous knowledge about wind direction. The PI will assess level of interest in and knowledge of wind direction while training a local student on qualitative research methods. Two focus groups will be held in the village, facilitated by a local coordinator. These focus groups will include elders and hunters knowledgeable about wayfinding and wind conditions. Should planning activities prove successful, the PI plans to develop a standard research proposal to explore whether wind direction can be reconstructed through study of structure orientation and grass lay direction complemented by Indigenous knowledge. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.