**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** ACCESS TO HEALTHY, SAFE FOOD RESOURCES IS A SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGE FOR RURAL COASTAL ALASKAN COMMUNITIES, WHICH ARE PREDOMINANTLY INDIGENOUS ALASKA NATIVE. TRADITIONAL FOODS, INCLUDING BERRIES, FISH, MARINE MAMMALS, REINDEER, AND BIRDS ARE CRITICAL FOR HEALTHY DIETS, AND ARE FOUNDATIONAL FOR CULTURAL CONNECTEDNESS AND SELF-GOVERNANCE. AS CLIMATE CHANGE AND POLLUTION INCREASE, MANY COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND ALASKA NATIVE ELDERS HAVE VOICED FOOD SAFETY AND SECURITY CONCERNS RELATED TO ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICANTS PRESENT IN SPECIES HARVESTED FOR TRADITIONAL FOODS. EVEN IF CONTAMINANTS ARE NOT A PRESENT THREAT, APPREHENSION SURROUNDING CONSUMPTION OF TRADITIONAL FOODS CAN LEAD TO STRESS, LOSS OF CONNECTION TO PLACE AND TRADITIONS, AND CURTAIL THE ABILITY TO THRIVE. FOOD SAFETY MONITORING PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN UTILIZED IN GEOGRAPHICALLY ISOLATED COMMUNITIES TO ADDRESS THESE CONCERNS, BUT THE VAST MAJORITY RELY ON CONTRIBUTORY MODELS THAT MAGNIFY INEQUITIES BETWEEN COMMUNITIES AND EXTERNAL ENTITIES AND WORSEN OR MAINTAIN THE STATUS QUO REGARDING TECHNOLOGICAL GAPS AND DISTRUST. THIS DYNAMIC ULTIMATELY LIMITS COMMUNITIES' ABILITY TO TAKE PROACTIVE RESPONSES TO RAPID CHANGES IN THEIR LOCAL AND TRADITIONAL FOOD SPECIES. OUR VISION IS OF AN EQUITABLE COMMUNITY-UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIP THAT EMPOWERS INFORMED DECISION-MAKING RELATED TO FOOD SAFETY, WHILE TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF TRADITIONAL FOODS AND THEIR IMPORTANCE FOR CULTURAL CONTINUITY AND COMMUNITY WELL-BEING, AND IN DOING SO, ENHANCES ALASKA NATIVE RESILIENCE TO THE RAPIDLY CHANGING ENVIRONMENT. TO ACCOMPLISH THIS VISION, OUR PROPOSED PROJECT DIRECTLY RESPONDS TO SELF-IDENTIFIED COMMUNITY NEEDS AND GOES BEYOND THE STATE-OF-PRACTICE BY CREATING A TRIBALLY-LED COMMUNITY-CENTERED, ON-SITE RESEARCH LABORATORY ON ST. PAUL ISLAND, ALASKA WHERE TISSUE SAMPLES FROM TRADITIONALLY HARVESTED ANIMALS CAN BE ANALYZED IN REAL-TIME FOR CONTAMINANT CONCENTRATIONS BY COMMUNITY MEMBERS THEMSELVES, AND BE USED TO INFORM TRIBAL DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES. THE GENERATED DATA WILL BE INPUT INTO A COMMUNITY-OWNED, USER-FRIENDLY DIGITAL DASHBOARD TO FACILITATE INFORMATION UTILIZATION AND RESILIENCE. THIS WILL RESULT IN REDUCED DELAYS, INCREASED COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP OF AND ENGAGEMENT WITH DATA ON FOOD SAFETY, IMPROVED SELF-EFFICACY OF RESIDENTS AS EQUITABLE, LEADING PARTNERS IN THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE, AND IMPROVED TRUST IN TRIBAL-UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS.BY BRAIDING INDIGENOUS AND WESTERN WAYS OF KNOWING, AS IT RELATES TO FOOD SAFETY AND ULTIMATE FOOD SECURITY, THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE ENTRY POINTS INTO WESTERN SCIENTIFIC ENDEAVORS REGARDLESS OF BACKGROUNDS AND PRIOR EXPERIENCE IN WESTERN SCIENCE, AND PROMOTE DIVERSE VOICES, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, SKILL TRANSFER, AND KNOWLEDGE SHARING WITHOUT HISTORIC GATEKEEPING. IT INVESTS IN PHYSICAL, PERSONNEL, AND DATA INFRASTRUCTURES TO ENHANCE TRIBALLY-LED ECOSYSTEM MONITORING, CREATE A FOUNDATION FOR COLLABORATIVE PROBLEM DEFINITION PROCESSES, AND FOR TRIBAL AND RES,IDENT FOOD PRACTICES AND POLICIES TO BE EXPEDITIOUSLY INFORMED BY FOOD SAFETY MONITORING DATA. THIS MODEL WILL BE HIGHLY APPLICABLE TO RURAL AND INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE CIRCUMPOLAR ARCTIC AND BEYOND, PARTICULARLY IN CASES WHERE ACCESS TO NUTRITIOUS FOOD IS SIGNIFICANTLY CONSTRAINED BY LIVING IN STORE-BOUGHT FOOD DESERTS, AND WE WILL IDENTIFY THE COMPONENTS OF THE PROGRAM WHICH CAN BE SCALABLE TO ENHANCE RESILIENCE IN THE FACE OF RAPIDLY CHANGING OCEAN ECOSYSTEMS AND THREATS TO FOOD SECURITY.