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OCR for page 232
Appendix H
Traditional Knowledge
Richard Glenn
Vice Presidents Arctic Slope Regional Corporation
Barrow, AK
Native American people have since the time of the first
European contact struggled with the idea of sharing with the
outside world a storehouse of raw information, truisms, phi-
losophies, and ways of life. This storehouse is wrapped in a
big blanket and named by the outside world as "traditional
knowledge." It has been obtained (as in any culture) over
time by observations of nature, trial and error, dogged per-
sistence, and flashes of inspiration. In cultures without a
written history, such as our Alaskan North Slope Inupiat
culture, this knowledge is passed person to person, through
social organizations, individual training, as well as through
stories and legends.
Our culture is based on knowledge of the natural envi-
ronment and its resources. Knowledge of the Arctic tundra,
rivers and lakes, of the lagoons and oceans, and all of the
food resources they provide are our foundation. Further,
knowledge of snow and ice conditions, of ocean currents,
weather patterns, and their effects on natural systems be-
comes necessary for navigation, finding and trailing game,
and locating shelter and each other. This knowledge has
value. First, to pass amongst each other and on to our chil-
dren, and, second (should we decide to) to pass on to those
outside of our culture.
To someone unfamiliar with the Inupiat culture or the
arctic environment (such as a youngster or an outsider) the
storehouse of information must seem near infinite and inac-
cessible. And, stereotypes abound amongst ourselves and
in the eyes of outsiders. Legends of the "hundred different
terms for snow . . . or ice" serve to perpetuate the mystery.
Regarding sharing with outsiders, in addition to the stereo-
types, there is a stigma: bad experiences too numerous to
count that began by good-faith sharing of traditional knowl-
edge and ended by abuses of the sharing process. These range
from simple plagiarism to exploitation and thievery. Here,
too, legends and stereotypes abound.
Such experiences have led many Inupiat people first to
ask "Why share?" And even if this challenge has been an-
232
swered sufficiently, an equally difficult challenge remains
for both sides: "How to share?"
WHY SHARE?
Why do we share our traditional knowledge? Despite
the stigma, our community is proud of a long history of pro-
ductive cooperative efforts with visiting researchers, and
proud of hunters, travelers, and other experts lending their
support to visiting scientists, mapmakers, and others. Why?
We share when we consider others as close enough to be part
of our own culture, and we share when we think it is in the
best interest of a greater cultural struggle.
Experts Sharing With Each Other
The question of "why" is always easy to answer when
two individuals are sharing equally, and the joy of discovery
takes place on both sides. Examples in our own hundred-
year history of cooperation serve as good models. The wild-
life biologist and the whaler, the nomadic traveler and
geologist, the archaeologist and the village elders. This two-
way exchange has often worked when a given researcher has
been around long enough to be considered "one of us," or at
least has displayed to the community that he possesses some
common values.
Sharing for the Greater Good
For a more locally important reason, we share tradi-
tional knowledge when we believe that it will lead to pre-
serving our land, our resources, or our way of life. This
reason has prodded us to work hard with regulatory agen-
cies and other organizations to develop policies, to draft
environmental impact statements, or to offer even the most
specific knowledge of the environment, wildlife, or cul-
tural practice.
OCR for page 233
APPENDIX H
Sharing as a Part of Inupiat Eclucation
A third reason exists: Pure instruction. Like a teacher to
a student, our elders and experts teach the rest of our com-
munity in any facet of traditional knowledge. We share to
perpetuate our culture. How does one become involved in
this kind of sharing? The answer is simple: Become a stu-
dent. However, this can take a lifetime, pairing with a given
expert over years of learning. Chances are that the teacher
himself is learning, too. This is the method most commonly
used by our own people to transfer knowledge amongst our-
selves. Our culture has many vehicles to allow this kind of
instruction to take place. This method, too, faces challenges
due to changing culture, loss of language, and other factors.
HOW TO SHARE?
How can an outsider partake in any of the vehicles of
sharing traditional knowledge? Choose one or all above cri-
teria: an exchange among experts, become part of an effort
that is of value to our people, or remain in the community
and become a real student. Any other method risks lack of
context, data gaps from abbreviated efforts, and other such
problems.
Current Efforts
Funding exists in many government agencies for pro-
grams that elicit traditional knowledge. These programs can
be found from NSF to NOAA to MMS. Recently these ef-
forts have drawn praise from outside quarters, as it demon-
strates that the government has "validated" traditional
knowledge. Yet, even so, we are still struggling with the
very agencies that have given traditional knowledge some
credibility. Why is this? In many instances the goal of elicit-
ing traditional knowledge is a short-term project objective
for an effort that might necessarily take a lifetime.
A common problem many agency efforts face is that
they try to gather traditional knowledge in "nontraditional
ways." They hold public meetings, offer copies of documents
for comment, or rely on whatever political leadership hap-
pens to be in place. Another vehicle in vogue for agencies is
the contract with a Native organization.
Native tribal organizations, profit and nonprofit corpo-
rations, and rural and local governments all represent some
aspect of a Native constituency. So, because the groups have
some legitimacy in attempting to be the bridge between tra-
ditional knowledge and the outside world, a contract is de-
veloped. The contractor must somehow assimilate, docu-
ment, and contribute traditional knowledge. Thus, what
should take (1) years of heart-to-heart collaboration between
experts, or (2) a whole army of local energy focused on a
single issue, or (3) years of tutelage under a suite of instruc-
tors must now be completed before the contract deadline,
usually a period of weeks to months.
233
When contracting with a Native organization to elicit
traditional knowledge, the government can wash its hands of
the issue. It looks appropriate; it's in the Natives' hands.
And, the Native organization, hungry as it should be for
grants and contracts from the "feds," offers to carry the obli-
gation. Again, contract and project timelines become the tar-
gets, and we collect what we can while we can. Quality may
suffer, content and context as well.
Knowing that change happens slowly, and that agencies
can only do so much, it is reasonable to assume that what is
presently occurring will continue. Meetings to assess tradi-
tional knowledge will undoubtedly go on. With this in mind,
there are a few more cautions to those interested in docu-
menting traditional knowledge, learning about the environ-
ment without reinventing the wheel, and working with Na-
tive communities on regionally important issues.
Choose the Forum with Care
A meeting's attendees must be matched to the issue.
When expertise is really needed, it should be stated. Stereo-
types will allow any agency to assume the expertise is there.
There is a scene from the movie On Deadly Ground where
the leading actress (an Asian woman playing a Yup'ik)
jumps on a horse to the surprise of Steven Seagal's charac-
ter. He asks, "You can ride a horse?" to which she answers,
"Of course, I'm Native American!" A comical analogy, but
not far from the mark from many real-life stereotypes.
Don't Put Your Eggs in One Basket
Check sources. Stated another way, the most talkative
person may not be the most knowledgeable. Ours is a culture
of consensus. Agreement is mandatory on nearly every item
passed as traditional knowledge. If one person stands alone,
he may be an expert, or he may be wrong.
Given the size of the task, it is easy to run away from
documenting traditional knowledge, even for our own inter-
nal reasons. For many it can be an intensely personal en-
deavor. Still, such documentation will continue by our own
people as well as by outside groups. Our culture is changing,
and some day we may be learning "traditional knowledge"
using the same techniques employed by those today who are
outside looking in. We may be learning of our own tradi-
tional knowledge as if it belonged to others. Just as today in
many places we are learning our own language as if it were
a foreign language.
As long as we are pledged to the task, we should look
past the requirements of this contract or that mandate, and
remember the quality of information, time-tested and true.
With everything changing, it is a valuable reference plane. If
it is not where we are going, at least it is where we are com-
r
1ng from.
Representative terms from entire chapter:
outside world
