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Community vulnerability is increasingly evaluated through quantitative social indices, typically developed using secondary data sources rather than primary data collection. It is necessary to understand the validity of these indices if they will be used to inform policy and decision making. This paper presents a ground-truthing effort to validate quantitative indices that characterize the well-being of Alaska fishing communities. We utilized ethnographic data collected from 13 representative communities and a capital assets framework to ground-truth the indices, in which qualitative ranks of vulnerability were compared against quantitative indices. The majority (73.8%) of ranks were in complete or moderate agreement and the results indicate that most of the indices are representative of community vulnerability; yet some variables utilized to create the indices could be modified to better reflect realities in Alaska. Indices of commercial fishery engagement and reliance appeared to be more reliable than socioeconomic indicators, particularly for smaller fishing communities. We also confirmed that the indices do not capture political, or ecological factors that affect levels of community vulnerability. We conclude that quantitative indices of community vulnerability are useful rapid assessment tools; however, they should be validated, and complemented with ethnographic data prior to their implementation as policy making and management tools.

Research on women's contributions to Alaska's salmon fisheries is limited despite their historical engagement in commercial and subsistence fisheries. We interviewed women engaged in salmon fisheries in Bristol Bay, Alaska and illustrate how oral history and participatory ethnography methods contribute to voices being heard, that have been excluded from fisheries research and management. Four broad themes emerged from the interviews: women's knowledge and leadership; social cohesion; environmental change; and identity and place. Women assume major roles by contributing to the preservation of salmon fishing knowledge and cultural values through cross‐generational knowledge transfer. Their participation in fisheries, deep knowledge of local resources, and education of youth of the cultural value of fishing and the environment are critical to community socio‐cultural and economic wellbeing. We conclude that women's knowledge may be critical in fisheries management decisions, community resilience, and socio‐ecological sustainability in a region facing increased threats from climate change.