Iñupiat Iḷitqusiat

Observing social-ecological design of permafrost landscapes: grounding urban planning in Utqiaġvik, Alaska

“…Though changes due to climate change increase the difficulties of building and developing infrastructure on permafrost, by grounding designs in deep understanding of social entanglement with permafrost dynamics, residents may feel fewer negative perceptions of impacts of permafrost thaw (Ramage et al 2022), or less solastalgia, emotional distress due to environmental change (Albrecht 2010). By reflecting a more-than-human definition of fellow life in the landscape (Povinelli 2016), a more holistic metaphysical landscape can be affirmed along local cultural values of co-constitution of human and nonhuman (Tallbear 2011), such as Iñupiat Iḷitqusiat values of respect for nature and cooperation (Itchuaqiyaq et al 2021). Perhaps synchronizing the creative use of urban space-from maintenance to building to planning-in synchrony with permafrost dynamics will promote a closer sense of lived engagement with the changing land, rather than only reactionary measures against permafrost degradation.…”

Decolonizing Community-Engaged Research: Designing CER with Cultural Humility as a Foundational Value

“…Numerous scholars (Agboka, 2014;Bloom-Pojar & Barker, 2020;Torrez et al, 2017;Walton et al, 2015) have shared strategies for creating more equitable power roles in CER affecting decision-making and direction, navigating the field, establishing and maintaining trust, and holding space and time to listen and learn together with community partners. A common thread is active engagement with community partner's values, such as confianza (Bloom-Pojar & Barker, 2020), comunidad de cuentistas (Torrez et al, 2017), ubufatnye (Walton et al, 2015), and Iñupiat Iḷitqusiat (Itchuaqiyaq, 2021). Currently, there is a sharp increase in calls and funding for Arctic-based CER.…”

“…This ITK initiative challenges community-outreach approaches that only re-package community-extractive research that largely aims at obtaining access to the natural land and resources integral to Arctic research. Further, ITK's initiative is one example among many (see Itchuaqiyaq, 2021;Nickels et al, 2006;Tagalik, n.d.) that might guide equitable practices in the Arctic, each of which stem from Indigenous communities' own ethical practices.…”

“…Equitable community engagement with the Iñupiat of the NANA Region begins with understanding that their community's value system, known as the Iñupiat Iḷitqusiat, is central to community practices and represents a worldview that both challenges and complements typical Western academic practices and sensemaking (Itchuaqiyaq, 2021). The Iñupiat Iḷitqusiat are tools that help to effectively facilitate academic-community engagement in a manner that is respectful and productive in Iñupiat community contexts.…”