Imam Cimiucia
Imam Cimiucia
Our Changing Sea
Through the dual lenses of Western science and traditional Native knowledge, Imam Cimiucia explores the ecological, social, and economic causes of coastal ecosystem change on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula. Coastal communities there—and the world over—have witnessed dramatic changes in their homes in recent years, and this innovative collaboration brings together the research efforts of marine scientists with the experiences, perceptions, and knowledge of Sugpiaq elders and other village residents whose lives are shaped by the sea. This book offers insight into the resilience—and limits—of marine ecosystems, as well as the vast archive of knowledge and expertise held by different cultures.
“A rich account of the long history of human habitation and its impact on the coastal marine ecosystem of south-central Alaska. By joining hands in a common research endeavor that brings together deep local knowledge and detailed instrumentation provided by marine scientists, we come to better understand the effects of the changes underway in the region.”
Foreword
How This Book Came to Be
Map of Northeastern Pacific Coast
Map of the Kenai Peninsula and Local Sugt'stun Place Names
Our Ocean Home
Living from the Sea
The Tides That Fed Us
The Most Recent Decline
A Story of Multiple Causes
Our Past
In Deep Time
The Russian Era: From Seasonal Camps to Established Villages
Extinctions and Extirpations
In Living Memory
Following the Fish, Then the Jobs
Sea Otters Return
Local Shellfish Begin to Decline
The Earthquake of ‘64
Electricity Comes to the Villages
The Gulf of Alaska Commercial Crustacean Crash
Clams and Cockles: The Next to Go
When the Water Died
Nearshore Marine Invertebrates Decline One After the Next
Identifying the Problems to Create the Solutions
Serial Depletion and Ecosystem Overfishing
Putting It All Together: Why Have Bidarkis Recently Declined?
Our People and Sea Otters: Predators and Competitors
Ecosystem Effects of Sea Otters
Overexploitation
Changing Life Ways
Shifting Baselines
Contaminants and Pollution
Changing Ocean Temperatures
Climate Change, Sea Ice, and Ocean Acidification
Other Ecological Changes
Enjoying Our Marine Resources in the Future
Traditional Management of Marine Resources
Teaching the Next Generation
Qaillumi Kipucesnaiyarrtaa: How Can We Bring It Back?
The Future of Our Ocean Home
Acknowledgments
References
Photographer Credits
Index
