Collaborative Research: Indigenous Northern Landscapes, Visual Repatriation, and Collaborative Knowledge Exchange

Historical landscape photographs in museum and archival collections are critical resources for identifying and characterizing environmental shifts due to climate change and other factors. Repatriation or return of these cultural heritage resources to Indigenous communities assists local stakeholders in assessing changes over time, formulating plans to address and respond to future changes, thus reducing risk and enhancing community resilience. This project, in collaboration with the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) and the Exchange for Local Observations and Knowledge of the Arctic (ELOKA), creates a unique opportunity for the Iñupiat of Arctic Alaska and Ainu peoples of northern Japan to participate in a visual repatriation project and engage in community-centered heritage resource management. This project advances understanding of the processes of social and environmental change and resultant impacts on Indigenous peoples and fosters collaboration and knowledge exchange among researchers and Indigenous communities in Alaska and Japan. This collaborative project employs diverse methods, including story mapping, repeat photography, oral history interviews, and photovoice to advance understanding of environmental change and foster intergenerational dialogue among Indigenous communities. Project activities include workshops and cultural exchanges, and community knowledge curation by Iñupiaq and Ainu community participants, co-authoring and co-editing a catalogue of historical photographs, and co-publishing peer-reviewed articles. This project advances Indigenous research sovereignty and cultural heritage repatriation efforts through knowledge co-production and builds collaborative relationships among the circumpolar communities. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.