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Village Members Greet Visitors Near the River at a Welcoming Potlatch, Noatak Style (June 2003)
Arctic Circle, Alaska
Native Inupiat people (Eskimo) live at Noatak Village located on the West Bank of the Noatak River in Alaska. Noatak Village is 55 miles north of Kotzebue, where Maniilaq Association is headquartered. The Maniilaq Association provides human and health services to eleven Inupiat communities in the Northwest Arctic Borough. Noatak Inupiat culture primarily revolves around subsistence lifestyle practices, centered on fishing camps and hunting expeditions, as well as collection of berries and plants.
In 1998, storage drums (contents unknown) left near the village after defense use in the 1940s were leaking, prompting concern that this leakage may be polluting village waterways. Residents were also seeking ways to mitigate and control illegal dumping. Noatak Village environmental representatives were building capacity to regulate dump sites and develop a comprehensive environmental plan.
Red Dog Mine, the world’s largest zinc mine is located 40 miles north of Noatak Village. Although the mine provides seasonal work for Maniilaq Association members, there are a number of environmental hazards associated with the mining activities that could compromise subsistence resources. The Noatak community is interested in mitigating effects of mine waste spills along haul roads, as well as those within port facilities located on the Chukchi Sea.
Noatak Village Members Discuss Environmental Concerns (June 2003)
Noatak Village Environmental Program Representative, Ricki Ashley
May 1998
Support to Noatak Village took many forms, including several phone consultations and two meetings with Noatak environmental program directors to develop a communication framework among EPA, Village, State and University contacts. Appropriate referrals were made to Federal Facilities Restoration and Reuse Office (FFRRO) and EPA’s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER). Many of the leaking drums were recovered in 2002.
In June of 2003, TOSNAC Coordinator along with a team of environmental and tribal law experts visited Noatak Village. For two days attorneys and scientists worked with the community members in the initial development phase of the Noatak comprehensive environmental plan. During the stay, visitors learned about value and importance of Inupiat subsistence lifestyles, as well the fragility of the Noatak community’s relationship with the natural environment in the face of heavy metals contamination concerns.
Noatak Village members attended three environmental workshops sponsored by the Maniilaq Association Environmental Protection Agency. The TOSNAC Coordinator assisted with training coordination and planning efforts. Brenda Brandon also provided speaker, facilitation and moderation services during the workshops. TOSNAC training contributions for the events are listed below.
HSRC Representatives Meet With Noatak Village Leader (April 1998)
NOTE: The EPA TOSC and TOSNAC programs have ended. Communities seeking technical assistance should contact:
- Karen Martin at EPA Headquarters at 703-603-9925, Martin.Karenl@epa.gov; or
- EPA personnel identified at the bottom of the TOSNAC Information Contacts below:
Brenda Brandon
TOSNAC Program Manager
E-mail: brendabrandon@msn.com
Voice: 785.749.8498 OR 785.532.6519
Mailing addresses
Haskell Environmental Research Studies Center
155 Indian Ave., Box 5001
Haskell Indian Nations University
Lawrence, KS 66046
OR
Center for Hazardous Substance Research
104 Ward Hall
Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS 66506-2502
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The Center for Hazardous Substance Research Last modified November 6, 2007 |
