Centering Self-Determination as a Core Research Principle in a Multidisciplinary Partnership with the Akiak Native Community to Promote Climate Justice, Water Security and Indigenous Knowledge Systems

Project Update

November 2023

This project is part of a larger effort to develop a sustainable and safe source of drinking water for the ANC, located in Alaska. In our Indigenous-led, community-centered project, our team collaborated with the Akiak Native Community (ANC) to install a rainwater cistern which has been operational since summer 2022. We achieved this by incorporating research approaches such as Indigenous research methodologies, community-based participatory research (CBPR), and western science.

In summer 2023, our focus was to understand the ANC’s perception of cistern rainwater compared to their existing tap water. We designed and implemented a pilot mobile online survey using tablets to collect data from 49 randomly selected households through a house-to-house approach. Both the University of Washington (UW) research team and ANC research team carried out this work. The online survey was led by PhD student Turam Purty under the supervision of Dr. Clarita-Lefthand Begay. To ensure the successful implementation of this survey, we organized a two-day on-site household water survey training program for two ANC community leaders, Sheila and Lena. This research not only enhanced the essential skills of these leaders to administer the survey, but also strengthened our overall engagement across our academic and community research teams.

Currently, we are preparing an internal report for ANC that analyzes our preliminary survey findings and provides future recommendations for the rainwater cistern operation. Additionally, we are extending our collaboration to other neighboring tribes and institutional organizations like the Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, and other Commissions. Given the significant climate change impacts on the Kuskokwim River, including altered flow patterns and increased contamination risks, it is important to work as an interdisciplinary team to protect regional ecosystems and support the subsistence lifestyles of local communities. This step represents a significant advancement in our project, still aligning with our initial goals. Lastly, we have begun the process of creating a local youth advisory community, consisting of local high school students who have been hired under this grant to assist us with our data entry efforts.

Simultaneously, we are collaborating with the ANC advisory board to prepare a publication titled “A Community-centered Online Survey to Understand Drinking Water Perceptions among the ANC.” This paper aims to summarize our findings and insights gained from this collaborative research. Through these efforts, we not only address immediate water security concerns but also contribute to a broader understanding of community-led environmental stewardship and sustainable resource management.

Awarded Project Overview

April 2023

About the Project:

Tribal self-determination is essential for achieving climate justice. For the Akiak Native Community (ANC), climate change and aging infrastructure have combined to create serious challenges, including access to clean and safe water. Rising temperatures and unpredictable precipitation patterns have increased the risk of microbial contamination in local water sources, impacting community health and well-being.

The Kuskokwim River (KR), a vital resource for subsistence, has previously been found to contain higher-than-normal levels of mercury. However, little is known about microbial contaminants in this waterway, which is critical for the ANC’s daily needs. While a rainwater cistern has been introduced as an alternative drinking water source and is appreciated by many households, community members still have concerns about the safety of both tap water and river water.

Goals:

This project focuses on addressing ANC’s water security priorities through a partnership built on Indigenous self-determination and knowledge. Our goals include:

Empowering Tribal Leadership: Strengthen the ANC’s Natural Resource Department and community advisory board to enhance local decision-making and environmental stewardship.
Understanding Community Perceptions: Conduct a household survey to explore how residents view the safety of their drinking water, comparing rainwater collection systems to tap water.
Assessing Water Quality: Establish baseline levels of microbial contamination (E. coli and Total Coliforms) in drinking and surface water from the Kuskokwim River using advanced field sampling tools.

Approach:

This collaborative research integrates Indigenous research methods and community-based participatory approaches. Through community meetings, surveys, and scientific studies, this project aims to strengthen the ANC’s sovereignty and resilience in the face of climate change.

Research Focus:

Hold community meetings with the SAB and elders to co-develop training protocols for household surveys and water quality testing, integrating traditional knowledge and empowering ANC staff to lead future research.
Administer a survey to examine community perceptions of water quality, focusing on tap and cistern-captured rainwater, using demographic questions, Likert scales, and open-ended responses.
Conduct participatory water testing using a co-designed field guide, including four sampling trips on the Kuskokwim River and tributaries to monitor E. coli and Total Coliforms, building ANC’s long-term capacity for water quality management.

Why It Matters:

By centering the ANC’s priorities, this work will not only provide actionable insights to improve water security but also set an example for future research that values Indigenous knowledge and promotes climate justice.

Activities:

Student activities will focus on:

Comprehensive Training: Students will receive hands-on training in Indigenous Research Methodologies, along with qualitative and quantitative research techniques.
Leadership Opportunities: Students will actively engage with the Akiak Native Community as an Indigenous community partner, gaining real-world experience in collaborative research.
Mentorship and Professional Development: Students will receive guidance to develop skills in community engagement, translating research findings for different audiences, and understanding the ethics of Indigenous data sovereignty.

In addition to student activities, other key project efforts will include:

Establishing a Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) of 3–4 members, with terms of 1–2 years, to guide and support the research.
Developing a field-testing protocol for microbial water sampling that can be replicated by ANC staff, ensuring the community has tools for ongoing water quality monitoring.

Expected Outcomes:

Culturally appropriate research protocols will be developed to support the Akiak Native Community (ANC) in training their staff and building local capacity.
Project findings will be analyzed, and actionable recommendations will be provided to the ANC tribal council to sustain and advance future research efforts.
Research outcomes will be shared with other tribal nations, federal agencies, and scientific communities to ensure accessibility and encourage broader application.

Research Team:

Principal Investigator: Clarita Lefthand-Begay, UW Seattle, The Information School
Co-Investigator: Dian Million, UW Seattle College of Arts & Sciences, American Indian Studies
Community Lead: Sheila Carl, Tribal Council, Akiak Native Community
Student: Turam Purty, The Information School, UW Seattle
Collaborators: Timothy Ford, Chair, Professor, Associate Director – CPRT