One Community, One Fish: A Retrospective Investigation of Accessing Changing Fisheries and Cultural Continuity in Tyonek, Alaska

摘要

King salmon is one of the most important wild foods for residents of the traditional Dena'ina community of Tyonek, Alaska, and harvesting practices associated with this fish are a meaningful aspect of local livelihoods and culture. However, since the introduction of Euro-American resource management, harvesting enough king salmon to support local livelihoods has become increasingly difficult for members of this community. This thesis uses the field of political ecology to investigate the community of Tyonek's ability to access king salmon. Case study analysis, participant observation, interviews, and surveys conducted with Tyonek community members provide a retrospective understanding of shifts in the harvest and use of king salmon by the community of Tyonek. The results from this research make evident that even though fishery access issues have arisen throughout Tyonek's recent history, the community has demonstrated resilience by attempting to mitigate outside forces that aim to block their access to this important subsistence resource. Today harvesting king salmon and the associated processing and sharing activities continue to be important traditions of the Tyonek people.