Series: Alaska Park Science - Volume 20, Issue 2. Beringia: A Shared Heritage

This year (2021) is the 30th anniversary of the Shared Beringian Heritage Program. This issue highlights some of the history, intent, and accomplishments of the program. The following articles demonstrate the variety of projects and the values of the program.

• Article 1: Beringia: A Region of Collaboration

  

  This year (2021) is the 30th anniversary of the Shared Beringian Heritage Program. This issue highlights its history, intent, and accomplishments. The following articles are examples of the variety of projects and value of the program. Alaska Park Science 20(2), 2021 Read more

• Article 2: Qatŋut: Celebrating the Legacy of Trade, Dance, and Connection at Sisualik

  

  Qatŋut is a traditional trade fair that celebrates dance, food, culture, connections, and trade among peoples. The fair has its roots in the exchange between Indigenous communities on both sides of the Bering Strait. The Beringia Shared Heritage Program has played a key role in supporting and continuing this tradition. Alaska Park Science 20(2), 2021 Read more

• Article 3: Ocean Currents and Food Security: The Crucial Role of Bering Strait Traditional Knowledge

  

  Knowledge of ocean currents is critical to the food security of Indigenous Peoples of the Bering Strait. This knowledge can mean life or death for fishermen and hunters and is passed down from Elders to youth. Alaska Park Science 20(2), 2021 Read more

• Bering Land Bridge National Preserve

  Article 4: Nome Archaeology Camp: Using Place-based Education to Inspire the Next Generation of Stewards in the Bering Strait Region

  

  Nome Archaeology Camp engages high school students from across Alaska in learning about the cultural heritage of the Bering Strait—past and present. They practice archaeological survey techniques, learn from elders and local experts, work with museum collections, and more. Alaska Park Science 20(2), 2021 Read more

• Article 5: Studying Long-term Patterns of Bering Strait Cultural Interaction and Exchange Through Archaeological Ceramic Analysis

  

  The study of ceramic technology expands what we know about the extent of social networks over time. This work is exploring the mobility of social networks across Beringia and how people adapted to changing environmental and social circumstances. Alaska Park Science 20(2), 2021 Read more

• Bering Land Bridge National Preserve

  Article 6: Frank Churchill’s 1905 Documentation of the Reindeer Service in Alaska

  

  The photographic collection and historic account of an audit of the U.S. Reindeer Service undertaken in 1905 documents the sociopolitical context of early years of Native reindeer herding in Alaska. Alaska Park Science 20(2), 2021 Read more

• Article 7: Moving the Needle: Enhancing the Conservation of Iconic Shorebird Species of the Beringia Region

  

  The Beringia region’s Arctic and subarctic habitats are globally important nesting areas for shorebirds. But shorebird populations are declining, especially along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. This article looks at two species and the conservation of their habitat. Alaska Park Science 20(2), 2021 Read more

• Article 8: A Thousand Miles of Islands: Building Relationships Between Young People of the Commander and Pribilof Islands

  

  United by natural and human history but separated by nations and an expansive geography, youth from the islands in the Bering Sea are brought together to share their connections. Alaska Park Science 20(2), 2021 Read more

• Article 9: The Aleutians: Observing Recent Floristic Changes Along the Stepping Stones of the North Pacific

  

  The islands of the Aleutian Archipelago emerge like stepping stones across the North Pacific, linking Asia and North America. These stepping stones have provided a migration route for plants, but conditions and plant communities have changed over time. Alaska Park Science 20(2), 2021 Read more

• Article 10: The Fur Seals of Early American Alaska

  

  Fur seal harvest and industry centered in the Pribilof Islands of the Bering Sea. The industry changed hands between the Russian and U.S. governments until an international convention protected seals in 1911. Alaska Park Science 20(2), 2021 Read more

• Article 11: Beringia National Park: Preserving the Natural and Cultural Heritage of Eastern Chukotka

  

  Beringia National Park, the easternmost protected area in Russia, is a spectacular example of Arctic biodiversity and vibrant Indigenous culture. Alaska Park Science 20(2), 2021 Read more