NPS Photo/Emily Mesner The Kobuk Valley Subsistence Resource CommissionEstablished under the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA), Kobuk Valley National Park specifically protects subsistence harvest by rural Alaska residents. In ANILCA, Congress acknowledged the exceptional and unique conditions of life in Alaska's rural areas in Title VIII of the Act, noting that:
Subsistence Resource Commissions (SRCs) were established to ensure local voices and perspectives are included in the management and regulatory process. Over the years the Kobuk Valley National Park SRC has informed changes to wildlife regulations, provided insights to changes in the arctic habitat, offered suggestions to mitigate and resolve user conflicts, and much more. The Kobuk Valley National Park Subsistence Resource Commission is an essential co-steward of the National Park. 
NPS Photo/Emily Mesner What is a Subsistence Resource Commission?Subsistence Resource Commissions (SRCs) have been established for most national parks and monuments in Alaska to provide meaningful participation and involvement of local subsistence users in planning and management decisions. The purpose of the Commission is to recommend to the Governor of Alaska and the Secretary of the Interior a program for subsistence hunting within Kobuk Valley National Park.Since the establishment of the federal subsistence management program in 1990, the SRC has also been making recommendations on proposals for hunting and fishing regulations (e.g., harvest limits, seasons, and customary and traditional use determinations) affecting Kobuk Valley National Park directly to the federal subsistence Northwest Regional Advisory Council (RAC) and the Federal Subsistence Board. Kobuk Valley National Park has ten designated "resident zone communities" in the vicinity of the park that have special privileges regarding subsistence within park boundaries. Resident zone communities have cultural ties to the National Park for countless generations.These communities are known as NANA region and are: Ambler, Buckland, Deering, Kiana, Kivalina, Kobuk, Kotzebue, Noatak, Noorvik, Selawik, and Shungnak. The Commission is comprised of nine local rural residents representing geographic, cultural, and user diversity from within the region. SRC members are appointed by the Governor of Alaska the Secretary of the Interior and the Northwest Arctic RAC, three from each appointing body. Kobuk Valley SRC meets at the NPS Northwest Arctic Heritage Center in Kotzebue two times per year, generally in late Febuary and in October. Updates on meetings can be found on our Facebook page. Meetings are also announced on KOTZ radio. For more information, or to sign up for press releases and meeting announcements contact Subsistence Coordinator, Emily Creek at (907) 412-0229 or emily_creek@nps.gov 
NPS Photo: Amy Martin, 2022 Artist in Residence Taikuu to all of the Kobuk Valley Subsistence Resource Comission members past and present!
Curtesy of Haffenreffer Museum Shield was awarded the 2nd annual Eileen Devinney Award for Savaqatigiiyułiq (Cooperation) in 2024. He served as chair of the Kobuk Valley SRC for many years, taking in new park staff, introducing staff to the culture, and making everyone feel welcome. In total he served on this commission for 18 years. Shield was a champion of returning digitized materials from the Giddings Collection of work at Onion Portage. As a young man of 17 year old, Shield Jr. worked with his father, Shield Sr., and Giddings at Onion Portage. |
Last updated: December 6, 2024