Changes in Underground Food Storage Traditions: Exploring Food Life-History and Food Security in Beringian Communities

地下食物储存传统的变化：探索白令海峡社区的食物生命史和粮食安全

• 批准号: 2133706
• 负责人: Michael Koskey
• 金额: $ 89.28万
• 依托单位: University of Alaska Fairbanks Campus
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-02-15 至 2025-01-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2133706&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Changes; Underground; Food; Storage; Traditions

This project addresses Indigenous food security in Alaska through the study of subterranean food caches in three Alaska Native communities. Underground food storage and preservation are critical to subsistence and food security for many Alaska Native households. However, permafrost thaw and subsidence are causing many caches to collapse or flood. Employing community-based participatory research, the PI team will document current and past use of food caches ethnographically and identify emerging food storage and preservation challenges. The condition and integrity of existing caches will be assessed using environmental science methods. This mixed-methods project employs both ethnographic methods and environmental science data collection and analysis. Members of the research team will conduct participant observation and oral history interviews in three Alaska Native villages with traditions of underground storage. With community assistance, caches will be identified and documented. The condition of select caches will be monitored to detect subsidence and to measure temperature, humidity, and rate of permafrost thaw. Bio- and geochemical analyses will enable researchers to characterize permafrost composition and hydrology. The project team will work with community partners to interpret project findings and develop outreach materials such as booklets, posters, and classroom curricula. Results will also be disseminated via conference presentations and peer-reviewed articles.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

该项目通过研究阿拉斯加三个土著社区的地下粮食储藏库来解决阿拉斯加的土著粮食安全问题。地下食物储存和保存对许多阿拉斯加原住民家庭的生存和粮食安全至关重要。然而，永久冻土融化和下沉正在导致许多储藏库坍塌或洪水泛滥。利用基于社区的参与性研究，PI团队将以民族志的方式记录当前和过去对食物储藏库的使用，并确定新出现的食物储存和保存挑战。将使用环境科学方法评估现有缓存的状况和完整性。这一混合方法项目既采用了人种学方法，又采用了环境科学数据收集和分析。研究小组成员将在三个具有地下储存传统的阿拉斯加原住民村庄进行参与者观察和口述历史采访。在社区的帮助下，将识别和记录缓存。将监测选定的储藏库的状况，以检测下沉并测量温度、湿度和永久冻土融化速度。生物和地球化学分析将使研究人员能够确定永久冻土的成分和水文学特征。项目小组将与社区合作伙伴合作，解释项目结果，并编制宣传材料，如小册子、海报和课堂课程。结果也将通过会议报告和同行评审文章传播。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。