Collaborative Research: Indigenous Northern Landscapes, Visual Repatriation, and Collaborative Knowledge Exchange

博物馆和档案馆收藏的历史景观照片是识别和描述气候变化和其他因素造成的环境变化的重要资源。将这些文化遗产资源遣返或归还给土著社区，有助于当地利益相关者评估随着时间的推移而发生的变化，制定应对和应对未来变化的计划，从而降低风险，增强社区的复原力。该项目与阿拉斯加费尔班克斯大学（UAF）和北极地方观察和知识交流（ELOKA）合作，为北极阿拉斯加的Iñupiat和日本北部的阿伊努人创造了一个独特的机会，让他们参与视觉遣返项目，并参与以社区为中心的遗产资源管理。该项目促进了对社会和环境变化过程及其对土著人民的影响的了解，并促进了阿拉斯加和日本的研究人员和土著社区之间的合作和知识交流。该合作项目采用多种方法，包括故事地图、重复摄影、口述历史访谈和照片语音，以促进对环境变化的理解，并促进土著社区之间的代际对话。项目活动包括讲习班和文化交流，以及Iñupiaq和阿伊努社区参与者的社区知识管理，共同编写和编辑历史照片目录，以及共同出版同行评议的文章。该项目通过知识合作生产推进土著研究主权和文化遗产归还工作，并在环极社区之间建立合作关系。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Historical landscape photographs in museum and archival collections are critical resources for identifying and characterizing environmental shifts due to climate change and other factors. Repatriation or return of these cultural heritage resources to Indigenous communities assists local stakeholders in assessing changes over time, formulating plans to address and respond to future changes, thus reducing risk and enhancing community resilience. This project, in collaboration with the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) and the Exchange for Local Observations and Knowledge of the Arctic (ELOKA), creates a unique opportunity for the Iñupiat of Arctic Alaska and Ainu peoples of northern Japan to participate in a visual repatriation project and engage in community-centered heritage resource management. This project advances understanding of the processes of social and environmental change and resultant impacts on Indigenous peoples and fosters collaboration and knowledge exchange among researchers and Indigenous communities in Alaska and Japan.This collaborative project employs diverse methods, including story mapping, repeat photography, oral history interviews, and photovoice to advance understanding of environmental change and foster intergenerational dialogue among Indigenous communities. Project activities include workshops and cultural exchanges, and community knowledge curation by Iñupiaq and Ainu community participants, co-authoring and co-editing a catalogue of historical photographs, and co-publishing peer-reviewed articles. This project advances Indigenous research sovereignty and cultural heritage repatriation efforts through knowledge co-production and builds collaborative relationships among the circumpolar communities.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.