Over the last three years, the activities of the Hub have strengthened collaborations among partner organizations. Deeper working relationships have created opportunities to identify and pursue critical research priorities in the summer range of the Porcupine Caribou. At the last two annual gatherings, participants voiced a clear consensus that they would like to see the Hub reach beyond organization to organization partnerships to better engage community members not currently connected to the Hub, particularly youth. To better engage youth from Old Crow, Fort McPherson, and Aklavik, we will build on the successful youth internships program created by Team Shrub on Qikiqtaruk (Herschel Island). We will also create a youth seat on each of the Hub steering committees and form a youth committee as a part of the overall Hub. Youth will be paid for their contributions to the Hub activities following the Wildlife Management Advisory Council (North Slope) recommended youth employment rates. Youth will also be offered field opportunities to participate in research activities. To facilitate their engagement in the Hub, each youth representative will be mentored by a community representative on the same steering committee. Over the next three years the Indigenous Knowledge Steering committee will continue its work to help amplify Indigenous knowledge in all research projects and activities of the Hub.
The core goal of the Hub is to understand ongoing and future ecological change in the summer range of the Porcupine Caribou Herd. This information will directly inform the work of regional co-management organizations that seek to sustain populations of culturally significant species and support the long-term ecological integrity of these significant ecosystems. Information about ecological change in the summer range will also inform ongoing efforts to adapt to ongoing and projected changes.
Ongoing work in the hub being led by the Porcupine Caribou Management Board and Indigenous governments is still underway, but includes extensive archival research and verification sessions with partner communities. This work is being undertaken to inform a new conservation plan for the Porcupine Caribou Herd. We expect this work to be completed in the next two years. Additionally, the Wildlife Management Advisory Council (North Slope) recently completed their Wildlife Conservation Management Plan for the Yukon North Slope. This document creates a conservation case and framework for the Yukon North Slope which is the focus of much of the work completed by this project. Key tasks being undertaken by the Hub are seeking to address the priorities of this plan including implementation of a new Conservation Area (Aullaviat/Angunarviak) and Guardian program. These programs are deeply rooted in traditional land use and traditional knowledge of species and habitats, and are supported by decades of intensive scientific data collection.
The Hub provides a key connection point among organizations engaged in management and decision making related to the Porcupine Caribou Herd summer range. Hub meetings bring different stakeholders together to co-develop research projects. The Porcupine Caribou Herd Hub also brings together knowledge from member organizations and allows for knowledge from individuals and organizations to be shared and discussed. Findings from knowledge co-production activities and lessons and teachings from Indigenous knowledge and perspectives are brought together in one forum directly informing decision making by Indigenous and territorial government agencies, shaping ongoing research, and catalyzing new collaborations.
The structure and governance of the Hub were built to facilitate the direct flow of information to the relevant organizations. All organizations engaged in management and decision making related to the Porcupine Caribou Herd summer range are members of the Hub and have representatives on thematic steering committees. These organizations include: Wildlife Management Advisory Council North Slope, Yukon Department of Environment, Parks Canada, Aklavik Hunters and Trappers Committee, Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation, Gwich’in Renewable Resource Board, and the Inuvialuit Game Council. The work of the Porcupine Caribou Herd Hub engages decision makers in research prioritization, design and dissemination, closing the loop between research design and dissemination.
