HR: 1340h
AN: PA23A-1442    [Abstracts]
TI: Modeling Cultural/ecological Impacts of Large-scale Mining and Industrial Development in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Basin
AU: * Bunn, J T
EM: turlo@u.washington.edu
AF: Earth & Space Sciences University of Washington, Box 351310 310 Condon Hall, Seattle, WA 98195 United States
AU: Sparck, A
EM: asparck@u.washington.edu
AF: Urban Design & Planning University of Washington, Box 355740 410 Gould Hall, Seattle, WA 98195 United States
AB: We are developing a methodology for predicting the cultural impact of large-scale mineral resource development in the Yukon-Kuskokwim (Y-K) basin. The Yup'ik/Cup'ik/Dene people of the Y-K basin currently practice a mixed-market subsistence economy, in which native subsistence traditions and social structures are largely intact. Large-scale mining and industrial-infrastructure developments are being planned that will constitute a significant expansion of the market economy, and will also significantly affect the physical environment that is central to the subsistence way of life. To explore the impact that these changes are likely to have on native culture we use a systems modeling approach, considering "culture" to be a system that encompasses the physical, biological and verbal realms. We draw upon Alaska Department of Fish and Game technical reports, anthropological studies, Yup'ik cultural visioning exercises, and personal experience to identify the components of our cultural model. We use structural equation modeling to determine causal relationships between system components. The resulting model is used predict changes that are likely to occur as a result of planned developments.
DE: 9810 New fields (not classifiable under other headings)
DE: 6334 Regional planning
DE: 0400 Biogeosciences
SC: Public Affairs [PA]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting