Studying Tokk'aano with Drones Student Guide

Student Guide Studying Tokk’aano with Drones http://sites.google.com/alaska.edu/drones LOWER KOYUKON ATHABASCAN 2 What is tokk’aano? Tokk’aano or erosion is the process of wearing away the surface of Earth. This process happens slowly over years and years. Wind, too (water), ice, climate change, and gravity all contribute to tokk’aano. Tokk’aano moves łaats (sand) and le’on (rock) from one place to another. It changes the surface of Earth. Hoolyo or weather can be a strong driver of tokk’aano. A winter with heavy snow will add a lot of too to a creek or hen (river) come spring thaw. Heavy too flow can lead to flooding. Flooding brings too into areas that are not usually under water. This can damage structures and erode landscapes. Tokk’aano is all around us. In addition to too, wind and gravity can also lead to tokk’aano. Strong winds move łaats (sand) or silt from one place to another. Gravity is the force holding us down to the Earth’s surface. When le’on tumbles down a hill, it erodes the hillside and pulls material down with it. This is called a hoolgok or landslide. image courtesy of Chris Maio, UAF/GI Tokk’aanoTokk’aano Erosion 3 Have you noticed tokk’aano or a hoolgok around your community? Where have łaats and le’on been transported to a new place due to heavy rainfall? How has the path of the hen been impacted? Permafrost is ground that remains frozen yearround. Across Alaska, there are large areas of permafrost. It may be below your feet right now. In recent years, permafrost has been thawing. Permafrost thaw can cause ground to sink . Have you noticed places where the ground has sunk or washed away? These are signs of an tokk’aano event. Look for tokk’aano around your community. Image courtesy of ACUASI There's a lot of erosion on the river. There [are] a lot of channels that are changing, where we used to be able to just go fish and know we're going to catch fish. The channels are changing, so those areas aren't good for fishing anymore. So we have to go find new areas where we think the fish will be good. Martha Turner Nulato, Alaska 4 How can a yok’enodzeedz (drone) help monitor tokk’aano (erosion)? A yok’enodzeedz is used to help with tokk’aano in many ways. A camera yok’enodzeedz can be used to monitor a riverbank or daas (sandbar) by taking pictures of the tokk’aano. It can be flown along riverbanks or hillsides to spot areas of extreme tokk’aano. Flying a yok’enodzeedz can help people decide if the riverbank or hill should be restored or reinforced. After a heavy rainstorm, or an earthquake, a daas may undergo large tokk’aano events. Flying a yok’enodzeedz to look for new hazards like snagged trees or large boulders in the hen (river) is useful. Yok’enodzeedzYok’enodzeedz Drone image courtesy of Mariah McNamara, UAF image courtesy of ACUASI 5 People can also use drones to track how quickly the hen is eroding. Flooding and tokk’aano are resulting in the loss of important land along rivers and oceans in Alaska. This can damage buildings and affect maahaa hots’edelyaaye (subsistence) activities in hen communities. Drones can track tokk’aano by taking many photographs of a hen over a long period of time to show how the hen is changing. During spring breakup, a yok’enodzeedz can be flown above the rivers to monitor the ice. Seeing large areas of the hen from above helps pinpoint when the ice is breaking up and moving. This can help a community that is at risk for flooding. Drones are a safe and inexpensive way to take the pictures from above. photo courtesy of Golden Valley Electric Association Can you spot the tokk’aano in this yok’enodzeedz image? 6 Activity 1 Tokk’aano Vocabulary Athabascan Values: Knowledge of Language, Cooperation, SharingAthabascan Values: Knowledge of Language, Cooperation, Sharing Work with classmates or your teacher to practice the vocabulary words in this booklet. Use the cards provided in the material kit or print them at sites.google.com/alaska.edu/drones Visit: sites.google.com/alaska.edu/drones to hear and practice the vocabulary words. Nulato (Lower Koyukon Athabascan words) English translation tokk’aano erosion hoolgok landslide yok’enodzeedz drone hen river hoolyo weather łookk'e fish le’on rock, boulder maahaa hots’edelyaaye subsistence taa’gełtletl fishing łaats sand too water daas sandbar 7 What causes a hoolgok? A hoolgok (landslide) is a large amount of earth, le’on (rock), and other material that moves down a steep slope. Landslides happen when a layer of łaats (sand) or le’on separates from the layer below it. The force of gravity pulls the loose layer downward. An earthquake can loosen łaats and le’on. The loose material can slide downhill quickly. Permafrost thaw can also cause a landslide because permafrost contains a lot of ice, and becomes mud when it thaws. Earth easily slides when there is mud beneath it. A hoolgok can be very destructive. It can bury or sweep away things in its path. It can also block rivers and add small or large debris to the too. A larger hoolgok can carry whole trees downhill. The image below shows a hoolgok. Can you see where the trees were growing and where they ended up? What do you notice at the bottom of the slide? HoolgokHoolgok Landslide image courtesy of Martha Turner, Nulato [There are] erosion sites going towards Kaltag. I know there's one at Twelve Mile. That whole one side of that hill came down. That happened during the 2018 earthquake in Anchorage. Tristan Madros Nulato, Alaska 8 F a s t e r Slower image courtesy of Brad Scotton, USFWS Here you can see one curve in the Yukon River. The too on the outer edge of the curve is faster moving than the too on the inside of the curve. Which side of the hen do you think is eroding the riverbank more? How does tokk’aano (erosion) shape a hen? In a hen, tokk’aano changes the edges of riverbanks, as too (water) washes away the łaats (sand). The movement, or flow, of too in a hen is not always the same. Too changes speed depending on the location in the hen. When too goes around a turn in a hen, the too on the outside of the turn moves faster than the too on the inside of the hen. Faster moving too carves deeper cuts into riverbanks. More too rubs away more daas (sandbar) and łaats over time. This creates the winding snake-like shape a hen has. Landscape changes impact local ecosystems and ways of life for local residents. The next time you look at a hen, notice the too moving against the bank. Can you see łaats moving along with the too? Do you notice places the riverbanks look “carved” away? HenHen River 9 How does tokk’aano impact people? Builders learn to understand the way land changes over time before building roads and homes. They study the behavior of the ground. Tokk’aano and flooding are important to consider. Building too close to water bodies can be dangerous. Years later, land may erode as rivers change and grow. Building in valleys or at low elevations can put structures at risk of flooding. Communities close to rivers can sometimes flood. Over the years, Nulato has had many great floods. During the spring when the hen thaws, the too can get very high and flood the banks. Melting ice can clog the hen and cause flooding as well. A large flood can cause damage to buildings and roads. In Nulato, many family homes were built on a hill above the Old Town of Nulato. The hillside is very safe from flooding because of its elevation above too level. Structures like the Andrew K. Demoski school are lifted to be safer from future floods. Image courtesy of Calder Tozier The airstrip in Nulato was built up high above the town on a plateau to keep it away from tokk’aano on the river banks below. 16 What kind of hazards does tokk’aano cause? A hen (river) is full of hazards. Some are visible and others are not. Large boulders below the water’s surface can cut holes in the bottoms of boats. Floating trees and branches can get caught in boat motors. Living near a hen comes with a special set of challenges. In spring, melting snow can cause flooding. Many communities take measures to ensure structures close to the bank do not flood. Learning how to be safe on the hen is important. A yok’enodzeedz (drone) can be used to fly over a fallen tree and plan a path for a boat. Trees and rocks that have fallen into the hen can snag fishing nets and rip them. When boating on a hen, always be on the lookout for objects in your path. This is a hoolgok (landslide) on the Tanana River. What do you notice at the bottom of the hill? The hoolgok has moved trees, le’on (rock), and łaats down to the too (water). image courtesy of Daniel Walker, UAF graphic courtesy of Molly Putman, UAF 17 Activity 3 Tokk’aano & Maahaa hots’edelyaaye Athabascan Standards: Responsibility to Village, Respect for the Land, Respect for NatureAthabascan Standards: Responsibility to Village, Respect for the Land, Respect for Nature Intro: Invite an Elder to your class to share about maahaa hots’edelyaaye (subsistence) in the community. Think about how tokk’aano affects traveling on rivers. How does this make life more difficult for your community? How can a yok'enodzeedz (drone) be used to monitor tokk’aano? Materials: • Dry erase markers • Printed Yukon River photos (1986 & 2016) • Clear page protector • Tea or coffee • Cups • Drones in Nulato: Studying Tokk’aano with Drones video Procedure: 1. Invite an Elder to your classroom to share about how tokk’aano and other changes to the hen and landscape affect maahaa hots’edelyaaye in your community. Welcome the Elder and give them a comfortable place to sit. Serve them tea or coffee. 2. Politely ask the Elder questions about how tokk’aano changes affect maahaa hots’edelyaaye. Listen closely as they share with you. 3. With the Elder and as a class, brainstorm maahaa hots’edelyaaye practices that have been affected by tokk’aano. Make a list on the whiteboard. 4. Watch the Drones in Nulato: Studying Tokk’aano with Drones video available here: https:// sites.google.com/alaska.edu/drones/. 18 Discuss: 1. Thinking specifically about rivers, how does tokk’aano change a hen? Does change happen fast or slow? Both? a. With the Elder, study the laminated hen photos of the Yukon. b. Place "Image A" in the clear page protector. Trace the path of the hen. c. Remove "Image A" and slide "Image B" into the clear page protector. Use a different color dry erase marker and trace the river outline on Image B. 2. What do you notice about the two outlines? How are they different? 3. Ask the Elder to share how tokk’aano is changing the hen and landscape in your area. Review ways drones can help with tokk’aano in your community. 4. When the Elder is done sharing, verbally thank them. You can make a thank you card, some artwork, or perhaps help them with an errand or chore to show your appreciation and respect. 19 2016 1986 images courtesy of Sentinel Playground Please note: The Athabascan terminology in this Student Guide is from the Koyukon dialect spoken in the Nulato area. Check with local speakers to find out if some of the terms in your community are different. Maasee' (thank you): Special thanks to the Nulato Tribal Council. Noolaagh Doh Koyukon Athabascan community members Martha Turner and Maurice McGinty guided content development for this publication. Maasee’ to this team and the many additional local knowledge bearers, educators, and scientists who contributed their expertise, interviews, data and pictures to this project. The information provided in this publication is for educational purposes only and not for commercial use. Credits: This publication was produced at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute as part of the Drone Research Opportunities for Native Elementary Students (DRONES) project under the oversight of Principal Investigator Lynda McGilvary and Co-Principal Investigators Charlene Stern (UAF), Cathy Cahill (UAF) and Dayna Jean DeFeo (Univ. of Alaska Anchorage). Authors: Mariah McNamara, Lori Schoening, Martha Turner, Maurice McGinty Koyukon Athabascan Translators: Rosa Peter, Paul Mountain Design, Graphics and Layout: Vicki Daniels, Molly Putman Science Editor: Richard Buzard English Editor: Doreen Hayward Education Researcher: Dayna Jean DeFeo This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Nos. 1850561 & 1850556. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. UA is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer, educational institution and provider and prohibits illegal discrimination against any individual: www. alaska.edu/nondiscrimination. © 2024 Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks. Cover photo by Daniel Walker, UAF/GI