Łuk'a & Drones Student Guide

1 Student Guide Łuk’a & Drones LOWER TANANA ATHABASCAN http://sites.google.com/alaska.edu/drones 2 Why are łuk’a (salmon) important? Wild łuk’a play an important role in Alaska. Łuk’a are a vital food source for people and animals. They provide nutrients to the environment through the waters. Łuk’a have been a traditional food of Alaska Native peoples for generations. Łuk’a also are a major part of Alaska’s economy. Łuk’a provide jobs for commercial fishermen, hatchery workers, and people who work in the tourism industry. Every year, young łuk’a migrate from the Tth’itu’ (Tanana River) to the notu’ (ocean) and old łuk’a travel from the notu’ back to the rivers and streams where they began life. Able to live in both freshwater and saltwater, łuk’a have a complex life cycle. image by Ryan Hagerty, USFWS When king salmon gets here, I remember it’s a big celebration. There’s tea all around the fish camps around here. We get fish and we’re happy, real happy. Victor Lord Nenana, Alaska Łuk’aŁuk’a Salmon 3 image by Ryan Hagerty, USFWS image by Ryan Hagerty, USFWS image by Ryan Hagerty, USFWS king salmon: gath chum salmon: nulaghi coho (silver) salmon: sanh łuk’a Here are a few types of łuk’a around the region of Nenana. Different types of łuk’a can have many names. Gath is also called Chinook, while nulaghi can be called dog salmon. Have you heard other names for the fish above? What are the types of fish you know of? Note: Łuk'a is a general term for fish, but in this context the term will be used to refer to salmon. 4 Nenana (Lower Tanana Athabascan) words English translation kha’ał tr’ekhwneyi subsistence (what we live on) no’idelakh they come back (salmon) yots’enodzida drone Tth’itu’ Tanana River notu’ ocean (salt water) łuk’a salmon k’eddhet fishing place, eddy k’un’ tendeyosrde spawning stream gath king salmon (Chinook salmon) nulaghi chum salmon (dog salmon) sanh łuk’a silver salmon (coho salmon) sanh summer dęy’ spring khwyhts’en’ fall ch’etena animal trail denigi moose Activity 1 Łuk’a 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. 5 What is the life cycle of a łuk’a (salmon)? A łuk’a lives in different habitats during different stages of their life. Łuk’a spend some parts of their life in fresh water and others parts in notu’. The łuk’a life cycle begins when the adults spawn in fresh water. Łuk’a eggs are laid in a k’un’ tendeyosrde (spawning stream). Each female lays thousands of eggs. Then the male łuk’a release milt over the eggs to fertilize them. Once the łuk’a eggs hatch, they are called alevin. Alevin have a yolk sac Łuk’a lekhŁuk’a lekh Salmon run image by Ryan Hagerty, USFWS Salmon [are a] keystone species for a whole ecosystem. They spawn in the creek and when they die, their body deteriorates. That’s nutrients for all the other organisms in the water that birds feed on and that feed the salmon eventually. [They] enrich the environment for everything else. Jessica Black Nenana, Alaska 6 that hangs off their bellies. From there the alevin grow into fry. Fry no longer have yolk sacs and still live in the fresh water k’un’ tendeyosrde. Łuk’a are called “smolt” when they move from fresh water to notu’ (ocean). The smolt travel to notu’ where they live for the next 1-7 years. In the notu’, smolt grow into adult łuk’a. After living their adult life in notu’ łuk’a travel back to the same k’un’ tendeyosrde they were born in. Adult łuk’a lay their eggs in the same place they were born. After laying their eggs, the łuk’a die. Łuk’a are an important part of the environment. Their decaying bodies supply nutrients to the streams. Wildlife and plants that grow in or near the water benefit from the nutrients of the łuk’a after they die. The eggs/young fish are a food source for some łuk’a. Adult salmon are an important part of the food chain for bears, seals, birds, and other predators. image by Brigitte Werner | Pixabay 7 Activity 2 The Life of a Łuk’a Athabascan Standards: Responsibility to Village, Respect for the Land, Respect for Nature, Respect for Athabascan Standards: Responsibility to Village, Respect for the Land, Respect for Nature, Respect for Elders and othersElders and others Łuk’a or salmon have a unique life cycle. Have you seen baby or adult łuk’a in a stream or a river around your home? Investigate the life cycle of the łuk’a from birth to death. Think about ways łuk’a are important to your community. Invite an Elder or culture bearer to go on a field trip to a fish camp/ traditional area in your community. Materials: • Łuk’a Life Cycle worksheet • Łuk’a Life Cycle cards • Clipboards • Colored pencils • White paper • Scissors • Tea and coffee • Cups Procedure: 1. Day 1: Discuss: What is a life cycle? What does a human life cycle look like? 2. Draw a picture of a life cycle you are familiar with. How many stages of life are in your drawing? Number them. Share your drawing with the class. 3. Now think about the life cycle of a łuk’a. What are the stages of a łuk’a life cycle? 4. In a group of two, work through the Łuk’a Life Cycle worksheet. Cut out the Łuk’a Life Cycle cards. 5. Shuffle the cards and place them in order from birth to death of a łuk’a. Repeat. 8 6. Compare and contrast the life cycle of a łuk’a to a different life cycle you discussed in step 2. 7. Day 2: Invite an Elder or culture bearer to come with your class to visit a fish camp/traditional area in your community. Bring your Łuk’a Life Cycle cards 8. At the traditional area, ask the Elder or culture bearer to share traditional tools/methods used in fish camp for harvesting and catching łuk’a. 9. Discuss the uses of łuk’a in the community. What are some ways you have seen łuk’a used? 10. Share the Life Cycle cards with the Elder or culture bearer. Split into groups - one group for each stage of the Life Cycle cards. Arrange your groups in the order of the life cycle from birth to death. Describe what you have learned about each stage with the invited Elder or culture bearer. adult eggs alevin smolt Łuk’a Life Cycle O C E A N S T R E A M / R I V E R adult fry spawner illustration by Katherine Bendall and Molly Putman 9 How are łuk’a (salmon) populations changing? Łuk’a populations are changing for a number of reasons. In Alaska łuk’a deal with challenges like changes in habitat and rising water temperatures that affect how many fish are able to stay healthy and return from the notu’. In recent years, łuk’a populations have been decreasing. This affects communities that rely on fishing. Warming water elsewhere is attracting predators of łuk’a and UAF/GI photo by Daniel Walker I like to use all my senses to connect and think about how [salmon] are available for you and not taking that for granted that you have that food and thanking the land for providing for you. Eva Burk Nenana, Alaska “ Yegw dats’e dekhot’an’ k’wda dekhwtht’aną .Yegw dats’e dekhot’an’ k’wda dekhwtht’aną .” “ What they used to do is not being done.” - Ellen FrankEllen Frank competitors for łuk’a prey. Learning more about łuk’a can help you think about how to help them. 16 How can a yots’enodzida (drone) be used to monitor and learn about łuk’a (salmon)? A yots’enodzida can be used in many ways to learn about łuk’a. With a bird’s-eye view, it can be used to count łuk’a in a stream or river. It can be used to spot channels for łuk’a. A yots’enodzida can record video of places on the Tth’itu’ (Tanana River) that may need to be restored. Years after birth, łuk’a spawn in the same streams they are born. During the time away, spawning streams can change or I could use [a drone] to identify new spawning areas for salmon and other fish species which are important in our culture. Don Charlie Nenana, Alaska Yots’enodzidaYots’enodzida Drone image by Daniel Auerbach, Washington State University 17 UAF photo by Todd Paris be blocked. Drones are helpful for tracking where łuk’a are migrating and how that path is changing. With a fast changing climate, landscapes can change very quickly. Landslides or flooding can alter łuk’a streams in a short amount of time. Flying a yots’enodzida over a landscape can help see where landslides or erosion has happened. Will trees and rocks be swept down the river and affect a łuk’a stream? Erosion can also add debris to streams and make waters cloudy which may harm growing łuk’a. With a view from above, a yots’enodzida can spot places in streams which may be concerning because of extra sediment and cloudy waters. How would you use a yots’enodzida to learn about łuk’a or their habitats? 18 Activity 3 Łuk’a & Drones Athabascan Standards: Responsibility to Village, Respect for the Land, Respect for NatureAthabascan Standards: Responsibility to Village, Respect for the Land, Respect for Nature The time of year when łuk’a are migrating up the Tth’itu’ (Tanana River) is changing. Sometimes people need help knowing when the łuk’a arrive and how the population is doing. The kha’ał tr’ekhwneyi (subsistence) way of life is changing with the fish. Discuss the migration of łuk’a and think: How might a yots’enodzida (drone) be used to monitor łuk’a? Materials: • Drones in Nenana: Łuk’a & Drones video • Clipboards • Paper • Pencils Procedure: 1. Watch Drones in Nenana: Łuk’a & Drones video available here: http://sites.google.com/alaska.edu/drones/ 2. Discuss: What is migration? What migration journey do łuk’a make? What other kinds of animals migrate? 3. On a piece of paper draw a table with two columns labeled: notu’ (ocean), river. Using your life cycle cards from Activity 2, write the stages of łuk’a that are in the freshwater and which are in the notu’. At the bottom of the column, write the seasons of the year łuk’a spend in each location. Try to write the Tanana word for each season using the łuk’a vocabulary in Activity 1. 4. Discuss the idea of traditional tools vs. modern tools: a. Is a yots’enodzida a traditional or modern tool? b. What are some other examples of modern tools? 19 c. What tools are used for kha’ał tr’ekhwneyi? Which of these tools are traditional? Which are modern? How do both support kha’ał tr’ekhwneyi needs? 5. Discuss the ways a yots’enodzida can be used to monitor and learn about łuk’a. 6. Take a look at the yots’enodzida image of łuk’a on the below. One was taken by a yots’enodzida and one was taken by a camera on the ground. What was the yots’enodzida pilot looking for? Why do you think this photo was taken? a. Circle all the łuk’a you can spot in this image. b. Find a partner. With your partner, write a two sentence summary of why you think this image was taken. 7. Review what migration is from your student guide pg. 13. As a class discuss: What major life events lead łuk’a to migrate? (Hint: there are at least two). How do you think łuk’a migration changes are impacting your community? What ideas do you have for addressing the impacts of łuk’a migration changes in your community? image by Mark Witteveen, Alaska Department of Fish and Game UAF photo by by Todd Paris, UAF 20 Basi’ (thank you): Special thanks to the Nenana Native Association. Nenana Tanana Athabascan community members Don Charlie, Victor Lord and Eva Burk guided content development for this publication. Basi’ 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, Don Charlie, Victor Lord, Eva Burk Tanana Athabascan Consultants: Siri Tuttle, David Engles Design, Graphics and Layout: Katherine Bendall Science Editor: Andrew Seitz 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 UAF photo by Todd Paris.