摘要
From a Western standpoint, Alaska Native Villages (ANVs) and other indigenous groups have a particular vulnerability to climate change. At the same time, these groups may be seen by themselves and Westerners as having particular knowledge that can help them adapt to climate change. This paper explores how ANVs are vulnerable to climate change and considers factors such as colonization that aggravate this vulnerability. It then explores how indigenous community knowledge may reduce vulnerability and facilitate adaptation and resilience. It concludes that indigenous community knowledge alone is insufficient to support adaptation and resilience, given the degree of social, political, and climate change, so long as Western institutions privilege Western science over other forms of knowledge. That said, indigenous community knowledge should inform agency decision-making and development projects and may serve as cultural capital that can support resilience. The desire to use indigenous knowledge may be a proxy for a larger issue—the need to include indigenous communities in decision-making about climate change.
