Award Abstract # 2231727
Temyiq Tuyuryaq: Collaborative Archaeology the Yupiit Way

NSF Org: OPP
Office of Polar Programs (OPP)
Recipient: WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
Initial Amendment Date: August 29, 2022
Latest Amendment Date: August 29, 2022
Award Number: 2231727
Award Instrument: Continuing Grant
Program Manager: Roberto Delgado
robdelga@nsf.gov
 (703)292-2397
OPP
 Office of Polar Programs (OPP)
GEO
 Directorate for Geosciences
Start Date: April 1, 2022
End Date: March 31, 2026 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount: $608,853.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date: $291,934.00
Funds Obligated to Date: FY 2018 = $291,934.00
History of Investigator:
  • Kristen Barnett (Principal Investigator)
    kristen.barnett@ubc.ca
Recipient Sponsored Research Office: Western Washington University
516 HIGH ST
BELLINGHAM
WA  US  98225-5996
(360)650-2884
Sponsor Congressional District: 02
Primary Place of Performance: Western Washington University
516 High St.
Bellingham
WA  US  98225-9038
Primary Place of Performance
Congressional District:
02
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): U3ZFA57417D4
Parent UEI: U3ZFA57417D4
NSF Program(s): ASSP-Arctic Social Science
Primary Program Source: 0100XXXXDB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
Program Reference Code(s): 5221, 1079
Program Element Code(s): 522100
Award Agency Code: 4900
Fund Agency Code: 4900
Assistance Listing Number(s): 47.078

ABSTRACT

This project is an excellent illustration that archaeological inquiry in North America inherently intersects with Native American peoples and interests. In addition, it provides a deeper understanding of human experience and adaptation during several periods of socio-environmental change during the last 2000 years. This project builds a unique partnership between an Alaska Native community, an Alaska Native archaeologist and students at Bates College to explore an important archaeological site in Southwest Alaska, Temyiq Turyuraq (Old Togiak). The site was evaluated as simply a midden (village dump) by archaeologists in 1960. In 2015 and 2017, working closely with the Togiak community, including Bates undergraduates, Togiak Elders, and village students, the site was mapped with a variety of geophysical methods and reanalyzed and found to contain more than 70 traditional-style residential structures. In addition, this site was found to have been occupied for more than 2000 years up to the present, as represented by the Yup'ik community of Tuyuryaq (Togiak), a community comprised of more than 800 residents. Drawing unique insights from community members the project will address questions such as demography, cultural continuity, development of adaptive behaviors during climate instability and inter/intra village relationships.

This award will support a long-term collaborative archaeological project with the community of Tuyuryaq (Togiak), Alaska. This project redefines the cultural landscape utilizing a developing field of Indigenous archaeology with the specific community-based approach, placing value and focus on community while contributing to a better understanding of a coastal sub-arctic village and the peoples' relationships to the landscape including plants and terrestrial and marine resources. This project will further develop knowledge coproduction methods between scientists and community members within an archaeological framework. This project takes a place-based inclusive approach that advances youth access to education in the sciences and beyond and supports a newly established cultural center which will curate the materials resulting from the research.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

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