In the summer of 2011, I traveled to Shaktoolik and Savoonga to survey members in each community about the impacts climate change has had on their subsistence lifestyle in an effort to build a base of Traditional Ecological Knowledge. With their candid perceptions and TEK, Dr. Rosales and I wrote a peer-reviewed article titled, “Identifying the Exposure of Two Subsistence Villages in Alaska to Climate Change Using Traditional Ecological Knowledge”.
"My involvement with AKSIK dramatically heightened my awareness of the effects of climate change on subsistence communities, and how the Traditional Ecological knowledge and practices in these communities needs to be protected and preserved if humankind has any aspiration to adapt to our rapidly changing environment. The wisdom I gleaned from each community inspired me to become closer and even subsist off my own local landscapes, such as hunting. My work with AKSIK has ultimately and radically changed the course of my life, and I wish to continue working on climate change adaption strategies."