Fire, Food, Communities, and More: SEARCH at Arctic Encounter Symposium 2024

The 10th anniversary of North America’s largest Arctic policy convening is happening this week (4/10 – 4/12), and SEARCH is ready to update participants on our shared understanding of Arctic environmental change.

Arctic Encounter Symposium—an annual gathering of over a thousand Arctic policymakers, Indigenous Knowledge holders, community members, scientists, and more—is a staple on the Arctic conference calendar. This year’s iteration, held again at Anchorage’s Dena’ina Center, will bring folks together from across the world to discuss the biggest issues facing our planet’s far north. SEARCH researchers will share our knowledge and benefit from the diverse perspectives of others in attendance.

Across three days, SEARCH researchers will be sharing perspectives on topics from wildfire and food security to human health and the Arctic’s impacts on the globe. While so much sharing happens over coffee and lunches and walks around town, formal sessions involving SEARCH members include the following:

Rising Arctic Flames: The Local and Global Consequences of Northern Wildland Fire. SEARCH will be convening this session, bringing together policymakers, scientists, land managers, and more to share diverse lenses on the realities of wildfire in the circumpolar north. Organized and hosted by SEARCH Co-Principal Investigator Francis Wiese, SEARCH Research & Program Management Fellow Alex Shahbazi, and SEARCH researcher and Chair of Gwich’in Council International Edward Alexander, the event’s presentations and panel discussion will also feature SEARCH researchers Savannah Fletcher (Presiding Officer of the Fairbanks Northstar Borough Assembly) and Torre Jorgenson (Affiliate Professor at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks) along with  other  collaborators. 

What Happens When the Arctic Doesn’t Stay in the Arctic. SEARCH Science Director  As a panelist, Brendan Kelly will describe how Arctic and non-Arctic governments, organizations, and people are improving collaboration to understand and respond to the impacts of environmental change in and beyond the Arctic.

Thriving Communities: Addressing Health and Food Security in the Arctic. For this discussion examining the intersection of food security and health, SEARCH Co-Principal Investigator and Executive Director of the Eskimo Walrus Commission Vera Metcalf will provide essential insights into the challenges facing Arctic residents. 

A Year in Review: Newtok Mothers’ Path Forward. Jackie Qataliña Schaeffer—SEARCH Co-Principal Investigator and Director of Climate Initiatives for the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium—is heavily engaged with the community of Newtok’s ongoing relocation to its new home of Mertarvik as climate change erodes the village away. This session will center the voices of mothers in that community. 

From Local to Global: Navigating the Impact of Thawing Arctic Permafrost on Communities and Climate. Another session featuring Jackie Schaeffer, this time discussing the impacts of thawing permafrost. 

Charting a Course: The Arctic Council’s Future and Global Cooperation. SEARCH researcher Edward Alexander, who also serves as Co-Chair of Gwich’in Council International, has represented Gwich’in interests at the Arctic Council for many years. He will be a key part of this session as it explores ways in which indigenous and non-indigenous consultation and collaboration in the Arctic Council can be best elevated and utilized to advance a strong and secure Arctic.

Far North Fashion Show. Nine of Jackie Qataliña Schaeffer’s designs will be exhibited during Arctic Encounter’s renowned fashion event.