Working Together to Increase Inclusion of Indigenous Perspectives in Arctic Research and Policy

The Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS; https://www.arcus.org/) serves the Arctic research community by supporting the formation and enhancement of connections across boundaries through communication, education, coordination, and collaboration. ARCUS manages several programs that are intended to engage Alaskan Indigenous communities in Arctic research and policy. The Sea Ice for Walrus Outlook (https://www.arcus.org/siwo) is a resource for Alaska Native subsistence hunters, coastal communities, and others interested in sea ice and walrus, since 2009. The Arctic in the Classroom (https://www.arcus.org/tac) partners Arctic researchers with rural Alaskan teachers and community members to improve place-based education in the Alaskan Arctic. The Empowering Arctic Indigenous Scholars and Making Connections program (https://www.arcus.org/indigenous-scholars) completed its pilot year in 2018. This program supported two Indigenous scholars to travel to Washington, D.C., meet with relevant policy- and decision-makers, and provide a public seminar/webinar to D.C.-area officials. Additionally, ARCUS seeks to support Arctic researchers in building respectful, collaborative relationships with Alaskan Indigenous communities by facilitating connections and providing resources such as the Conducting Research with Northern Communities webpage (https://www.arcus.org/resources/northern-communities). Our existing programs have been a positive step toward including Indigenous perspectives in Arctic research, however, further work is needed to advance both ARCUS' core value of multi-knowledge and cross-disciplinary collaboration and to increase inclusion of Indigenous perspectives in the Arctic research community as a whole. Moving forward, ARCUS intends to integrate engagement with Indigenous communities throughout its programs, events, and communications. This presentation will cover successes and lessons-learned from our existing programs and specific ways we intend to increase opportunities for Indigenous engagement both within our organization and in the broader Arctic research community.