Politics of Adaptation: Subsistence Livelihoods and Vulnerability to Climate Change in the Koyukon Athabascan Village of Ruby, Alaska

The concepts of vulnerability and adaptation have contributed to understanding human responses to climate change. However, analysis of the implications of the broader political context on adaptation has largely been absent. Through a case study of the subsistence livelihoods of Koyukon Athabascan pe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Human ecology : an interdisciplinary journal 2014-02, Vol.42 (1), p.87-101
Main Author: Wilson, Nicole J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation
Alaska Natives
Anthropology
case studies
Climate Change
Climate change adaptation
Climate models
Colonization
Communities
Environmental impact
Environmental justice
Environmental Management
experts
Geography
humans
Hunting seasons
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous Populations
interviews
Land use
livelihood
Moose hunting
Native North Americans
Political Factors
Politics
Resilience
social adjustment
Social Change
Social Sciences
Sociology
Subsistence hunting
Villages
Vulnerability
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Summary:The concepts of vulnerability and adaptation have contributed to understanding human responses to climate change. However, analysis of the implications of the broader political context on adaptation has largely been absent. Through a case study of the subsistence livelihoods of Koyukon Athabascan people of Ruby Village, this paper examines the implications of adaptation to the social changes precipitated by colonization for the articulation of current responses to climate change. Semi-structured interviews, seasonal rounds, and land-use mapping conducted with 20 community experts indicate that subsistence livelihoods are of continued importance to the people of Ruby in spite of the dramatic social change. While adaptive responses demonstrate resilience, adaptation to one form of change can increase vulnerability to other kinds of perturbations. Research findings illustrate that a historical approach to adaptation can clarify the influence of the present political context on indigenous peoples’ responses to impacts of climate changes.
ISSN:0300-7839
1572-9915
DOI:10.1007/s10745-013-9619-3