Expanding an Indigenous Environmental Monitoring Network: Community-driven Stewardship of Land and Water

The ISN team is working on more than 20 projects with Indigenous communities across Alaska. To meet growing demand for trained Community Sentinels/Guardians, the ISN is developing a two-tiered training program in collaboration with Ilisagvik College and the Bering Sea Campus, an education department within the Aleut Community of St. Paul Island. The training is intentionally paired with active monitoring programs and employer pathways within Tribal governments and partner organizations, ensuring participants can apply skills in real-world climate resilience roles.

Training will be offered in multiple formats, including online, in-person, and hybrid options, at no cost to Tribal citizens and students in Alaska.

• 1-credit course. This introduction will focus on essential skills, such as how to use ISN software, gather field data, and implement community-driven monitoring programs. Participants will learn how to integrate Traditional Knowledge and scientific data to address community-specific resource management priorities, while also emphasizing collaboration, community engagement, and culturally relevant data collection practices. This free-standing course can be taken as training for existing employees or as part of a broader educational track (e.g., an associate's or bachelor’s degree). Upon completion, students will be qualified for hire as Community Sentinels/Guardians by Tribal governments that are part of or are collaborating with the ISN Network. Many participants will be Tribal government employees, but the course is also aimed at attracting job seekers from the broader community, expanding opportunities for sustainable employment and leadership.
• 3-credit course. Building on the foundational knowledge from the 1-credit offering, this course will deepen participants' understanding of data management, data quality, and data sovereignty within the context of environmental monitoring. This course will focus on navigating and managing complex data systems and ensuring that Tribal communities can maintain control over the data they generate, in alignment with Indigenous Data Sovereignty principles. Additionally, the course will provide an introduction to science communication, enabling participants to translate complex scientific data into actionable insights for their communities and external stakeholders, such as collaborating researchers and managers in the region. This course will build on existing courses offered through Ilisagvik College, providing participants with support in essential skills such as grant writing and administrative training. Participants will be positioned to take on leadership and administrative roles within monitoring programs being implemented by Tribal governments or regional organizations.

Limited data collection in Alaska’s vast territory means community, state, and federal managers lack critical information for addressing rapidly changing environmental conditions. Many rural and Indigenous communities collect environmental observations but often lack access to training, infrastructure, and sustained support to translate those observations into decision-ready climate resilience actions. The ISN is working to fill that gap through data collection managed by Indigenous partners who are in the best position to assess whether observations are sufficient, thorough, and collected at relevant times. Overall, ISN provides training, tool development, and research on environmental and social systems across Alaska. This work will facilitate smarter planning and timely action within communities and with external collaborators.

Through the ISN, ACSPI is asserting the principles of Indigenous data sovereignty, affirming that Indigenous Peoples have the right to govern the collection, use, and access of data related to their communities, lands, and natural resources. By upholding these principles, Indigenous communities ensure that data collection supports their cultural preservation, economic resilience, and self-determination.

The data generated through the ISN are governed by the CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance, which prioritize both community benefit and ethical data sharing in line with the Global Indigenous Data Alliance (GIDA) guidelines. Data are collected and shared with the consent and guidance of each Indigenous community, ensuring that they are used in ways that are responsible and aligned with the community’s values.

Ultimately, the ISN serves a dual purpose: it enhances community capacity to understand and respond to environmental changes while fostering collaboration with researchers, state managers, and federal agencies in data collection and decision-making.