About Anuqa.net
"... all things share the same breath - the beast, the tree, the man ... the air shares its spirit with all the life it supports. "
Chief Seattle, Duwamish.
Although there is no word for science in the Yup'ik language, it is the very essence of life and survival in Alaska. So, why is it important to be concerned about the air? Air is the ocean that we breathe and it supplies us with oxygen that is essential for our bodies to live. A person could go days without food and hours without water, but can last only a few minutes without air. On average, everyone breathes over 3,000 gallons of air each day.
This website helps to educate about the importance of our breath, spirit and wind in Alaska Tribal communities. "Anuqa" (pronounced Anooka), is a North Pacific and Bering Sea Indigenous Peoples word meaning “wind/fresh air moving”. Indigenous peoples living a subsistence lifestyle understand the inter-connected power the wind has to all life and the environment.
The Anuqa website was designed and programmed by staff at Alaska Inter-Tribal Council (AITC) to be a resource with real information that respects traditional knowledge and western science regarding air pollution. The purpose of this site is to improve air quality education, and to provide tools and resources that are directly beneficial to Alaskans. Anuqa is funded by a cooperative agreement between Alaska Inter-Tribal Council and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). You can go to EPA's site http://www.epa.gov/ to learn more about the Air Quality program.
Air is needed for all life on the surface of our planet; and it connects Earth to the Universe. The first breath of a person comes immediately after birth. This first breath gives us our life and spirit. If the air we breathe is polluted, the bad air can make you sick and make your spirit weak.
Polluted air can also damage lakes and rivers where fish live. In addition to damaging the natural environment, it can also reduce how far you can see--even on a clear day.
Human activities like mining of minerals, driving off road vehicles and burning garbage; along with natural environmental events like forest fires, dust storms or volcanic activity can release massive pollution into the air. All these sources of pollution can cause problems for humans, plants and animals.
Air pollution is a disturbance in the atmosphere. These disturbances can be caused by too much gas/vapors in the atmosphere or a saturation of chemicals in the atmosphere. These pollutants not only come from local sources but since the air is shared globally, they come from far away sources in other countries. When too much air pollution is present in a town or village, the quality of the breathable air decreases and produces conditions that can be hazardous. This is considered poor air quality.
There are several things that happen from air pollution and each has its own effect on the health of the villages and the health of the environment in your location. Some of the effects of air pollution that may be seen are:
Acid Rain
Greenhouse Effect
Ozone Layer Holes
Smog
Each of these air pollution problems have serious implications for subsistence living, the health and well being of families and native communities. Many Alaskans are living a healthy subsistence lifestyle centered on fish, marine mammal consumption, land animals and plants. The quality of air in Alaska impacts the quality of life for all Alaskans.
Our language had no word for science, yet our tools were so well designed that they allowed us to live in a land no one else would inhabit, our land we still call home. --Elsie Mather, Bethel, November 2003.