Community Discovery in New Chaplino, Chukotka

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Community Discovery in New Chaplino, Chukotka
UAF Department of Alaska Native and Rural
Development U. S. Department of Interior -
National Park Service UAA American Russian
Center Providensky Borough, Chukotka
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Issues and Skills Developed

• Conducted real world facilitation using the
  Healthy Community concepts.
• Working with a group of unfamiliar people towards
  a successful outcome.
• Cultural sensitivity in community based research.

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Community Planning Effort Held in New Chaplino,
Chukotka

• Introduction and confirmation of protocols
• Community web concept and sacred values
• Identify changes occurring to community
• Identify problems within the community
• Identify community strengths and resources
• Formulate community action plans

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Introduction and acceptance
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• Introduction
• Ground Rules
• Planning Successes in Alaska Communities
• Web Exercise Ice Breaker
• Community Approval
• Social Time

• Sacred Values of the Community
• What is your favorite thing to do?
• Where is your favorite place to go?
• Why do you live here?
• What holds the community together?
• Closing activity New Chaplino, my Native
  village is

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Community Change
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• Second Meeting
• Recap of previous meeting
• Introduction to concept of change and examples
• Understanding change is important to surviving it
• Change from outside forces can be damaging

• Exercises
• What changes have you seen in your lifetime?
• There are less fish
• The climate is warmer
• People speak the Native language less
• Community Visioning
• Drumhead/Medicine Wheel Analogy
• Closing Activity and Recap

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Community Barriers Assets
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• Third Meeting Barriers
• Recap of last meeting
• Exercise to list barriers to reaching community
  vision
• Lack of self-confidence
• Alcoholism
• Bureaucracy
• Ranking of significant barriers
• Potential for divisiveness

• Community Assets
• Exercise to identify examples of social, physical
  and spiritual resources that could be present in
  a community
• There are people who preserve their culture,
  language, and traditions
• There are experienced marine mammal hunters
• There are good, enthusiastic teachers

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Community Action Plans
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Eradication of Alcohol Dependence

• Develop program to propagate a healthy way of
  life and adult alcohol education in the village
• Train one villager to work with alcohol dependent
  people for a permanent job in the village
• Invite psychologists for work with those
  suffering alcoholic dependence and their families
• Introduction of lessons in living in a healthy
  way at school and kindergarten
• Introduction of the laws regulating behavior in
  public places and conducting preventive work
  within the population

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Preserving Traditional Knowledge

• Teaching native children the Eskimo language
• Teaching adults the Eskimo language
• Tutorship of young people by elders (Elders
  Council)
• Learning of Eskimo language in pairs speaking
  person - not speaking
• Creation of a village museum
• Training children in ivory carving
• Dog breeding
• Conducting traditional dances and songs

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Community Education

• Increase support to teachers
• Promote cultural and education exchange between
  Chukotka and Alaska
• Have children visit Alaska to speak on Eskimo
  language
• Cooperation of school in New Chaplino and schools
  in Alaska
• Teach children at school the traditional national
  crafts
• Get parents be involved to school activities

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Lessons Learned

• Obtain a Russian phrase book
• Obtain a permit for the satellite phone prior to
  departing to Russia
• Insure the study group has a dedicated translator
  
• There needs to better surveillance of the
  community
• Define a single purpose of visit
• Conduct a pre-trip seminar with students and
  review group facilitation of the Healthy
  Community Process

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