This Witness Community Highlight features a compelling piece by Kanesia McGlashan-Price, an Unangax̂ multimedia creator. Kanesia interviewed Shayla Alamax̂ Shaishnikoff, an Unangax̂ scientist, and delves into how Shayla is integrating Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), or Indigenous Knowledge, into her research on blue mussels.
Shayla Alamax̂ Shaishnikoff is from Unangam Tanangin, more commonly known as the Aleutian Chain, which has been home to the Unangax̂ people for over 9,000 years. As an Unangax̂ scientist, Shayla has been researching blue mussels and is hoping to find a solution to the increased levels of paralytic shellfish toxin that has made this traditional food dangerous to consume. Her motivation behind her research is personal; in 2020 a community member died after eating local shellfish. This local food used to be one of the traditional foods harvested by community members, but now blue mussels are largely avoided. Traditional foods are deeply woven into culture, Unangax̂ values, and relationships to the land. Losing access to this food represents a loss to this part of their culture. Shayla’s work blends traditional knowledge with modern approaches, respecting and integrating knowledge from the community.
Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) reflects knowledge that spans centuries and is passed down through generations. Some communities prefer the term Indigenous Knowledge, because this knowledge is not stagnant, and reflects the constant changes in the environment. For Shayla, she argues that “We don’t have baseline data in the Western sense, but our community holds this knowledge. That is our baseline, our data.” By including TEK in her research, Shayla is producing research that is culturally and contextually relevant.
In the story “How an Unangax̂ Scientist is Using Traditional Knowledge as Data,” Unangax̂ multimedia creator Kanesia McGlashan-Price shares Shayla’s story, and how she is working in multiple knowledge systems to find a solution to the paralytic shellfish toxin that is reducing the availability of this traditional food source for Unangam Tanangin communities.
This story is brought to you through a collaboration between ARCUS and Polar Impact.
You can read Kanesia’s full piece on the Polar Impact webpage.
About the Author:
Kanesia McGlashan-Price is an Unangax̂ multimedia creator from Iluulux̂, also recognized today as Unalaska, Alaska. Since 2021, she has been serving as the arts and culture producer for her hometown news station.
McGlashan-Price is currently working towards her BFA in Cinematic Arts and Technology at the Institute of American Indian Arts, with a focus on documentary filmmaking. Her goal is to work collaboratively with knowledge holders to share stories from the land, grounded in traditional values.