The Indigenous Sentinels Network (ISN) traces its roots back to the early 2000s when the Aleut Community of St. Paul Island (ACSPI) launched the Bering Watch/Island Sentinel Program. Initially a local initiative, ACSPI's environmental monitoring programs gained momentum with the hiring of Sentinels (e.g., local community members, Guardians, ISN App users, data collectors, etc.) to monitor wildlife species and environmental conditions in the Pribilof Islands - located in the middle of the Bering Sea just off the coast of Alaska. For over two decades, this Tribally owned and operated program has evolved, adopting new technologies from field books to modern iOS and Android apps. Today, ISN is a large Network focused on empowering Indigenous communities across Alaska and beyond, fostering collaboration and resilience through a robust, tech-enabled monitoring software platform that weaves together Indigenous and Western science.
ISN is a tribally-owned and operated program designed for and used by Indigenous communities, focused on bringing technology-based initiatives too communities who have been largely left out of conventional research development and practices. Indigenous Peoples have many diverse Knowledges and data that have been and continue to be shared since time immemorial. These Knowledges continue to inform and guide Indigenous People’s stewardship, relationships, laws, understanding of change and health on their lands, waters, and peoples. Historically, Alaskan and Arctic communities have been limited in technological capacity (e.g., internet speed and cell service); our goal as a Network is to provide those communities with tools, training, networking and convening, coordination, and capacity re-building for ecological, environmental, and climate monitoring to better inform management and stewardship of our environments.
Our vision is to create a connected Network of Stewards that empower communities to implement Indigenous-led and community-driven environmental monitoring programs that are grounded in Indigenous and Traditional Knowledge and local expertise.
Our mission is to train and equip communities with the skills and tools to conduct environmental monitoring and research. We integrate Indigenous and Traditional Knowledge with scientific data to implement effective ecosystem stewardship and resource management practices.
