Barrow Duck-In

Prior to Alaska's statehood and colonization of the Arctic, the Iñupiat freely practiced subsistence hunting of various marine and terrestrial species, such as the bowhead whale, various species of seal, caribou, waterfowl, and fish. Additionally, eiders, rabbits, geese, berries, and roots are of seasonal importance to the Iñupiat. These subsistence activities have been practiced sustainably since time immemorial and retain a high social and cultural significance. After debate at the congressional level, spring bird hunting was officially outlawed in all three nations. == The Duck-In ==

In 1961, the Iñupiat had experienced a difficult whaling season, as only two whales had been taken for subsistence. On May 20, 1961, Utqiaġvik resident Tim Pikok was arrested for hunting three geese out of season by federal game wardens. In the following days, a community meeting was organized to determine a course of action. However, Udall's attempts were unsuccessful, as they would have to take several flights between Fairbanks and Utqiaġvik to transport all involved. This co-management group is known as the Alaska Migratory Bird Co-Management Council (AMBCC), and is tasked with providing annual harvest recommendations, yearly assessments of the eider populations, reports on subsistence hunts, and educational outreach statewide. Impacts The Barrow Duck-In a highly significant event, as it protected Iñupiat subsistence rights and set a precedent that would influence federal regulatory policies enacted in the 1970s. Overall, the Duck-In, Project Chariot, and Rampart Dam proposal helped grow Alaska Native solidarity and displayed the effectiveness of grassroots actions against unfair federal regulations. ANCSA settled Native land claims in Alaska by redistributing over 44 million acres of land back to tribal groups and $962 million paid back over a course of eleven years from taxation on oil activities in the area. Apology from governments In September 2018, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued an official apology to Alaska Native peoples for the actions game wardens took to implement the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. Prior to the Duck-in, game wardens arrested and cited dozens of Alaska Natives for subsisting migratory bird populations. Even after the Duck-In, the presence of wardens in town meant that community members would have to "hide" from officials in order to hunt during an official visit. The apology was delivered in Anchorage, AK at an Alaska Migratory Bird Co-Management Council meeting, where both federal government representatives and Native tribal officials were present. Sam Cotten, commissioner for the Alaska Department of Fish & Game offered an apology on behalf of ADFG saying, "We recognized that the regulations were wrong, that they prohibited hunting of migratory birds when you needed it most during the springtime. We got it wrong. We regret that. We caused harm. We're happy that's been resolved." == Similar protests ==

Around the same time of the Duck-in, Native groups throughout the United States were also engaging in acts of civil disobedience to protest unfair regulations and bans on subsistence hunting. A series of 1960s protests, happening at the same time of the American Civil Rights Movement, occurred in Washington state with local Indigenous groups protesting to protect fishing rights. These fish-in protests were gathering places for Native peoples, where activists and community leaders gathered to strategize and form solidarity. These ideas and grassroots protests would later be incorporated into the Red Power Movement. == Notable figures ==

• Eben Hopson Sr. • Sadie Neakok • John Nusunginya • William A. Egan • Stewart Udall == References ==