Thursday, May 29, 2025

Photo: The perch at North Slope Borough’s bowhead whale census, April 16, 2019. (Ravenna Koenig / Alaska’s Energy Desk) Scientists and Alaska hunters have been counting bowhead whales passing by the northernmost American town, Utqiagvik, for the past two months. It is part of a once-in-a-decade effort to evaluate the health of the whale population up north – and support subsistence in the area. The Alaska Desk’s Alena Naiden with our flagship station KNBA reports that so far, the number of whales seems to be on the rise. When bowhead whales pass Utqiagvik on their way up north, it’s a good time to count them. Every 10 years, scientists and local hunters team up to carry out the census for bowhead whales that migrate between the Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort seas. Biologist John Citta says the data helps ensure that the bowhead population is healthy. It’s also used to set subsistence harvest limits in the years to come. “We do it for the whaling captains, and we do it in collaboration with them.” First, they build a perch on the sea ice, right on the edge with a stretch of open water, or lead. Observers have been climbing the perch and counting the whales passing by since the beginning of April. The visual count is only the first step of the census. But so far, Citta says the final estimate might be around 20,000 whales or more. “There are a lot more whales out there now than what there used to be, and we suspect the populations continue to grow, but we just don’t know that for certain yet.” Citta says the bowheads might be thriving because the sea ice in the Arctic is declining. Whalers in the Arctic have been involved in the bowhead census since the early 70s. That’s when the International Whaling Commission counted whales for the first time. Retired whale biologist Geoff Carroll co-led subsequent counts. “We were able to show that there’s plenty of bowheads to support the subsistence hunt.” That initial count only included whales passing through the stretch of open water. But hunters knew that some animals traveled far from shore or under thick ice. Throughout the years, the census has included acoustic and aerial surveys that account for those whales. This year, the acoustic part of the count is also happening. “It turns out that bowhead whales really talk a lot.” The International Whaling Commission expects the final estimate in 2029 to decide whether to renew the region’s current subsistence whaling quota. A state of emergency was declared this week, on the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Reservation in South Dakota. It was issued by the tribe’s president Kathleen Wooden Knife. The declaration states it is “due to threats posed by widespread methamphetamine and illicit drug use, trafficking, and related gun violence, which poses risks to public safety, community health, and tribal welfare.” The tribe is seeking increased patrol and investigation from federal agencies, cooperation from the community in reporting crimes, and urgent action to address law enforcement gaps. According to the Office of the President, this follows previous declarations issued in 2019 and 2024. (Photo: Cherokee Nation) Twelve bike riders from the Cherokee Nation left this week from Tahlequah, Okla., for Cherokee, N.C., to participate in this year’s Remember the Removal Ride. The cyclists will join riders from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians for the ride, which official begins next week. The ride spans about 950 miles along the northern route of the Trail of Tears in Georgia and ends in Tahlequah on June 21. The ride honors Cherokee ancestors who were forced to march the route in the late 1830s. Cyclists will visit several Cherokee gravesites and historic landmarks. Their journey can be followed on the Remember the Remove Bike Ride Facebook page.   Get National Native News delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up for our daily newsletter today.