ELOKA Mission Statement

ELOKA works to provide data management and user support to facilitate the collection, preservation, exchange, and use of local observations and knowledge of the Arctic.

Developing and retaining local knowledge of the Arctic

Over the last decade, Arctic residents and indigenous peoples have been increasingly involved in, and taking control of, research. Arctic communities have made significant contributions to understanding recent environmental change, and community-based research, including traditional knowledge research and community-based monitoring, will be an important part of IPY activities and any Arctic Observing Network (AON).

One of the greatest challenges of local and traditional knowledge (LTK) research and community-based monitoring to date has been effective and appropriate means of recording, storing, and managing data and information. It has been a challenge to find effective means of making community-based data and information available to Arctic residents and researchers, as well as other interested groups such as teachers, students, and decision makers. Without a network and data management to support LTK and community-based research, a number of problems have arisen such as: misplacement or loss of extremely precious data (e.g. information from Elders who have passed away); lack of awareness of previous studies and repetition of research in the same communities resulting in research fatigue and waste of resources; a reluctance or inability to initiate or maintain community-based research or monitoring without a data management system available. There is an urgent need for effective and appropriate means of recording, preserving, and sharing data and information being collected in Arctic communities. ELOKA seeks to fill this gap.

Data management and networking

In 2006, ELOKA responded to the NSF IPY Announcement of Opportunity to 'develop and deploy a pan-Arctic observing system that will measure the full range of continuing environmental changes underway.' ELOKA was successful in obtaining funding and is working toward providing the needed support to local and traditional knowledge research, and community-based observations and monitoring, which are key components to any Arctic Observing Network (AON). ELOKA will provide a data management and networking service for community-based research that keeps control of data in the hands of community data providers, while still allowing for broad searches and sharing of information.

We understand that the development of a circumpolar network and data management service for Arctic LTK and community-based observations will take time, collaboration, and input from many sources. Our hope for IPY is to get ELOKA off the ground and build a strong foundation for its development. To reach this goal, ELOKA will be launched through partnerships with four community-based projects that represent different regions, cultures, and data management needs. Visit the Partners section for more information about these collaborations.

ELOKA has the potential to fulfill an existing need in Arctic research and to support northern communities in diverse research and heritage efforts. It has the potential to make a strong contribution to IPY, AON, and SEARCH, and to facilitate collaboration between local and international research activities. If you have any questions or are interested in collaborating with ELOKA, please visit the Contact Us section.