November 15 - 17, 2022

NNA Annual Community Meeting 

Anchorage, Alaska & Online Everywhere

Strengthening collaboration, coordination, and inclusivity within the Navigating the New Arctic (NNA) initiative

The third annual NNA Annual Community Meeting was held in Anchorage, Alaska & online everywhere November 15-17, 2022. The meeting hosts were the NNA Community Office and Alaska Pacific University.

The meeting brought together NNA researchers, research partners, Indigenous community and organization representatives, decision-makers, and others who have an interest in the NNA initiative. We welcomed a diverse group of approximately 165 attendees in-person in Anchorage, and many more online.

The meeting agenda consisted of in-person, hybrid, and virtual sessions, workshops, and trainings. Additionally, the meeting included a poster session, cultural events in the Anchorage area, and opportunities to network and hold side meetings.

Meeting Materials

Meeting Goals

Sharing NNA Science

This gathering provided opportunities for NNA projects at different stages of implementation to share and communicate their science (purposes, approaches, scientific results, and broader impacts) to diverse audiences of their fellow researchers, Indigenous community members, decision-makers, educators, and students. The goal was to create greater awareness of NNA research, advance our science, and identify new connections between and beyond NNA projects.

Strengthening Equity in Research

Building on the 2021 NNA Annual Meeting, meeting participants came together to discuss and share approaches and progress toward strengthening equity in research and fostering space for Indigenous leadership in research. Our goal was to create a cross-cultural space for having open dialogue across NNA researchers, Indigenous scholars, Arctic community members, and experts who specialize in assessment methodologies, including Indigenous evaluation.

Creating New Collaborations

One overarching question during the meeting was how can we work together to ensure that the whole of the NNA initiative is greater than the sum of the individual projects. We worked to identify the critical elements and opportunities that may allow the NNA community to collaborate to support resilient and sustainable Arctic communities, while informing international collaboration, environmental stewardship, national security, economic development, and societal well-being. 

Community Co-Hosts

The 2022 NNA Annual Community Meeting marked the first time that the NNA community convened together in-person, and in a hybrid format. As the meeting took place on Dena’ina Ełnena (Dena’ina homelands), we are so grateful to the Native Village of Eklutna and Kenaitze Indian Tribe who served as community co-hosts for the annual meeting. We invite you to learn more about our hosts and their communities on the Community Co-Host page.