Reindeer Roundup1.indd - University of Alaska Fairbanks

198 Pages·2004·3.87 MB·English

Reindeer
Roundup!
A K -12 Educator’s Guide to Reindeer in Alaska
by Carrie Bucki
with Greg Finstad and Tammy A. Smith
Cover photo by
Roy Corral.
At 2 a.m., Seward Peninsula herders wait for the reindeer to be driven into the corral.
© 2004 by the Reindeer Research Program, University of Alaska Fairbanks
AFES Publication MP 2004-07, published in Fairbanks, Alaska, U.S.A.
AFES Publications Office
P.O. Box 757200
Fairbanks, AK 99775-7200
School of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences, and
the Alaska Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station
Copies of this publication may be downloaded from the AFES Publications website
at http://www.uaf.edu/snras/afes/pubs/misc/index.html
Reproduction allowed for educational purposes only
not for resale
For information on obtaining a Reindeer Roundup! Educational Kit, please contact
the Reindeer Research Program at:
http://reindeer.salrm.uaf.edu
[email protected]
907.474.5449 (phone)
907.474.7175 (fax)
or write to the attention of:
Rhonda Wadeson, Reindeer Research Program,
P.O. Box 757200 Fairbanks AK 99775-7200.
Reindeer Roundup!
A K-12 Educator’s Guide to Reindeer in Alaska
Project Manager:
Greg Finstad, Reindeer Research Program, School of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences,
University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Author:
Carrie Bucki, Reindeer Research Program, School of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences,
University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Consultant:
Tammy A. Smith, M.Ed., Fairbanks North Star Borough School District, Fairbanks, Alaska.
Editing and Publication:
Doreen Fitzgerald and Deirdre Helfferich, AFES Publications Office, School of Natural Resources
and Agricultural Sciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Table of Contents
iv Acknowledgements
v Preface
vi Introduction
1 Reindeer, People, and Land
2 Where do Reindeer Come From?
3 Reindeer and Humans
8 Adaptations to the Arctic
12 What do Reindeer Eat?
16 Reindeer Behavior
20 Reindeer vs. Caribou
21 Concerns for Reindeer
27 Reindeer Research: Working to Preserve Alaska’s Reindeer Industry
31 Lesson Plans
32 1. Reindeer Herding in Alaska
49 2. Website Scavenger Hunt
53 3. Reindeer vs. Caribou
58 4. History of Reindeer in Alaska
61 5. Reindeer Numbers
64 6. Traditional Uses of Reindeer
74 7. Eskimo Ice Cream
77 8. Velvet Antlers
86 9. What Do Farmed Reindeer Eat?
93 10. How Much Do Reindeer Eat?
99 11. Hair Identification
104 12. Reindeer Rumen
107 13. Building a Radio and Transmitter
117 14. Creating a Reindeer Brochure
119 15. Reindeer Alphabet Book
123 16. Reindeer Bingo
137 17. Creating an Arctic Food Web
147 Extensions
148 18. Rangifer Tag
149 19. Thermal Regulation and Insulation
iiii RReeiinnddeeeerr RRoouunndduupp!!
151 20. Reindeer: Cattle of the Arctic?
153 21. Reindeer Diorama
154 22. Recording Herding Culture
156 Glossary
160 For Further Study
160 Books
161 Children’s books
162 Audiovisual materials
163 Other reindeer- and education-related resources
164 Cross-Reference Indexes
164 Grade Index
166 Subject Index
167 Topic Index
168 Appendix A. Reindeer Roundup! Educational Kit Materials
170 Appendix B. Slide Indexes for PowerPoint Slide Shows on the Reindeer
Visual Aids CD-ROM
170 Adaptations of Reindeer to Life in the Arctic
177 History of Reindeer in Alaska
184 Radio and Satellite Telemetry
Reindeer Roundup! iii
Acknowledgements
This project is the culmination of years of hard work and dedication by many individuals. Their
efforts are appreciated and do not go unnoticed. The author and project manager thank the staff
at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Reindeer Research Program for support and assistance with
materials collection: Rob Aikman, Darrell Blodgett, Robert van Buuren, Randy Fulweber, Rhonda
Wadeson, and Suzanne Worker.
Thanks go to Larry Davis, Carl Emmons, Rose Fosdick, Dan Karmun, Knut Kielland, Heather Oleson,
Kumi Rattenbury, William Schneider, Tim Smith, and Suzanne Worker for workshop lectures present-
ed to educators in Fairbanks and/or Nome. Your specialized knowledge and expertise was vital for
the workshops’ success.
The participants in the UAF Reindeer Curriculum Development Workshops held in both Fairbanks
and Nome developed many of the ideas and some of the individual lesson plans presented in
this book. Their enthusiasm motivated us to incorporate many of their ideas in this product. The
participants included: Linnea Baker, Josephine Bourdon, Lisa Carlson, Annie Conger, Leslie Disbrow,
Karen Dullen, Bruce Gard, Paula Gelineau, Heidi Imhof, Marilyn Janke, Urtha Lenahrr, Mary Maisch ,
Robart Marok, Joe Ortis, Julie Ortis, Dixie Ostland, Janice Ott, Mike Lee, Jim Lokken, Jane Sandstrom,
Besty Smith, Rita Smith, Tim Smith, Eric Stone, Jeanne Turner, Richard Wolf.
Special thanks are due to Dr. Carol Lewis, director and dean of the University of Alaska Fairbanks
School of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences; her support for our vision of a reindeer edu-
cational outreach program has been tremendous.
An extra handful of lichen goes to the reindeer Elsa, who has assisted her caretakers in sharing the
wonders of reindeer with students of all ages over the past five years.
Unless noted, all photos and graphics in this book were taken or created by the UAF Reindeer
Research Program. The historical photos presented here were taken from the following publications:
Arctic Exodus: The Last Great Trail Drive by Dick North; Where Did the Reindeer Come From? Alaska
Experience, the First Fifty Years by Alice Postell; The Yukon Relief Expedition and the Journal of Carl
Johan Sakariassen edited by V.R. Rausch and D.L. Baldwin; Longest Reindeer Herder by Chester
Seveck; and Reading, Religion, and Reindeer: Sheldon Jackson’s Legacy to Alaska by Elizabeth
Tower.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation (project number
OPP-9979473) and the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, U.S. Depart-
ment of Agriculture, under special project number 2001-38426-11488, and supported by the
University of Alaska Fairbanks, and the UAF College of Rural Alaska.
iv Reindeer Roundup!
Preface
Reindeer have played a strong role in shaping Alaska history, particularly along the western coast.
Alaska Natives and others have been raising reindeer for over one hundred years, both behind fence
and on large, remote grazing areas. Reindeer are well adapted to thrive in northern climates and
have provided meat, hides, antlers, and many other useful products to Alaskans. As an economic
resource for rural Alaska, this industry has largely been obscure, even to many Alaska residents.
The Reindeer Research Program (RRP), School of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences,
University of Alaska Fairbanks has a mission to further develop and promote the production of
reindeer in Alaska through research and collaboration with producers and local communities. The
RRP Educational Outreach Program began in 1998 in local schools in Nome and Fairbanks for all
grade levels. The program is designed to teach students science and math, along with Alaska history,
Alaska Native culture, economics, renewable resource use, and sustainable agriculture, using the
context of the reindeer industry. By integrating region-specific information and knowledge with
conventional disciplines, the program augments conventional school curriculums.
Reindeer Roundup! is the response to countless requests received by the RRP to visit classrooms
and present information on reindeer in Alaska. It was developed in part using lesson plans written
by Nome and Fairbanks teachers who attended our reindeer education workshops. We wanted to
produce a unit that uses Alaska’s reindeer industry as a working model to study the management of
a sustainable natural resource in a northern ecosystem, a model that would broaden the curriculum
and expose students to applied science. Reindeer are an excellent medium to study the characteristics
of tundra ecosystems and adaptations of animals living in the Arctic.
There are many excellent educational materials available on caribou, but Reindeer Roundup! is
unique to the culture and history of Alaska. Through this educator’s guide, we hope that regional
knowledge will be incorporated into the Alaska curriculum and the pedagogic scope of Alaska
schools expanded.
Throughout this project we have realized the benefit of university researchers and scientists working
with local educators and people in the community to teach future generations to preserve and
continue a traditional way of life in rural Alaska.
Greg Finstad, Program Manager
Carrie Bucki, Educational Outreach Coordinator
Reindeer Research Program, University of Alaska Fairbanks
Reindeer Roundup! v
Introduction
We hope that you, the educator, will find this book interesting, informative, and user-friendly. This
section describes the features of this book and the Reindeer Roundup! Educational Kit.
The Reindeer, People, and Land section contains factual background information about reindeer and
how they interact with their Alaska environment. It is an overview that can be used for some basic
research. Topics include arctic ecology, reindeer history, biological adaptations, behavior, disease,
current research, and applied programs.
The Lesson Plans and Extensions sections contain twenty-two activities that cover a wide range
of subjects and grade levels. While most lessons were written for elementary and middle school
students, many lessons can be used as an introductory lesson for older students, or be enhanced
and developed for more rigorous study. Each lesson contains information on grade level, subject,
duration, and performance objectives. For a quick reference, refer to the Cross-Reference Indexes
on page 164 to find the desired grade level, subject, or topic. Each lesson correlates to Alaska State
Standards and Alaska Cultural Standards for Students and Educators.
The Glossary lists words used in this guide that we hope will be helpful to both the educator and
the students. The For Further Study section contains a list of adult reference books, children’s books,
videos, and other resources.
An array of other materials and props are provided to augment the lessons. Refer to Appendix A:
Reindeer Roundup! Educational Kit Materials list on page 168. These supplemental materials can be
used while teaching the lessons provided, or used to create your own lessons. The props, photos,
and slide shows in each kit are important for hands-on learning and will enable you to adapt this
package to your teaching needs. Also, the staff at the UAF Reindeer Research Program can assist you
with presenting the lecture material, developing advanced lesson ideas, coordinating a live reindeer
visit to your classroom, or planning a field trip to the UAF Reindeer Research Program’s facility.
vi Reindeer Roundup!
Reindeer, People, and Land
Seward Peninsula
Fairbanks
Anchorage
Most of Alaska’s 30,000 reindeer live on the Seward Peninsula.
Where Do Reindeer Come From?
Reindeer and caribou are the same species sharing the same genus and species name (Rangifer
tarandus). Reindeer are a semidomesticated subspecies of Rangifer. They are thought to have been
domesticated along the Russian-Mongolian border five to seven thousand years ago. They were
probably first used as decoys to help hunters catch wild game. Once they were domesticated
by the nomadic tribes of this region, they supplied meat, clothing, milk, and pulled sleds. Their
domestication spread throughout Russia and Scandinavia, where raising and herding reindeer is
still a way of life today. Reindeer did not arrive in North America until the 1890s.
Reindeer and caribou taxonomic chart:
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata (backbone with spinal cord)
Class Mammalia (milk producing)
Subclass Ungulata (hooved)
Order Artiodactyla (even-toed)
Suborder Ruminantia (true ruminant)
Family Cervidae
Genus Rangifer
Species tarandus
Different subspecies of reindeer and caribou exist throughout the Circumpolar North. The subspecies
name is an additional name added to the genus and species name to further classify the animal. In
Eurasia, reindeer are classified as either domesticated or wild. Only in North America are indigenous
(wild) Rangifer referred to as caribou.
The seven subspecies of Rangifer are:
Rangifer tarandus tarandus
Eurasian tundra reindeer found in Alaska and in parts of Eurasia
Rangifer tarandus fennicus
Eurasian forest reindeer found in the forested areas of Russia
Rangifer tarandus platyrhyncus
Svalbard reindeer found on Svalbard Island north of Norway
Rangifer tarandus granti
The caribou subspecies found in Alaska and the Yukon
Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus
Barren ground caribou found in Greenland and northern Canada
Rangifer tarandus caribou
Woodland caribou found in central and southern Canada
Rangifer tarandus pearyi
Peary caribou found in the far northern arctic islands of Canada
2 Reindeer Roundup!