Atsalugpiaq awareness: Food agency of cloudberry subsistence to support Indigenous food sovereignty

Abstract

This study examines food agency of atsalugpiaq sub­sistence practices in the Indigenous community of Kuinerraq, Alaska. Food agency is the capacity of individuals or communities to define and achieve food and diet-related goals. While past research lit­erature has limited the theoretical scope of food agency to cooking and consumption, this study expands the concept to encompass pro­visioning, addressing a theoretical gap in the literature. Through participatory co-developed research led by Nalaquq LLC, oral histories with Alaska Native community members identify new components of food agency: ethics, science and knowledge, and autonomy. These findings build upon and extend the existing framework of food agency that empha­sizes individual skills, attitudes, and structural barri­ers, and offers a more holistic understanding of the drivers of food security in rural and Indigenous communities. Kuinerraq is committed to carrying forward yuugnagpiallerput (living a proper Yup’ik life) in response to environmental and social change to ensure their future generations’ prosperity. The study highlights that efforts to build food security must center on supporting cultural enrichment, relational values, and lived practices rather than relying solely on externally imposed metrics and theoretical concepts.