‘Remoteness was a blessing, but also a potential downfall’: traditional/subsistence and store-bought food access in remote Alaska during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Objective: This study employs a strengths-based approach to assess food access in remote Alaska during the COVID-19 pandemic, identifying both the negative consequences of the pandemic on store-bought and subsistence/traditional food access as well as compensatory strategies used. Design: As a part of a larger study on the impacts of COVID-19 on daily life remote Alaska communities, study data presented here were collected through key informant interviews (KIIs) and statewide online surveys from September 21, 2020 to March 31, 2021 among remote Alaska community members. Setting: This study was conducted with residents of remote communities in Alaska, defined as those off of the road system. Remote communities often have small or no grocery stores, and rely on subsistence or traditional sources of food. Participants: KII participants (n=36) were majority female (78%) and Alaska Native (57%). Survey participants (n=615) were also majority female, 25-54 years old, and most had had some post-secondary education or training. Results: Survey and interview data revealed that the pandemic had significant negative impacts on store-bought food access in remote Alaskan communities. Individuals also shared that locally available and wild harvested foods acted as a buffer to some of the loss of access to these store-bought foods, with some people sharing that the harvesting of wild and traditional foods served served as a coping strategy during times of pandemic-related stress. Conclusions: The results from this study demonstrate that the remoteness of some Alaska communities has been both a source of vulnerability and protection in terms food access.

Human biology and the study of precarity: How the intersection of uncertainty and inequality is taking us to new extremes

“…Many of these studies point to the importance of the anxiety and mental health burden associated with food insecurity, which in many cases may be more significant than expressions of hunger. Importantly, biological anthropologists have shifted the food security conversation somewhat to also explore the importance of access to traditional and wild foods in some settings (Fried et al, 2023).…”

A qualitative exploration of the impacts of COVID-19 in two rural Southwestern Alaska communities

“…Surveys collected from Alaska Native people living in remote communities during the early months of the pandemic showed that although traditional hunting camps were cancelled to limit social contact, overall access to traditionally harvested foods was minimally disrupted [ 2 , 6 ]. People reported participation in subsistence activities like hunting, fishing, and berry picking, which are associated with health, healing, and stress coping in Alaska Native communities [ 12 , 13 ]. Alaska Native community members also found strategies to continue providing harvested foods to Elders despite contact restrictions [ 6 ].…”