Vera K. Metcalf, 2008 Women of Discovery Sea Award

"Indigenous people have many gifts to offer, but an exceptional one is the gift of humility. Humility before the Creator and accepting all that is provided to us should not be taken for granted." — Vera K. Metcalf

Cultural Resource Manager

Born: 1951-01-01

Hometown: Savoonga, St. Lawrence Island, Alaska

Education: B.A. in Rural Development

Achievements

Discoveries: Assuring that the wealth of the cultural knowledge of St. Lawrence Island now lives at international museums.

Expeditions: To the University of Alaska Museum, Fairbanks, with elders to examine the collections. Also to Svalbard, Norway, to learn about Arctic research and policy-making.

Biography

Vera Metcalf's community-based projects document traditional ecological knowledge and community resource management practices. In collaboration with hunters and elders, Vera studies walrus population distribution, behavior, monitoring, and hunting, as well as issues related to climate change and subsistence economy. Now involved in the US Arctic Commission to preserve language, she lives in Alaska and participates in a variety of subsistence activities in Nome and Savoonga.

Fun Facts

Favorite Item to have in the field: A camera and great companions

Heroes: My parents, grandmother Aqaa, and family