Transference of Subsistence Knowledge to the Younger Generation and Between the Communities of Nikolai and Nondalton | P19AS00561

Opportunity Information: Apply for P19AS00561

The grant opportunity titled "Transference of Subsistence Knowledge to the Younger Generation and Between the Communities of Nikolai and Nondalton" (Funding Opportunity Number P19AS00561) is a National Park Service cooperative agreement under the U.S. Department of the Interior. It sits in the Education and Humanities activity area (CFDA 15.946, Cultural Affairs) and is focused on strengthening the continuity of subsistence knowledge in Alaska by supporting community-led work that documents, shares, and teaches traditional and contemporary subsistence practices. The effort is explicitly framed as an extension of an earlier project called "Traditional Subsistence Practices and Transference of Knowledge to the Younger Generation," meaning the work is intended to build on existing interviews, materials, and community relationships rather than start from scratch.

At the heart of the project is the idea that subsistence is both a practical way of living and a cultural system that depends on active teaching, learning, and exchange. The proposal targets two communities connected to Denali and Lake Clark regions: Nikolai (associated with Denali) and Nondalton (associated with Lake Clark). A major objective is to promote a two-way exchange of subsistence practices between these communities, recognizing that knowledge is not static and that people often combine long-standing traditions with contemporary approaches, tools, and seasonal patterns. By encouraging cross-community sharing, the project aims to strengthen regional ties, highlight common ground, and also capture differences in techniques, decision-making, and place-based experience.

A second central objective is youth engagement and intergenerational knowledge transfer. The project is designed to create opportunities for young people to learn directly from Elders and experienced subsistence practitioners, not only by hearing stories but by understanding the skills, ethics, safety practices, and cultural meanings that travel with harvesting, processing, storing, and sharing foods. In practice, this kind of objective usually involves structured conversations, community gatherings, and documentation products that youth can access and revisit, helping ensure that knowledge is retained even as community demographics and daily routines change.

Another major component is methodological: the project plans to review the social science research methods commonly used in Alaska, especially those applied to subsistence topics, and then determine which approaches fit the project and which do not. This signals an awareness that standard research tools are not always aligned with Indigenous priorities around ownership, sensitivity of location-based information, consent, and the context in which knowledge is shared. The fourth objective builds from that review by developing and implementing research methods using a participatory, integral approach grounded in Indigenous knowledge frameworks. In other words, the project is not just collecting information about subsistence; it is aiming to design the research process so that community members are active participants in shaping questions, interpreting results, and controlling how information is presented and used.

The description also notes concrete progress already made: 24 interviews have been conducted and transcribed, and draft outreach and education materials have been developed, including a booklet, maps, and an edited 10-minute video. These deliverables suggest the project is producing both archival documentation and accessible community-facing resources. The presence of maps indicates some level of place-based documentation, while the video and booklet point to formats that can support teaching and sharing in community settings, classrooms, or local events, depending on how the communities choose to use them.

Administratively, this opportunity is a discretionary cooperative agreement with an award ceiling of $44,790 and an expectation of one award. It is also a closed, single-recipient notice of intent to award to the Telida Village Council, meaning it is not an open competition and no other applications are accepted. The opportunity was created on August 20, 2019, with an original closing date of August 29, 2019, reflecting that it functioned as a formal public notice for a planned award rather than a broad solicitation. Overall, the grant supports a targeted, community-specific effort to preserve and strengthen subsistence knowledge by combining intercommunity exchange, youth-focused teaching, and culturally grounded participatory research methods, while producing tangible materials that can be used for learning and long-term stewardship of knowledge.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the education, humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Transference of Subsistence Knowledge to the Younger Generation and Between the Communities of Nikolai and Nondalton" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.946.
• This funding opportunity was created on Aug 20, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 29, 2019 This is a notice of intent to award to Telida Village Council. Applications will not be accepted from any other entity.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $44,790.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized).

Apply for P19AS00561

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