NORTON SOUND/YUKON DELTA SOCIOCULTURAL SYSTEMS BASELINE ANALYSIS bY

of the Report's Findings 1. This report describes the economy and culture of six communities \ on or near the Yukon River delta-Alakanuk, Emmonak, Kotlik, Mountain Village, Sheldon Point, and Stebbins. It provides basic information necessary for agency decisions about projected petroleum development on the BerIng-Norton Cuter Continental Shelf. 2. During 19804981, the people of the Yukon delta comprised a stroag and growing cultural group becawe of their success in utilizing local resources of the land, rivers, and sea. In the economy, moat production occurred withio "family unitan--ooclal groups composed of members of one or several households, typically related by kinship ties. The male head of a household commonly was self-employed in several roles, as fisherman, hunter, trapper, and aeaaonal wage earner. Harvest3 of local food resource3 were processed for personal use by the membera of the family units, exchanged locally, and sold on export markets. Food production for personal consumption was flexible and diversified, harvesting in substantial quantities salmon, herring, sheefish, Bering cIac0, broad whitefish, blackfish, bearded seal, ringed seal, spotted seal, belukha, migratory waterfowl, and walrus. The largest and most conslatent source of monetary income to the region was the . sale of commercial salmon.