Journey to the Gunaaxoo Kwaan Homelands

Post Date

May 11th 2011

Application Due Date

May 23rd 2011

Funding Opportunity Number

P11AC00195

CFDA Number(s)

Funding Instrument Type(s)

Cooperative Agreement

Funding Activity Categories

Humanities

Number of Awards

1

Eligibility Categories

Other

This agreement will be awarded to the Yakutat Tlingit Tribe, please see the justification for more information.

Funding

• Estimated Total Funding:

  $25000

• Award Range:

  $20000 - $25000

Grant Description

NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD This Funding Announcement is not a request for applications. This announcement is to provide public notice of the National Park Service (NPS), intention to fund the following project activities. ABSTRACT Funding Announcement: P11AC00195 Project Title: Journey to the Gunaaxoo Kwaan Homelands Recipient: Yakutat Tlingit Tribe Principle Investigator: Bert Adams, Jr. Total Anticipated Award Amount: $21,275.00 Cost Share: N/A New Award Or Continuation: New Anticipated Length of Agreement: 1 Year Anticipated Period of Performance: May 23, 2011 ╔к_ May 22, 2012 Award Instrument: Cooperative Agreement Statutory Authority: 16 U.S.C. ╔к_1(g) JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION (or SINGLE SOURCE) FOR DISCRETIONARY COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS BACKGROUND: Journey to the Gunaax╔к_o Homelands ╔к_ A brief history of this project. Is this part of an on-going program, agreement, etc? The NPS and Yakutat Tlingit Tribe (YTT) have worked cooperatively on matters of mutual concern relating to Glacier Bay National Preserve at Dry Bay since 1998, and early in that process identified one critical issue that needed attention above all others. That issue related to the fact that the social group traditionally associated with Glacier Bay National Preserve at Dry Bay, the Gunaax╔к_o Kwaan, had not resided there in any significant numbers for over 60 years, and that most members had never been there, in particular the youth. This fact was contributing to a loss of knowledge about the Gunaax╔к_o Kwaan╔к_s traditional homeland and their association with it. Tlingit culture is a place-based social phenomenon in which the culture has evolved with the natural rhythms of the place in such a way that the natural history becomes imbedded in the social fabric of the group, and is outwardly expressed in terms of names, stories, songs, dances, art, hats, blankets and ideology. However, without connection to place, the culture becomes un-tethered and over time will cease to have the deeper contexts which give it meaning. NPS and YTT recognized that unless some actions were taken, the Gunaax╔к_o Kwaan connection to its place of origin would weaken significantly over time. Beginning in 1998 NPS and YTT joined forces and developed cultural educational field trips that take mixed groups of elders, adults and youth to Dry Bay for multi-day explorations of homeland. These trips transport from 10-75 people to the Gunaax╔к_o Homeland by means of aircraft, the only means for accessing Dry Bay. Participants share responsibility for arranging food and logistics, and all participate equally in the activities, which include explorations for old village and sacred sites, group sharing of histories, group songs and dances, food gathering, food sharing with ancestors, and other ritual activities. The trips have proven extremely popular and effective, and have been ongoing every other year since 1998. However, the field trips have been inconsistently administered over the years using various (and often unpredictable) fund sources and adaptive, though not necessarily effective, shared organizational structures to administer them. Beginning in FY2011, NPS has secured funds that will be available annually through 2015, and concurrently, all parties recognize the need to create a more cohesive and effective management structure. YTT, given its responsibilities and resources, is the logical entity to administer the program. This CA will create a more effective administrative structure for implementing an ongoing program. 1) 505 DM 2 Single Source - Only one responsible source will satisfy agency requirements. ╔к_ The source is the Yakutat Tlingit Tribe, the federally recognized government that includes the Gunaax╔к_o Kwaan. They are a sovereign government with responsibility over the health and welfare of tribal members, including maintenance of the clan social structure and the relationship of the clans to their traditional landscapes. YTT has just over 350 active tribal members residing in the village, and they manage a variety of programs though at staff of 20 full time employees. They have administrative offices in Yakutat and are responsible for the day-to-day operations of the tribe. There is no other entity in existence that could fill this role. ╔к_ Competition is impossible in selecting this provider, as there does not exist another entity that has this mission and administrative capacity to meet this need. The YTT has the legally-mandated mission to accomplish this task, and has in place the administrative capacity to accept and administer funds, organize activities, contract services, and in general has a record of effective management of similar programs. In a sense, this is a task that is inherently governmental, and YTT is the only government in existence to execute it. 2) Nature and description of the deliverable required to meet the agency╔к_s needs: ╔к_ The deliverables that YTT will provide to meet the agency╔к_s needs will be to develop and foster collaborative working relations with members of the Gunaax╔к_o Kwaan, help to organize logistics for the trips, compile and manage invitee lists, contact air charter service providers in Yakutat and assure that all planes and pilots that will transport participants to and from Dry Bay are currently certified by AMD, schedule all aircraft and coordinate aircraft sizes and departure times with the invitee list, and through approved procedures arrange for payment of the charters. Upon completion of the trips YTT will also collect the impressions of trip participants regarding the overall success of the trip, with recommendations on how they might be improved. 3) Criteria for justifying award without competition. In order for an assistance award to be made without competition, the award must satisfy one or more of the following criteria. Please explain which criterion specifically addresses the proposed agreement. ╔к_ Unsolicited proposal ╔к_ The impetus for the project was initiated in 1998 during consultation between NPS and YTT, at which time the lack of tribal member access into the Dry Bay and the Gunaax╔к_o Kwaan homeland was identified as an area of mutual concern for both parties. If not addressed, the situation had the potential to seriously degrade relations with the preserve╔к_s traditionally associated group, and contribute to deterioration and eventual impairment of a critical preserve cultural resource. Working in collaboration, NPS and YTT initiated a multi-year effort to develop an access program to address these concerns, resulting in development of an effective access program that all parties agree is best managed by YTT. There was no solicitation of a proposal; rather, this program grew organically from a joint need to address a serious problem. ╔к_ Continuation ╔к_ This Cooperative Agreement is a continuation and extension of a cooperative working relationship between NPS and YTT that has been ongoing for 13 years. ╔к_ Unique Qualifications ╔к_ YTT is the only entity that exists that can effectively execute this program: YTT identified the need for this program beginning in 1998, and has been involved in its development and execution ever since. YTT is the only entity with the social connections and administrative capacity capable of executing this project. ╔к_ 4) A description of the market research that was conducted and the results, or a statement of the reason a market research was not conducted: ╔к_ Consultation was conducted in a government-to-government relationship between YTT and NPS in development of this program. There is no market for providing this service, and only YTT can perform it. No other entity exists to do this. 5) Any other facts supporting the use of other than full and open competition: ╔к_ Full and open competition could not possibly produce a better deliverable, much less any deliverable. 6) A statement of the actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers for competition before any potential future agreement award: None DOCUMENTATION FOR USE OF A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT Cooperative Agreement Number or PR Number R9815110707 Type of funds to be used for this project (bold the type of funds) ONPS, NRC, Fee Demo, Fire, Donation, other: Concession Franchise Fee l. What type of competition is appropriate? There is no form of competition that would be appropriate. The Yakutat Tlingit Tribe (YTT) is the federally recognized tribal government for the Gunaax╔к_o Kwaan people, a social group whose fundamental social units are four matrilineal clans that formerly occupied an ancestral homeland in Dry Bay, but who today reside in Yakutat with a number of other clans, all represented by YTT. NPS has determined that the Gunaax╔к_o Kwaan Tlingit clans are the only traditionally associated group for the Glacier Bay National Preserve at Dry Bay, and the clan histories which establish this long association are replete with multiple accounts of social conflicts, warfare events and episodes of willful persistence and sacrifice that first won and now maintain this association with place. To suppose that any other social group or entity could compete for, or represent, the interests of the tribe in this matter would be disrespectful of the people for whom the program is designed. Furthermore, YTT has represented the clans in addressing its many issues with NPS, and for decades has defended their primacy in that role against other Tlingit tribes, clans, governments, businesses and organizations. Any form of competition for the capacity to represent Gunaax╔к_o Kwaan interests and manage an access program into their homeland would be an affront to YTT, and an action that would nullify the very purpose and need for the project. 2. Why was this cooperator selected? The Yakutat Tlingit Tribe is a federally recognized tribal government and the only entity in existence with a government-to-government relationship with NPS for cultural issues related to Glacier Bay National Preserve. No other cooperator exists. 3. Who are the parties to the agreement? The Yakutat Tlingit Tribe and the National Park Service, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. 4. What is the purpose of the agreement? The purpose of the agreement is to create a collaborative program between NPS and YTT that will meet three objectives: 1) Maintain a strong connection between the Gunaax╔к_o Kwaan Tlingit clans and their ancestral homeland in Dry Bay by creating an access program that empowers the tribal government to design and manage this vital link; 2) create one cultural educational field trip per year that will provide opportunities for taking young people into the ancestral landscape where they will hear stories of place from the most knowledgeable elders, and in so doing create future culture bearers that will carry this knowledge forward; and 3) provide NPS with the essential ethnographic information it needs in order to effectively manage the ethnographic resources of Dry Bay. 5. What are the deliverables expected? Deliverables will be both tangible and intangible. Tangibles will consist of copious quantities of photographs, videos and notes that document the trips, as well as annual reports from YTT that capture the impressions and recommendations for improvements from tribal members. Ultimately, the trips will also help NPS gather significant ethnographic information that will be used for cultural resource management requirements. Intangibles will be transmittal of cultural knowledge of place, clan, tribe, and individual that is passed from generation to generation as a way to protect and preserve Gunaax╔к_o Kwaan Tlingit culture. These intangibles will have the potential to generate tangibles, such as interpretive materials, both now and indefinitely into the future. 6. Explain the nature of the anticipated substantial involvement. What will NPS specifically do to carry out the project? NPS has been substantially involved with YTT since the genesis of the project in 1998, and its role has been defined through this long collaborative process. NPS plays the role of identifying the need for the program, securing funds for the project, and in consultation and collaboration with YTT helps to schedule and organize the programs. For the programs NPS provides access to its facilities in Dry Bay, and staff to provide instruction, lead excursions, explore for archaeological sites, and act as liaison with the Gunaax╔к_o Kwaan tribal participants. Foremost, NPS has representatives who participate in every aspect of these trips, and in so doing, represent the agency in a constructive and positive way within the Native community. 7. Why is the substantial involvement considered to be necessary? The project is the direct result of two parties working together over many years to solve a serious and long standing issue, a process in which both parties had to be completely involved and engaged in order to bring about a positive resolution. Gunaax╔к_o Kwaan members expressed concern that many, if not most, had never been to their ancestral homeland in Dry Bay, and had no direct knowledge of it. Both parties recognized that the traditional means for Gunaax╔к_o Kwaan members to enter their homeland no longer existed - the ╔к_old╔к_ system of individual families maintaining seasonal food harvest camps in the preserve had ceased to exist by the 1930s, and the later access means of individual families coming to maintain private commercial fishing camps had largely faded away by late 1970s. Most people simply no longer had a way nor the private means to enter the preserve. Having identified this pressing need, NPS and YTT recognized that the most cost effective way to bring YTT members into the preserve would have to be aboard charter aircraft that could only accommodate small groups, thus requiring many flights to move any substantial number of people into the Dry Bay homeland. However, neither YTT nor the Gunaax╔к_o Kwaan had access to fund sources to cover these trips on a regular recurring basis. NPS involvement has been both vital and irreplaceable in developing the program, especially in the area of securing funds to facilitate it, as the trips in aggregate are beyond the capacity of the YTT to fund, and without NPS fund sources, the trips simply would not happen. For NPS, the fund sources are available and accessible, and provide the park with highly valuable results and products. Both parties agree it is absolutely necessary that both NPS and YTT remain engaged and involved as they work to address this longs term issue. 8. Explain why the project or activity entails a relationship of assistance rather than a contract. How will the NPS benefit from this collaboration? No contract could be let that would solve this issue. The basic relationship of mutual assistance involves two parties who are involved in trying to resolve an issue to the common benefit of both. The NPS has access to funding which does not exist outside the agency and would not be available to YTT from any other grant sources. Furthermore, YTT has access to and an obligation to serve the very people most affected by this issue. In compiling a list of people to participate in these activities, YTT has specific knowledge about social contexts and relations and understands the need to follow strict cultural protocols in making contacts and extending invitations, both areas where NPS is lacking in information and expertise. Mutual assistance and cooperation between NPS and YTT is the only effective way to accomplish this. No outside contractor could ever hope to accomplish this complex task. NPS will benefit from this collaboration in myriad ways. Foremost, the agency will fulfill its unique relationship with an American Indian tribe and honor its legal responsibility as required by the Constitution of the US, various statues and policy. In so doing the agency will honor the historical, cultural and spiritual relationship that the tribe has with the preserve and its resources. It will fulfill the agency╔к_s commitment to help the tribe maintain its cultural and spiritual practices, while enhancing the Park Service╔к_s understanding of the history and significance of sites and resource in the preserve. NPS will work with the tribe to provide access to preserve resources and places that are essential for the continuation of traditional culture and religious practices, in fulfillment with its obligation with law and policy. 9. What is the public purpose of support or stimulation? The public purpose is, foremost, for the Park Service to fulfill its mission to honor its legal and moral obligation to an American Indian tribe to access the preserve in order for it to maintain and perpetuate its traditional culture and religion. The public will benefit indirectly from this because the federal agency ╔к_ representing the interests of the American people - will be fulfilling its obligation in this area, and it will benefit directly through the dissemination of information about place in the form of interpretive materials (provided through informed consent from Yakutat Tlingit) that will provide park visitors with a deeper understanding of the park and its resour

Contact Information

• Agency

  Department of the Interior

• Office:

  National Park Service

• Agency Contact:

  Erica Cordeiro
  Contract Specialist
  Phone 907-644-3303

• Agency Mailing Address:

  Work

• Agency Email Address:

  Erica_Cordeiro@nps.gov