Eskimo Walrus Commission

Eskimo Heritage
Program

Eskimo Walrus
Commission

Fisheries

Land Management
Services

Reindeer Herders
Association

Subsistence

Contact the Eskimo Walrus Commission

P.O. Box 948
Nome, AK 99762

Phone #
907-443-4380 or 1-877-277-4392

Fax #
907-443-4484

"Encourage self regulation of walrus hunting and management of walrus stock
by Alaska Natives who use and need walrus to survive."

Created in 1978 by Kawerak, Inc. of Nome, Eskimo Walrus Commission (EWC) is the organization representing Alaska's coastal walrus hunting communities. Initially formed as a consortium of Native hunters, EWC is a recognized statewide entity working on resource co-management issues, specifically walrus, on behalf of Alaska Natives as it continues to be an essential cultural, natural, and subsistence resource to the Alaskan coastal Yupik and Inupiaq communities. Walrus is also a primary resource of food for Alaska Natives and is used to produce handicrafts and artwork from its ivory and bone.

EWC MEMBER COMMUNITIES
Barrow	Mekoryuk
Brevig Mission	Nome
Clarks Point	Point Hope
Gambell	Point Lay
Kivalina	Savoonga
King Island	Shishmaref
Kotzebue	Stebbins
Kwigillingok	Unalakleet
Little Diomede	Wainwright
Wales

EHP Collection

A cooperative agreement between FWS and EWC was developed in 1997 to encourage subsistence hunters' participation in conserving and managing walrus stocks in the coastal communities. In 1998, a Memorandum of Understanding between EWC, Alaska Department of Fish & Game, and FWS was signed further allowing joint management of the Pacific Walrus Conservation Fund where the majority of the funds come from the sale of raw ivory by EWC during state conferences and events.

Kawerak's Eskimo Walrus Commission represents Alaska's coastal walrus hunting communities and continues to work cooperatively with U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service work on a number of projects:

Conducting biannual meetings of commission members who represent 19 communities
Monitoring subsistence walrus hunts on Round Island with Bristol Bay Native Association's Qayassiq Walrus Commission in the Bristol Bay
Collecting detailed walrus harvest data and biological samples in five communities
Recording general walrus harvest data through the federally mandated marking, tagging, and reporting program
Working through a cooperative agreement between U.S. and Russian governments with all Chukotkan Native coastal communities in the harvest, conservation and sound management of the Pacific walrus
Gathering culture-based traditional knowledge
Working with communities to become more proactive in 'co-management' of the walrus population

EWC LINKS

Marine Mammal Commission

National Park Service Pacific Walrus

NOAA Marine Mammal Site

State of Alaska, Fish & Game

USGS Marine Mammal Site

US F&WS

USF&W Marine Mammals Management

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