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“I Think Even in Challenging Times We Can Still Be Uplifting”: Indigenous Women’s Experiences of Resilience to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Alaska

Author

Listed:
  • Marya Rozanova-Smith

    (Department of Geography & Environment, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA)

  • Charlene Apok

    (Cloudberry Consulting, Anchorage, AK 99502, USA)

  • Andrey N. Petrov

    (ARCTICenter, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA 50613, USA)

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Alaska communities faced an extremely challenging situation given their socioeconomic, cultural, and demographic characteristics, as well as issues related to remoteness and colonial legacy. This paper seeks to advance the understanding of the gendered impacts and implications of crises like the COVID-19 pandemic on Indigenous women in Alaskan urban and rural communities through a resilience lens. The paper addresses two primary research questions: (1) What are the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Indigenous women in urban and rural Alaska, and specifically what are the gendered implications in the personal, sociocultural, and economic domains? (2) What are the strengths associated with women’s responses to COVID-19 that contribute to individual and community resilience during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and what are the constraints? This research is based on seventeen in-depth thematic interviews conducted in the city of Anchorage, the hub community of Nome, and its neighboring rural communities on the Seward Peninsula. Using the deficit-based approach combined with a strength-based perspective, this study provides a comprehensive examination of Indigenous women experiences during the pandemic across key domains of gendered impacts and responses, also providing a first-ever analysis of differences between rural and urban settings. The results revealed that despite significant challenges in personal, sociocultural, and economic domains, women demonstrated resilience and resourcefulness, while serving as caregivers at home and across their communities. The Indigenous holistic concepts of health and well-being, along with values of care, mutual support, and strong social and kinship ties, combined with traditional land- and water-based activities and cultural practices, play a crucial role in times of crisis, significantly contributing to building resilience and fostering empowerment at both the individual and community levels.

Suggested Citation

  • Marya Rozanova-Smith & Charlene Apok & Andrey N. Petrov, 2025. "“I Think Even in Challenging Times We Can Still Be Uplifting”: Indigenous Women’s Experiences of Resilience to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Alaska," Societies, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-36, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsoctx:v:15:y:2025:i:5:p:122-:d:1644766
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Lee Huskey & Matthew Berman & Alexandra Hill, 2004. "Leaving home, returning home: Migration as a labor market choice for Alaska Natives," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 38(1), pages 75-92, March.
    2. Thomas Lemieux & Kevin Milligan & Tammy Schirle & Mikal Skuterud, 2020. "Initial Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Canadian Labour Market," Canadian Public Policy, University of Toronto Press, vol. 46(S1), pages 55-65, July.
    3. V. N. Markova & K. I. Alekseeva & A. B. Neustroeva & E. V. Potravnaya, 2021. "Analysis and Forecast of the Poverty Rate in the Arctic Zone of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)," Studies on Russian Economic Development, Springer, vol. 32(4), pages 415-423, July.
    4. Jonathan Bullen & Trish Hill-Wall & Kate Anderson & Alex Brown & Clint Bracknell & Elizabeth A. Newnham & Gail Garvey & Lea Waters, 2023. "From Deficit to Strength-Based Aboriginal Health Research—Moving toward Flourishing," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(7), pages 1-20, April.
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    1. Marya Rozanova-Smith & Embla Eir Oddsdóttir & Andrey N. Petrov, 2025. "‘They Say There’s More Equality…’ : Women’s Perspectives on Progress and Setbacks in Gender Equality in Northern Iceland During Times of Crisis," Societies, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-30, July.

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