Part 9: The US - Russia Polar Bear Treaty
The morning brings another blustery day. The snow drift outside my window -- which was knee-high when we arrived -- has grown to the size of a mini van. The sled dogs from Nutepelmen, still attached to their mainline and sled, are curled into balls, lying still under a thick, fresh blanket of snow. As I make my way out for a quick morning walk one of them cracks an eye open, breaking the nice casing of snow around his face.

It's already time for us to leave. We have a long road ahead of us and need to be on our way in order to make the irregular plane schedule from Anadyr back to Moscow. Before breakfast, though, Vladilen wants us to meet one of the elders of Vankarem, known by all as Apo -- the oldest member of the community. We find him in his small, modest home - one of the early residences of the village, made of wood and concrete, and simply outfitted with a small wood stove for heat and cooking.

Apo is bedridden and can't hear very well but he's got a great sense of humor and is quite welcoming. He tells us a little about what he remembers about his life. When asked about hunting polar bears as a young man, he recalls that it wasn't done frequently, and that any polar bear harvested would be shared with the entire community. Vladilen adds that the communal aspects of the hunt, along with the rituals and thanksgiving traditions that accompanied a polar bear harvest, were important cultural practices. Families and villages observed and celebrated the harvest together, showing respect for the bear and for nature. Vladilen and others here believe these traditions kept hunting in check and ensured that it was sustainable. However, because indigenous people were prohibited from hunting, the traditional knowledge that had been passed along generations for the most part has been lost.

Today, Vladilen and Sergey are working to revive the traditional values of respect and sustainability in managing the region's marine resources. Soon it will be legal to hunt polar bears for subsistence in Russia, according to a new US-Russia Agreement on the Conservation and Management of the Alaska Chukotka Polar Bear population. The agreement will establish a US-Russia commission that will weigh the scientific knowledge available and will determine a conservative quota to be share by the native hunters on Russia's and Alaska's coasts. Careful management and enforcement of the quota will be critical. WWF has played a key role in supporting Russian biologists as well as the community in preparing for the implementation of this treaty. We will continue to support research and monitoring along the coast - essential steps to understand the condition of this population of ice bears.

By mid-day, our drivers have prepared the vezdekhods and packed up our bags for the return trip. A large group of our friends from Vankarem assemble and send us off with big bear hugs. Before we leave three of the polar bear brigade members take Viktor aside and explain that they want to become members. They have pooled their funds to make a donation. In a place where income level is extremely low, this generous gesture is both touch and inspiring. They really believe in WWF, and its mission around the world. It's been a short but intense visit and I hope sincerely to be back soon in Vankarem.