Inuit Knowledge Research Articles

Cracks in the knowledge: sea ice terms in Kangiqsualujjuaq, Nunavik

In the Canadian Arctic, where sea ice is a feature of purposeful and spiritual significance to the Inuit inhabitants, evidence suggests that traditional knowledge of the terms for sea ice is diminishing. This article presents the findings from fieldwork regarding the terms, and their definitions, that a group of Inuit from Kangiqsualujjuaq in Nunavik, Northern Quebec, use to describe sea ice. This case study, which explores their knowledge of sea ice phenomena, offers insights into the present state of Inuit knowledge of sea ice terminology in that community. Instruments used to elicit knowledge of and about sea ice terms are described in this article. Participant inclusion was based on gender and age groups, and an illustration was produced to demonstrate the disparity in sea ice knowledge across three generations of male and female hunters. It is suggested that future nomenclature studies of Inuit knowledge be based on the canvassing of all age brackets, if a realistic picture of the ways in which such knowledge is transmitted within and across generations is to be ascertained.

Should we turn the tent? Inuit women and climate change

Most of the climate change literature for Arctic Canada in the social sciences has focused on men’s knowledge and experiences. Drawing on research from Qikiqtarjuaq and Clyde River, Nunavut, we explore Inuit women’s perspectives on recent environmental changes, many of which are often attributed to climate change by Inuit or others. We divide issues resulting from environmental change into primary and secondary effects. Primary effects are changes in environmental features that affect, for example, hunting, fishing, and travelling. Secondary effects occur in the community as a result of environmental change. These include changes in the use and condition of country products like seal skins, and the psychological and social impact of environmental changes, such as going out on the land less often due to fear of dangerous conditions. We also offer a preliminary discussion on women’s role in responses to climate change, through their often dominant economic and political roles in their communities, the territory, and various wider global governance fora. Our research indicates that gender helps shape Inuit knowledge of environmental change, as well as social responses to perceptions of change. By examining women’s perceptions of environmental change, we draw attention to the social aspects and also highlight how women can contribute to adaptation, not only to physical changes but also to the resulting social changes.

Transfer of Inuit qaujimajatuqangit in modern Inuit society

This paper explores the nature and transfer of Inuit knowledge. Using our experiences in setting up workshops with elders and youths in the past 10 years, we argue that the notion that Inuit qaujimajatuqangit can be viewed as a corpus of knowledge that can be integrated into academic programs is necessarily flawed. We suggest that more room should be given to Inuit elders and their knowledge by adapting the school system to Inuit perspectives rather than the reverse.

Changes in weather persistence: Insight from Inuit knowledge

Since the 1990s, local residents from around the Arctic have reported changes in weather predictability. Examination of environmental measurements have not, until now, helped describe what the local inhabitants have been reporting, in part because prior studies did not focus directly on the persistence aspect of weather. Here we show that there is evidence of changes in persistence in weather over the last two decades for Baker Lake, Nunavut, Canada. Hourly data indicate that for local spring, the persistence of temperature has changed dramatically in the last 15 years with some years showing a strong drop in day-to-day persistence in the local spring afternoons, somewhat at odds with changes in persistence on a more global scale. Changes in daily persistence may have implications for human health, agriculture, and ecosystems worldwide. More importantly, the approach of merging indigenous knowledge with scientific methods may offer unexpected benefits for both.

New Inuit centre hopes to influence research agenda

The director of Inuit Qaujisarvin-gat (pronounced kow-yee-sar-ving-at), the new Inuit Knowledge Centre, has already begun fielding calls from researchers anxious to incorporate traditional Inuit knowledge into their investigations of climate change, life and health in Canada’s Arctic. “I’ve

Reducing Vulnerability to Climate Change in the Arctic: The Case of Nunavut, Canada

Research conducted with the communities of Arctic Bay and Igloolik in Nunavut identified key areas where policy can help Inuit reduce their vulnerability to climate change, focusing on the renewable resource harvesting sector. The policy responses are based on an understanding of policy development and decision making and on an understanding of the processes that shape vulnerability, which in Nunavut comprise the erosion of traditional Inuit knowledge and land-based skills, the weakening of social networks, and a reduction in harvesting flexibility. Policies relating to cultural preservation, wildlife comanagement, and harvester support can serve as entry points for influencing these processes. Our recommendations fall within the mandates of the Government of Nunavut and the institutions created under the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement, and they have been identified as policy priorities by communities and Inuit organizations.

A Life Vest for Hudson Bay's Drifting Stewardship

Hudson Bay, as the world’s second-largest inland sea, is far from insignificant. Yet, the Hudson Bay bioregion barely registers on the radar of Canadian ocean management. When it does, it almost invariably appears under a project-specific approach or within the strict parameters of jurisdictional responsibilities. However, Inuit in Sanikiluaq, from their standpoint on the Belcher Islands, see the surrounding marine environment as being largely unrelated to political boundaries and jurisdictions. From their perspective, stewardship means ensuring the sustained health of Hudson Bay and its marine life. We advocate concrete steps to bring compartmentalized governmental processes in line with this more comprehensive definition of marine environmental stewardship. A twofold course of action is needed. The first step is to make joint, complementary use of scientific and Inuit knowledge to understand the cumulative, transboundary effects on this Arctic marine ecosystem of natural and human-induced changes. Second, collaboration is greatly needed to unify the present fragmented coastal and marine governance in the eastern Canadian Arctic. We therefore propose establishing a community-based monitoring and assessment network and a cooperative, inter-jurisdictional stewardship body. Such a collaborative effort could make tangible progress toward sound, ecosystem-based, integrated management of the Hudson Bay bioregion.

<i>Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit</i>: Social History, Politics and the Practice of Resistance

The creation of the Nunavut government has been accompanied by an emphasis on Inuit knowledge—Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ)—in the making of policy and in procedures affecting Nunavutmiut (Nunavummiut). Definitions of IQ parallel those of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), indigenous knowledge (IK), and traditional knowledge (TK). The extent to which cosmologies and belief systems are incorporated into definitions of these terms and the extent to which their use is narrowly focused on the management of biological resources are ongoing sources of concern. The language used to define and promote IQ often serves to move IQ away from its cosmological implications and define it as a tool useful for filling gaps in scientific knowledge. To appreciate a seamless definition of IQ, a better understanding of Inuit social and cultural history is necessary. An examination of this history depicts IQ as a form of resistant practice that can seriously challenge characteristic assumptions of Western science, such as the separation of humans from other forms of life. Inuit operating with a seamless definition of IQ are, however, confronted with contemporary social, economic, and political realities that challenge and may limit the use of IQ in the management and development of Nunavut.

Linking Inuit knowledge and meteorological station observations to understand changing wind patterns at Clyde River, Nunavut

Connecting indigenous and scientific observations and knowledge has received much attention in the Arctic, not least in the area of climate change. On some levels, this connection can be established relatively easily, linking observations of similar phenomena or of various effects stemming from the same cause. Closer examinations of specific environmental parameters, however, can lead to far more complex and difficult attempts to make those connections. In this paper we examine observations of wind at Clyde River, Nunavut, Canada. For Inuit, many activities are governed by environmental conditions. Wind, in particular, is identified by Inuit as one of the most important environmental variables, playing a key role in driving sea ice, ocean, and weather conditions that can either enable or constrain hunting, travel, or other important activities. Inuit observe wind patterns closely, and through many means, as a result of their close connection to the land and sea. Inuit in many parts of Nunavut are reporting changes in wind patterns in recent years. At Clyde River, a community on the eastern coast of Baffin Island, Inuit have observed that at least three key aspects of wind have changed over the last few decades: wind variability, wind speed, and wind direction. At the same time, wind observations are also available from an operational weather station located at Clyde River. An analysis of this information shows little change in wind parameters since the mid-1970s. Though the station data and Inuit observations correspond in some instances, overall, there is limited agreement. Although the differences in the two perspectives may point to possible biases that may exist from both sources—the weather station data may not be representative of the region, Inuit observations or explanations may be inaccurate, or the instrumental and Inuit observations may not be of the same phenomena—they also raise interesting questions about methods for observing wind and the nature of Arctic winds.

Arctic Clothing of North America: Alaska, Canada, Greenland by J.C.H. King, Birgit Pauksztat, and Robert Storrie

Arctic Clothing of North America: Alaska, Canada, Greenland by J.C.H. King, Birgit Pauksztat, and Robert Storrie

Inuit Cyberspace: The Struggle for Access for Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit

In the field of cyberspace studies, there has been growing interest in researching the implications of cyberspace on ethnic representations and relations, a subject of particular importance for increasingly diverse societies such as Canada. In this essay, the authors examine the relationship between Internet-based new media technologies, the preservation and promotion of Inuit knowledge, and the evolution of Canada’s national identity. The authors examine whether new media technologies can serve as a means to assert and, perhaps, advance Inuit values, linguistic and cultural legacy, knowledge systems and political philosophy. The case study of the development of the Nanisiniq Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ) Adventure Website, a community-based initiative, illustrates how new media technologies support the documentation and integration of a system of cultural resources. The fully bilingual website (Inuktitut and English) guides the learner-user through an online journey about the relationship between Inuit and the land through an exploration of diverse resources, including a searchable database of elders recounting the ancient legend of Kiviuq to filmmaker John Houston. The authors assert that amplifying Inuit voices via the Internet supports new patterns of engagement between Inuit elders and youth, and among their communities. Furthermore, the case study highlights how new media technologies can “push” Inuit culture out into the world and “pull” at the national power centre that continues to ignore Northerners’ policy needs. The case study’s focus on environmental stewardship reveals how online representations of ancient knowledge systems can inspire postcolonial patterns of engagement between humans, and between humans and the environment.

Nunavik Inuit Perspectives on Beluga Whale Management in the Canadian Arctic

In the Arctic, there has long been a strong relationship between Inuit and beluga whales. As well as being considered sentient creatures, Inuit value these small white toothed whales for nutritional, economic, social, and cultural reasons. They are a staple food for many Inuit, and in the complex set of social activities that surround the hunting, butchering, and sharing of belugas, Inuit knowledge, skill, identity, and kinship are enacted and reproduced. Since the mid-1980s the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has endeavored to restore and maintain beluga populations in Nunavik, northern Quebec. In the past decade, these conservation practices have increasingly impinged on the hunting of belugas by Inuit and, by extension, the social and cultural practices within which beluga hunting is situated. While DFO regards the management of belugas as one of biological conservation, Inuit situate this management within narratives of cultural imperialism. To ensure greater involvement by Inuit in th...

Representing Traditional Knowledge: Resource Management and Inuit Knowledge of Barren-Ground Caribou

Comanagement regimes in Canada's North rarely include indigenous systems for understanding the environment. Mapped representations and accompanying narratives illustrating the collective knowledge of indigenous hunters can make unique management contributions. Both the multigenerational knowledge of indigenous communities and opportunities allowing a discussion of diverse ways of interpreting environmental observations are crucial to involving indigenous learning systems within current regional wildlife management. It is not just the factual “data” of indigenous hunters that are relevant to resource management. It is the opportunities for social learning or for resource managers to understand how indigenous hunters learn about the environment that are directly relevant to resource management decision making.

Human geographies of sea ice: freeze/thaw processes around Igloolik, Nunavut, Canada

ABSTRACTSea ice has been, and continues to be, an integral component of life in the Inuit community of Igloolik, Nunavut. Located on an island of the same name off the northeastern coast of Melville Peninsula, extensive ice formation occurs in Fury and Hecla Strait. This creates an important travel and hunting platform, and enables access to Baffin Island, the mainland, moving ice, hunting and fishing grounds, and nearby communities. With the combined importance, dynamism, and continuous use of this frozen ocean environment, local Inuit elders and hunters have developed a detailed and nuanced understanding of sea ice conditions, freeze/thaw processes, and the influences of winds and currents on ice conditions. Working collaboratively with the community of Igloolik since February 2004, we present the results of 24 semi-directed interviews and 4 sea ice trips to provide a baseline understanding of local freezing processes (near-shore, open water, sea ice thickening, landfast ice, tidal cracks, floe edge, and moving ice), melting processes (snow melt, water accumulation and drainage, and break-up), wind influences on sea ice (wind direction and strength affecting sea ice formation and movement), and, current influences on sea ice (tidal variations and current strength affecting sea ice formation, movement, and polynya size/location). Strong emphasis is placed on Inuktitut terminology and spatial delineations of localised ice conditions and features. Therefore, this paper provides insights into local scale ice conditions and dynamics around Igloolik that are not captured in regional scale studies of Foxe Basin and/or Fury and Hecla Strait. Results have the potential to inform future research efforts on local/regional sea ice monitoring, the relationship between Inuit knowledge, language, and the environment, and addressing community interests through targeted studies.

Human geographies of sea ice: freeze/thaw processes around Cape Dorset, Nunavut, Canada

ABSTRACTSea ice has been, and continues to be, an integral component of life in the Inuit community of Cape Dorset, Nunavut. Located on an island of the same name off the southwestern coast of Baffin Island, the strong Hudson Strait currents prevent extensive ice formation around the community. Nevertheless, sea ice remains an important travel and hunting platform, enabling access to Baffin Island, hunting and fishing grounds, and nearby communities. With the combined importance, dynamism, and continuous use of this frozen ocean environment, local Inuit elders and hunters have developed a detailed and nuanced understanding of sea ice conditions, freeze/thaw processes, and the influences of winds and currents on ice conditions. Working collaboratively with the community of Cape Dorset since October, 2003, we present the results of 30 semi-directed interviews, 5 sea ice trips, and 2 focus groups to provide a baseline understanding of local freezing processes (near-shore, open water, sea ice thickening, landfast ice, floe edge, and tidal cracks), melting processes (snow melt, water accumulation and drainage, break-up, and cracks/leads), wind influences on sea ice (wind direction and strength affecting sea ice formation, and movement), and current influences on sea ice (tidal variations and current strength affecting sea ice formation, movement, and polynya size/location). Strong emphasis is placed on Inuktitut terminology and spatial delineations of localised ice conditions and features. Therefore, this paper provides insights into local scale ice conditions and dynamics around Cape Dorset that are not captured in regional scale studies of Hudson Bay and/or Hudson Strait. Results have the potential to inform future research efforts on local/regional sea ice monitoring, the relationship between Inuit knowledge, language, and the environment, and addressing community interests through targeted studies.

Climate change in the Arctic: current and future vulnerability in two Inuit communities in Canada

Climate change is already occurring in the Arctic and the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment recently concluded that future climate change could be devastating for Inuit. This paper characterises vulnerability to climate change in two Inuit communities in the Canadian territory of Nunavut, focusing on the resource harvesting sector. In both communities, Inuit have demonstrated significant adaptability in the face of current changes in climatic conditions. This adaptability is facilitated by traditional Inuit knowledge, strong social networks, flexibility in resource use, and institutional support. Changing Inuit livelihoods, however, have undermined certain aspects of adaptive capacity and have resulted in emerging vulnerabilities. Global and regional climate projections indicate that climatic conditions which currently pose risks are expected to be negatively affected by future climate change. These projections are not without precedent and analysis of current vulnerability and identification of adaptation constraints by Inuit in the two communities indicate the continued importance of traditional coping mechanisms. The ability to draw on these coping mechanisms in light of future climate change, however, will be unequal and the research indicates that young Inuit and those without access to economic resources, in particular, are vulnerable.

Inuit and Scientific Philosophies about Planning, Prediction, and Uncertainty

Abstract This paper explores Inuit philosophies about the future, long-term planning, and prediction and investigates the ways that these contrast with Western ideas. By describing how Inuit deal with the inherent uncertainty of the Arctic environment, and how this leads to distinct attitudes towards managing the future and its potential risks, the argument is made that these philosophies are a highly effective method of knowing the Arctic environment. However, the strengths of this approach may at times be obscured by a current desire to show that Inuit predict and plan in the same way as do Western scientists. In fact, such attempts can delegitimize Inuit ways of knowing the future, by effectively setting Western science as a benchmark by which Inuit knowledge is judged, thus reducing the likelihood of effective collaboration between Inuit and Western researchers in environmental management.

Using interactive multimedia to document and communicate Inuit knowledge

Media technology has acted as both a threat to local knowledge and language, and a tool to strengthen it. More and more, indigenous peoples are using media for their own purposes from art to communication to education. Multimedia technology is surfacing as one useful tool in local knowledge and language revitalization efforts. Multimedia is being applied in a number of ways, preserving and passing on local knowledge and languages and showing potential for doing so in ways that engage young people and are more closely aligned with indigenous forms of teaching and learning. Discussing a case study example of one multimedia project in Nunavut, this paper evaluates multimedia in the context of documenting and communicating Inuit knowledge. Though there are challenges and issues to consider, multimedia and other technologies should be considered and creatively applied to help local people reach their goals. Texts and other forms of media remain important resources for documentation and communication in the North, but multimedia has the potential to grow into a key tool.

The Inuit as geographers: The case of Eenoolooapik

Recent studies reveal an increasing number of instances in which Qallunaat benefited from Inuit knowledge of the lands and waters upon which they had lived for centuries. One of the best recorded examples of Inuit geographical knowledge is found in the story of Eenoolooapik, who led to the European rediscovery of Cumberland Sound 250 years after it was first explored and named by John Davis. Taken as a young man from Baffin Island to Scotland in 1839, Eenoolooapik excited whaling captain William Penny with stories of a large, whale-rich body of water then unknown to European and American whalers. “Eenoo,” as he was popularly called, drew a map of the coastline of eastern Baffin showing a deep bay known by the Inuit as “Tenudiackbeek,” and upon their return the next summer, Penny skeptically followed Eenoolooapik’s directions into a large bay in which the Inuk had spent his childhood. Thus the youngster’s geographical knowledge of his homeland resulted in the opening to whalers of a long-lost body of water in which, in the next decade, shore stations were established that offered seasonal employment to the Inuit and dramatically changed their lives. The story of Eenoolooapik is told in a small book by Alexander M’Donald, A Narrative of Some Passages in the History of Eenoolooapik […] published in Edinburgh in 1841. This is probably the only nineteenth-century full-length biography of an Inuk published during the subject’s lifetime; and because copies of the book are exceedingly rare, the following article provides a synopsis as a means of portraying more fully the geographical contributions of Eenoolooapik.

Vulnerability to climate change in Igloolik, Nunavut: what we can learn from the past and present

Significant and rapid climate change is predicted for Arctic regions. These changes are expected to have implications for indigenous communities. This paper argues that the starting point to understand how future climate change may affect communities is analysis of past and present experience of, and response to, climate variability and change. Using a vulnerability approach, the paper provides an historical account of changing vulnerability to climate-related risks among Inuit in Igloolik, Nunavut. The research demonstrates that Inuit in Igloolik have been highly adaptable in the face of climatic stresses. This adaptability has historically been facilitated by traditional Inuit knowledge, resource use flexibility and diversity, group mobility, and strong social networks. However, societal changes, and more recently biophysical changes, have increased the susceptibility of people to climatic risks and have undermined certain aspects of adaptive capacity. The research indicates that the implications of future climate change will be influenced by the interaction between biophysical and societal changes, will vary over time in response to forces internal and external to the community, and will be differentiated among social groups.