Inuit In Nunavut Research Articles

Estimated dietary exposure to fluorinated compounds from traditional foods among Inuit in Nunavut, Canada

Increasing evidence shows that persistent organic pollutants such as perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) are found in the Arctic ecosystem and their prevalence is causing human health concerns. The objective of this study was to estimate dietary exposure to PFCs among Inuit in northern Canada. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorinated carboxylates (PFCA C 7–C 11) and fluorotelomer unsaturated carboxylic acids (6:2, 8:2 and 10:2 FTUCA) were measured in 68 traditional foods collected in Nunavut between 1997 and 1999. Total PFC concentrations were highest in caribou liver (mean ± standard deviation; 6.2 ± 5.5 ng g −1), ringed seal liver (minimum, maximum; 7.7, 10.2 ng g −1), polar bear meat (7.0 ng g −1), and beluga meat (minimum, maximum; 7.0, 5.8 ng g −1). Inuit food intake data from 24-h recalls conducted in Nunavut between 1997 and 1999 were used for the calculation of PFC exposure. Mean daily dietary exposure was calculated to range from 210 to 610 ng person −1 (0.6–8.5 ng kg body weight −1) for 754 individuals. Dietary exposure to PFCs was statistically significantly higher in men in the 41–60 year age group ( p < 0.05) than younger men (<40 years old) and women from the same age group. Traditional foods contributed a higher percentage to PFC exposure than market foods in all age and gender groups. Caribou meat contributed 43–75% of daily PFC dietary exposure. Health risks associated with these estimated exposure levels are minimal based on current toxicological information available from animal feeding studies. However, it is important to monitor the concentrations of PFCs in key food items given that PFCA levels have been found to be increasing in the Canadian Arctic.

Response to Dyck et al. (2007) on polar bears and climate change in western Hudson Bay

The “viewpoint” article by Dyck et al. (2007) [Dyck. M.G., Soon, W., Baydack, R.K., Legates, D.R., Baliunas, S., Ball, T.F., Hancock, L.O., 2007. Polar bears of western Hudson Bay and climate change: are warming spring air temperatures the “ultimate” survival control factor? Ecol. Complexity 4, 73–84. doi:10.1016/j.ecocom.2007.03.002.] suggest that factors other than climate warming are responsible for a decline in the polar bear population of Western Hudson Bay. They propose: (1) that there is no evidence that the climate has warmed significantly in western Hudson Bay, (2) that any negative effects on the polar bear population likely result from interactions with humans (such as research activities, management actions, or tourism), (3) that studies suggesting climate warming could influence polar bear populations are confounded by natural fluctuations and (4) that polar bears will adapt to climate warming by eating vegetation, hunting other marine mammal species, and evolving new physiological mechanisms. In our examination of their alternative explanations, and the data available to evaluate each, we found little support for any. Research conducted since 1997 (when the last data were collected for the analyses in Stirling et al., 1999 [Stirling, I., Lunn, N.J., Iacozza, J., 1999. Long-term trends in the population ecology of polar bears in western Hudson Bay in relation to climate change. Arctic 52, 294–306.]) continues to be consistent with the thesis that climate warming in western Hudson Bay is the major factor causing the sea ice to breakup at progressively earlier dates, resulting in polar bears coming ashore to fast for several months in progressively poorer condition, resulting in negative affects on survival of young, subadult, and older (but not prime) adults and reproduction. When the population began to decline, the hunting quota for Inuit in Nunavut was no longer sustainable, which in turn probably resulted in the decline accelerating over time as a result of overharvesting (Regehr et al., 2007 [Regehr, E.V., Lunn, N.J., Amstrup, S.C., Stirling, I., 2007. Survival and population size of polar bears in western Hudson Bay in relation to earlier sea ice breakup. J. Wildl. Manage. 71, 2673–2683.]).

Climate change impacts on dietary nutrient status of Inuit in Nunavut, Canada

Introduction: Traditional food (TF) is locally derived food harvested from the environment, which gives vital sustenance to an Arctic Indigenous People, the Inuit. TF contributes significantly to daily required nutrients. The Arctic is experiencing rapid climate change which is affecting access and availability of TF and potentially nutrient intake for Inuit. Objective: To characterizes the nutritional implications of climate change related to the TF system of Inuit in Nunavut, Canada. Methods: Two‐day focus groups and a frequency survey of 12 TF species were carried out in two Nunavut communities to record climate change observations and TF intake (g/day). Intake of 22 nutrients was compared to respective Dietary Reference Intakes. Results: Communities found climate change was affecting the TF harvest in both positive and negative ways. TF provided 100% of the Estimated Average Intakes for protein, vitamins A and B6, riboflavin, P, Fe, Cu, Zn and Se, and of the Adequate Intake for omega 3 fatty acids. Overall median daily intake of TF was 367 g/day and top species/parts were known wildlife foods. Conclusions: If climate change leads to increased TF harvest, nutrient intake has the potential to increase. Climate changes that may reduce access to TF may have serious consequences on dietary nutrient status of Inuit if no countermeasures are taken. Research Supported by: ArcticNet, Canada.

Medicinal plants used by the Inuit of Qikiqtaaluk (Baffin Island, Nunavut)This paper was submitted for the Special Issue on Ethnobotany, inspired by the Ethnobotany Symposium organized by Alain Cuerrier, Montréal Botanical Garden, and held in Montréal at the 2006 annual meeting of the Canadian Botanical Association/l’Association Botanique du Canada.

The traditional medicinal uses of plants by the Inuit of Nunavut, Canada were analysed using quantitative ethnobotanical methodology. Traditional knowledge was collected during interviews with volunteer Inuit informants and from historical interview transcripts. A total of 13 different species were mentioned, which included 1 moss, 1 algae, 1 fungus, and 10 vascular plant species. An informant consensus index value, Fic &gt; 0.7, for many use categories revealed a high level of informant agreement, consistent with a well-preserved oral tradition and low flora biodiversity. The documentation of this information is a useful tool for the preservation of Inuit culture, as well as for the integration of Inuit traditional medicine with Western medical practices in Arctic communities (Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, IQ).

Global change education in the Arctic

Bird species new to the Arctic call across ancient forests where the buzz is from the super sawmills, not the sound of elk hooves. Oil and gas wells plumb the tundra depths, and the pipelines scarify the surface, pumping fossil wealth south with a return flow measured in dollars and rubles. The eternal ice is going and tourist ships are coming, ironically to see the icy landscape that is disappearing. This is the Arctic today.Global change has been a fact of life for many indigenous peoples in remote parts of the world for many decades. In Svalbard, Norway, which lies north of Europe in the Arctic Ocean, January 2006 was warmer than any previous April while April was five standard deviations warmer than average. Over the longer term, the Inuit in Nunavut, Canada, have found that hunting for seals—traditionally their major food supply—has become much more difficult as sea pup numbers have declined along with sea ice [Arctic Climate Impact Assessment, 2004]. About 20 Alaskan villages are candidates for relocation because of severe coastal erosion, exacerbated by loss of protective sea ice. For example, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers estimates that it could cost from $100 million to $400 million to relocate Kivalina, which has only 385 inhabitants [U.S. General Accounting Office, 2003].

Inuksuk: Icon of the Inuit of Nunavut

The Inuit of the Canadian Arctic have long been known to the outside world through the accounts of explorers, whalers, traders, and missionaries. Famous for their igloos, dog sleds, kayaks and skin clothing, they became the quintessential hardy people of the American Arctic as portrayed in the film “Nanook of the North.” Now that they have emerged with their own agency in the world, their iconic distinctiveness is threatened by their near disuse of these traditional markers. In the past few years, the Inuit have combined their visibility to outsiders with their pride in heritage to select and foreground a few items, such as the inuksuk, the qulliq and the amautik, which have gone from the ordinary to the extraordinary. This paper explores the emergence of the inuksuk as an icon both for and of the Inuit in Canada, and considers its development, reintegration, commercialization and diaspora.

Access to justice for deaf Inuit in Nunavut: The role of "Inuit sign language."

CPA Award for Distinguished Contributions to Public or Community Service - Prix pour contributions remarquables au service public ou communautaire (2000) Abstract This paper presents a personal perspective on the issue of access to justice (in the context of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms) for the deaf population of Canada's newest Territory - Nunavut. My experience in assessing a deaf Inuk in Baker Lake R v. Suwarak (1999) who apparently had no known language, followed an earlier Nova Scotia case R v. Roy (1994) which involved a deaf man who could not hear, speak or use sign language. In both Roy and Suwarak and I concluded that a trial could not proceed, but in the case of Suwarak, the possibility was raised that an indigenous form of sign language, which I tentatively termed Inuit Sign Language was being used. The results of a preliminary study of the status of signed languages in Nunavut based on field visits and interactions with deaf people and their families in three communities, Iqaluit, Pangnirtung, and Rankin Inlet is described. The possibility that Inuit Sign Language exists is discussed within the framework of various theories of language development and also within the context of earlier literature which indicates that many Aboriginal communities had (and possibly still have) flourishing signed languages. Finally, the need for increased research by psychologists on the complex linguistic environment of deaf persons in Nunavut is emphasized. BACKGROUND ON DEAFNESS In three previous articles that have appeared in Canadian Psychology (MacDougall, 1971, 1979, 1991), 1 reviewed current developments in the field of deafness from a psychological perspective. I noted that while sign language (American Sign Language, ASL) has finally been recognized as a legitimate language (Petitto, 2000), the always controversial cochlear implant continues to raise new hope for a cure for deafness (Moores, 2001). I reported also that the deaf community in North America is asserting their language and culture as never before (Erting, Johnson, & Smith, 1994; Lane, Hoffmeister, & Bahan, 1996; Padden & Humphries, 1989). The centrepiece of their very public activities is the Deaf President Now movement which took place at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. (Sacks, 1989). THE CHARTER AND THE ELDRIDGE DECISION The Canadian deaf experience has generally followed the American example quite closely. However, one event stands out as a genuine historical moment for deaf people in Canada. In 1997, the highest court in the land handed down a unanimous decision (Eldridge v. British Columbia, 1997) which mandated sign language as a free service under Canada's medicare system. The impact of this landmark judgement is expected to be profound, not only for deaf persons, but also for all persons with disability in Canada who seek increased access to any type of public service. The Eldridge decision represents a concrete example of the impact of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms on all persons with disability in Canada. Section 15 (1) of the Charter (equality before and under the law and equal protection and benefit of law) states: Every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to equal protection and benefit of the law without discrimination and, in particular, without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability (emphasis added). CHANGING DIRECTION Apart from a study that I carried out on the impact of Eldridge (MacDougall, 1999) on health care access for deaf Canadians (mid a personal experience which involved my deaf father) (MacDougall, 1997), the Charter was beginning to have a serious impact on the direction of my work with the deaf community. Increasingly, I was being asked by the justice system in various regions of Canada to provide expert testimony in cases of deaf persons who were having difficulty in accessing their rights to a fair trial in the context of their Charter rights. …

Distribution and Numbers of Bowhead Whales (&lt;i&gt;Balaena mysticetus&lt;/i&gt;) in Northwestern Hudson Bay in August 1995

There is interest among the Inuit of Nunavut in renewing subsistence hunting of bowhead whales. Managing a limited harvest while allowing for stock recovery from commercial whaling requires some estimate of stock numbers. The large geographic range of bowhead whales in the eastern Canadian Arctic precludes cost-effective estimation of total stock size; however, estimates of summer aggregation sizes can be derived from sampling of summering areas. Although these numbers do not represent total stock size, they do provide indicators of the minimum number of bowheads known to be present and may be useful as indices for monitoring stock recovery. A visual aerial survey conducted in northwestern Hudson Bay resulted in an estimate of 75 ± 27.5 (95% Confidence Interval = 17-133) bowhead whales. This estimate is conservative because it was not corrected for submerged whales or for whales that were at the surface but not seen by observers. Most sightings of whales were made in Repulse Bay and Frozen Strait.

G-protein beta3 subunit gene splice variant and body fat distribution in Nunavut Inuit.

The GNB3 825T allele encodes a product that has enhanced activation of heterotrimeric G proteins in vitro and could play a role in adipogenesis. We therefore evaluated the possibility that the GNB3 825T allele was associated with obesity in a sample of 213 healthy Canadian Inuit. We found that body weight, body mass index, waist girth, hip girth, subscapular skinfold thickness, and triceps skinfold thickness were significantly higher in subjects with the GNB3 825T/T genotype than in subjects with other genotypes. Furthermore, two anthropometric ratios, namely that of waist to hip circumference and that of subscapular to triceps skinfold thickness, were not significantly different across genotypes. This suggested that the increased deposition of fat in subjects with the GNB3 825T/T genotype was generalized and not localized to particular subregions. There was no association of this genetic variation with blood pressure. The GNB3 825T/T genotype accounted for between 1.6% and 3.3% of the total variation (< or =13% of attributable variation) of the obesity-related traits. The potential for a genetic marker of obesity creates opportunities for future studies in the Inuit, not just to confirm the associations, but also to examine prospectively the influence of interventions and possible relationships between GNB3 825T and longer term complications of obesity.

A Theoretical Debate on the Social and Political Implications of Internet Implementation for the Inuit of Nunavut

N* atives and technology-two terms that for many people can only be antonyms. To speak of the Inuit and the Internet seems to spell 3 out an irresolvable paradox. Despite all this, the Canadian North is > witnessing important technological developments: deployment of a satellite network for radio and television production, creation of the Inuit Broadcasting Corporation and Television Northern Canada, and construction of computer networks of increasing importance. In 1995, a report by the Nunavut Implementation Commission 3 83 (NIC) declared the benefits of the Internet for this society.1 But are X there really benefits? Does the Internet present certain dangers for Inuit society? The research presented in this essay is premised on these questions. I will try to place in their respective contexts the different theories and hypotheses that claim to explain the effects of the Internet on

Inuit Use of the Sea Ice

For thousands of years the Inuit have depended heavily upon the productivity of the marine environment. Most of the present day Inuit communities are located along the arctic coastlines and are still reliant upon the marine ecosystems. The current hunting territories of the communities in the Nunavut region of Canada vary in size from 42,600 to 205,000 km2 with an average of 107,337 km2. About one-third of the area of each of these community hunting territories encompasses marine areas. Hunting territories of neighboring communities overlap so that virtually all of the offshore areas within Nunavut are currently utilized by the Inuit. The Inuit have developed an extensive language and technology for life on the sea ice. Their ecological knowledge of this environment is exceedingly rich but has received little attention by southern biologists until recently. Through the land claims process the Inuit in Nunavut are now gaining meaningful management controls over the offshore environment.