Inuit Knowledge on the Arctic Land, Ice and Climate
Watt S. (2018, Nov 2015). It’s time to listen to the Inuit on climate change. Canadian Geographic News.
The author of this newspaper article discusses that the prominent greenhouse gases which are a culprit for climate change include carbon dioxide, gases released from fossil fuel combustion and other pollutant gases, are produced as a result of various industrial processes. The Government of Nunavut has recently called for more investigation into the rampant climate issues and the problems pertaining to the rise in climate change, co-management, compensation, seismic exploration environment, and emergency preparedness.
Other tipping points pinpointed by the author include the devastating effects of increased freshwater input on ocean circulation, and the impact of increasing ocean acidification on the overall ecosystems. The article also discusses the fact that the Nunavut’s communities are built on permafrost, and the ground on which they live has been frozen for two or more years. Due to global warming, the warming air and ground temperatures are now actively causing the permafrost to warm and eventually melt.
Alleyne C. (2017, Nov 8) Living in Iqaluit, I Can Literally See Climate Change in My Own Backyard. Flare News.
The author discusses the prominent and obvious signs of climate change which are surely undeniable in Canada. The author discusses the experiences of an Inuk cultural interpreter Jennifer Kilabuk who was born and raised in Iqaluit, which is the capital city of Nunavut. According to the interpreter, the impact of climate change in the North especially in Nunavut has already begun and it is severely affecting her family and job.
The article focuses on the fact that the way of life and means of livelihood for the locals has mostly changed. The Canadian government had to move the people of Inuit into permanent settlements. Now, the Arctic is warming every day at a rate which is at least twice as much as the rest of the world.
George J. (2019, 2 April). The big thaw. Nunatsiaq News.
The author shares the fact that the first and the most preliminary signs regarding the Nunavut’s climate show that the place is likely to face dramatic changes. The author discusses the creation of Nunavut in April 1999, and how robins were first spotted nesting near the beach below the Happy Valley neighbourhood of Iqaluit. Furthermore, by the year 2013, these robin sightings were reported from as far away as Baker Lake, Rankin Inlet, Arviat, Cambridge Bay and Kugluktuk.
The article also reports that in the year 2005, Inuk environmental activist Sheila Watt-Cloutier launched the first international legal action on climate change. This consisted of a comprehensive petition which was signed by 62 Inuit hunters and elders from communities across Canada and Alaska. Climate change in Nunavut is evident from the fact that over the past 20 years, some birds that were commonly present in Nunavut have become fewer in numbers. These birds include the common shorebird and sandpiper, due to sudden changes in temperature and new vegetation; these birds are not as frequently sighted anymore.
Healey, G.K. et al. (2011 March). Community perspectives on the impact of climate change on health in Nunavut, Canada. Arctic. Vol 64(1)
The purpose of this study was to explore community perspectives on the most important ways that climate change is affecting the health of northern peoples. The study was conducted in Iqaluit, Nunavut using a participatory action approach and the photovoice research method. Participants identified themes and patterns in the data and developed a visual model of the relationships between the themes identified. Five themes emerged from the data: the direct impacts of climate change on the health of individuals and communities, the transition from past climates to future climates, necessary adaptation to the changing climate in the North, the call to action (individual, regional, and national), and reflection on the past and changing knowledge systems. A climate change and health model was developed to illustrate the relationships between the themes. Participants in this study conceptualized health and climate change broadly. Participants believed that by engaging in a process of ongoing reflection, and by continually incorporating new knowledge and experiences into traditional knowledge systems, communities may be better able to adapt and cope with the challenges to health posed by climate change.
Pearce, T. et al. (2015 June). Inuit traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), subsistence hunting and adaptation to climate change in the Canadian Arctic. Arctic. Vol 68(2).
This paper examines the role of Inuit traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) in adaptation to climate change in the Canadian Arctic. It focuses on Inuit relationships with the Arctic environment, including hunting knowledge and land skills, and examines their roles in adaptation to biophysical changes that affect subsistence hunting. In several instances, TEK underpins competency in subsistence and adaptations to changing conditions, which includes flexibility with regard to seasonal cycles of hunting and resource use, hazard avoidance through detailed knowledge of the environment and understanding of ecosystem processes, and emergency preparedness, e.g., knowing what supplies to take when traveling and how to respond in emergency situations. Despite the documented importance of TEK in adaptation and in maintaining a level of competency in subsistence, the relationships between TEK and adaptation to climate change are not well defined in the scholarly literature. This paper aims to conceptualize the relationships between TEK and adaptation to climate change by drawing on case study research with Inuit in the Canadian Arctic. TEK is considered an element of adaptive capacity (or resilience) that is expressed as adaptation if TEK is drawn upon to adapt to changing conditions. This capacity depends on the development, accumulation, and transmission of TEK within and among generations.
Hanke, A. (2019 March). How Has Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Been Considered? A Student Reflects on the 2018 ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meeting Arctic. Vol 72(1)
Inuit across Inuit Nunangat and researchers from the Arctic countries all gathered in Ottawa, Canada to discuss Arctic research. At most sessions, people were questioning how Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (knowledge) fits into the research: "How have you considered Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit in your research?" "How can Qallunaat (non-Inuit) best engage Inuit in the research that is happening in Inuit Nunangat?" These lines of inquiry into Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit parallel what is beginning to progress within the academic literature. Research is no longer only investigating if inuit Qaujimajatuqangit is valuable to the problem at hand, but how we can mobilize this knowledge into governmental strategies and policies.
Laidler, G.J. (2009) Inuit And Scientific Perspectives On The Relationship Between Sea Ice And Climate Change: The Ideal Complement? Study. Mississauga: Springer.
This study aims to understand the links between the potential impacts of climate change on Arctic sea ice extent, distribution, and thickness as well as the related consequences for northern coastal populations. This paper explores the relationship between sea ice and climate change from both scientific and Inuit perspectives. Based on an overview of diverse literature the experiences, methods, and goals which differentiate local and scientific sea ice knowledge are examined.
Inuit perspectives on the links between sea ice and climate, their long-term experiences and accumulated knowledge, and most importantly their permanent residency in arctic regions, make them important local experts to include when refining scientific models. Conversely, Inuit expertise could affirm the accuracy of the remote sensing and GIS technologies for monitoring ice-fluctuations.
Pearce, T. et al. (2015). Inuit Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK). Subsistence Hunting and Adaptation to Climate Change in the Canadian Arctic. Arctic.
This paper examines the role of Traditional Ecological Knowledge of Inuit in terms of Climate Change adaptation in the Canadian Arctic. It focuses on Inuit relationship with the environment and their role in adaptation to biophysical changes. It draws on case study research of Inuit in the Canadian Arctic.
This paper contributes significantly to work being carried out in terms of Inuit climate change vulnerability with respect to subsistence hunting because it conceptualizes the relationship between Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and adaptation. The aim is to make it easier to use these concepts in terms of policies and decisions for climate change issues.
Simon, M. (2017 March). A New Shared Arctic Leadership Model. Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada. https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1492708558500/1537886544718#sec3_6
The mandate and recommendations provided to the Federal government on the impact of global warming on community infrastructure, hunting, fishing livelihoods, food security and harvesting land provides a model of shared leadership with a particular focus on the need to find renewable energy alternatives than fossil fuel dependency.
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