The co-management of polar bears between scientists and the Inuit in Nunavut has been fraught with tension. This chapter explores the Inuit’s perspective by highlighting where the bear fits within Inuit cosmology and how it influences... more
The co-management of polar bears between scientists and the Inuit in Nunavut has been fraught with tension. This chapter explores the Inuit’s perspective by highlighting where the bear fits within Inuit cosmology and how it influences their relationships with the animal, with respect to hunting. Since 2005, environmentalists have tried to ban polar bear hunting on an international scale and to get the animal put on the list of species threatened with extinction. This has had a major impact on already fragile northern economies, as it discourages sport hunting, which many Inuit count on for needed income. After analyzing the data, it appears that sport hunting has positive effects on Inuit communities: it provides them economic and material resources all throughout the year, but also allows for the reaffirmation of Inuit identity and the transmission of traditional knowledge to younger generations.
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... more
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.
La cogestion des ours polaires au Nunavut entre scientifiques et peuples inuit suscitent plusieurs frustrations de parts et d’autres. Cette présentation vise à démystifier la perspective des peuples inuit en soulignant la place... more
La cogestion des ours polaires au Nunavut entre scientifiques et peuples inuit suscitent plusieurs frustrations de parts et d’autres. Cette présentation vise à démystifier la perspective des peuples inuit en soulignant la place qu'occupent les ours dans la cosmologie inuit et ce qu’elle entraîne pour les relations entretenues par les Inuit avec l'animal dans le cadre des chasses. Depuis 2005, plusieurs environnementalistes militent à l'international afin de bannir la chasse des ours et placer l'animal sur la liste des espèces en voie d'extinction. Cela a de grands impacts sur les économies du Nord, qui sont déjà très fragiles, puisque plusieurs comptent sur la chasse touristique (sport hunting) pour subvenir à leurs besoins. Après analyse, il apparaît que la chasse sportive a des effets positifs sur les communautés inuit : non seulement elle offre d’importantes entrées économiques et matérielles, mais elle permet la reproduction de l'identité inuit par la pratique même de la chasse et la transmission des connaissances qui y sont rattachées.
