Community-based assessments of change: Contributions of Inuvialuit knowledge to understanding climate change in the Canadian Arctic BY Dyanna Riedlinger A niesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies of the University of Manitoba in partial fulfihent of the requirements of the degree of Masters of Natural Resource Management Degree Naturai Resources Institute Winnipeg, Manitoba January 2001 National Library Bibliothéque nationale I*m of Canada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliogaphic Senhces seMees biMiographiques 395 Wellington Sueel: 395, nie Wellingîm Ottawa ON KIA ON4 ûîIawaON K1AW Canada canada The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une iicence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distnbute or seil reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microfom, vendre des copies de cette thése sous paper or electronic formats. la fome de microfiche/film, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. 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Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts from it Ni la thèse ai des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. ?"HE UMNERSITY OF MANITOBA FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES **+*+ COPYRIGHT PERMISSION PAGE Community-bisd Assessments of Change: Contributions of buvialuit Knowledge to Understanding Climrte Change in the Canadirn Arctic BY A ThesidPracticum submitteà to thc Faculty of Crrduate Studies of The University of Manitoba in partial falftllmtnt of the requirements of the degree of Master of Natuml Rcsources Management Permission has been granted to the Libny of The University of Manitoba to lend or seil copies of this thesis/practicum, to the Nationai Librrry of Canada to microfilm this thesis/practicum and to lend or di copies of the film, and to Dissertations Abstracts International to publish an abstract of this thesis/prrcticum. The author reserves other pabiiutioa rights, and neither thir thesidpncticum nor extensive extracts from it may be prlnted or otherwise reproduced -out the author's written permission. Abstract Inuit and huvialuit in the Canadian Arctic possess a substantial body of knowledge and expertise related to cümate and climate change. The weather. and the relationship between weather and other environmental phenomena, is closely monitored in northem communi ties. Variabiiity and fluctuation are expected elements of local environmental patterns and processes. However, in the past 10 years cornrnunities have begun to experirnce changes that they consider to be beyond the range of normal variability. Community assessments of change are based on cumulative knowledge of local trends, patterns and processes. derived from generations of experience. The Arctic is considered by many to be the "canary" of climate change; an early warning sign of the impacts of change. Thus, high latitude regions have becorne a focal point for climate change research. However, there is significant difficulty associated with discerning regionai differences and predicting impacts at the local scale. CLimate science in northem regions is often cornplicated by insufficient observational data, seasonal limitations and a lack of badine data against which to compare change. An emerging theme in climate research is bridging the gap between Western science and Inuit knowledge of climate change to better understand Arctic climate change. This thesis is encouragement for this theme. Based in part on the collaborative research project Inuit Observations of Climare Change (1999-20) in Sachs Harbour, Western Canadian Arctic, 1descnbe how local, land-based expertise and community-based assessments cm provide observations, predictions and explanations of climate change at scales and in contexts currently underrepresented in climate change research. Firsthand experience working with local experts and scientists is used as a basis for a conceptual frarnework that explains how to find cornmon ground between Inuvialuit traditional knowledge and Western science. This framework includes five areas of convergence in which traditionai knowledge cm complement scientific approches to understanding climate change in the Canadian Arctic. These areas are: the contributions of traditional knowledge (i) as local scale expertise; (ii) as a source of climate history and baseline data; (iii) in formulating research questions and hypotheses; (iv) as insight into impacts and adaptation in Arctic communities; and (v) for long term. community- based monitoring. Preamble This thesis is a reflection of the generosity and support of the people of Sachs Harbour. It is a result of people sharing their knowledge and experience of climate change. One of the most important aspects of working with a community and learning about traditional knowledge is the responsibility of the researcher to present what was learned in the best possible way; and this is whai 1 have tried to do here. It is my hope that this research will be used to encourage and support future efforts to understand climate change, from both inuvialuit and scientific perspectives. Xn doing so. I ask that when the thesis is used by those other than the community of Sachs Harbour, the project team or the author, that P be used in the spirit of respect, for the knowledge that the people of Sachs Harbour have shared, and of reciprocity, as research that gives back to cornmunities. Dedication To al1 of rny grandparents. It is through them that I know who 1 am. Thank you To my fmily for the2 on-going love and support while 1 worked towards a graduate degree, especially my mon for helping me to understand that research is relationship- based. Quana too, Duane* for di of your help and encouragement along the way. This degree means so much to me. and 1 could not have done without each one of you. Quyanainni To the people of Sachs Harbour for making me feel so welcome in their community and making this project happen. 1 wiii never forget the kindness and generosity. food and tea that came my way. Quana especially to rny nanuk, Mrs. Sarah Kuptana, for her love, kindness. and patience. You taught me so much. Quanu To the huit Observations of Climate Change project team - Neil Ford, Graham Ashford, Jennifer Castledon, Bonnie Dickie, Teny Woolf, Lawrence Rogers, Norm Snow, John Nagy, Stephen Robinson, Theresa Nichols and Rosemarie Kuptana. 1 am honored to have had the opportunity to work on such a unique project with an equally unique and exceptional project tem. Additional thanks to John Nagy for providing the map in Chapter 2. Quana To my advisor, Dr. Fikret Berkes for his patience. good advice and support. We've corne a long ways! Thanks also to the rest of my cornmittee, Norm Snow, Micheline Manseau, Chris Tron and Tim Papakyriakou for the quality time and advice that was put into making this thesis happen. Quyanainni I am grateful to the Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation who saw the promise in this kind of reseach and provided such generous funding. Thanks also to support from my advisor through his SHRCC gant, the Arctic Institute of North America (Lorraine Allison Scholarship), the Arctic Institute of North America Grant-in-Aid award, and the Northem Scientific and Training Program. Finally. this research could not have been possible without the in-kind support from the International Institute of Sustainable Development, the Sachs Harbour HTC and Parks Canada (Sachs Harbour). Table of Contents Abstract ................................................................................................ 2 Prearnble ..............................................................................................4 Dedication .............................................................................................5 Acknowledgernents................................................................................. ..6 List of tables ..........................................................................................9 List of figures and boxes .......................................................................... 10 . CHAPTER ONE: Arctic CUmate Change. Arctic Communities...,... eeee.eee~e~e~eoeee~11 1. 0 Introduction: Arctic clirnate change. Arctic cornmunities ........................................ 12 1.1 Issue Statement ........................................................................................................ 13 1.2 Objectives ............................................................................................................... 14 1.3 Research Context ..................................................................................................... 15 1.4 A note on terminology ............................................................................................. 16 1.5 Organization of the thesis ........................................................................................ 16 CHAPTER TWO: Background: the Comrnunity of Sachs Harbour ..............., 18 2.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 19 2.1 Banks Island: Physicai background ......................................................................... 19 2.3 Seasonal harvest ac tivity ........................................................................................