Beluga hunters in a mixed economy: managing the impacts of nature-based tourism in the Canadian western Arctic
Abstract The Inuvialuit Region of the Canadian western Arctic continues to support a variety of land-based activities as part of the regional mixed economy. Tourism development, one of the newer elements of the mixed economy, has potential to conflict with beluga whale hunting, one of the traditiona...
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Cambridge University Press (CUP)
2001
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0032247400026735 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0032247400026735 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s0032247400026735 2024-10-13T14:00:56+00:00 Beluga hunters in a mixed economy: managing the impacts of nature-based tourism in the Canadian western Arctic Dressler, Wolfram H. Berkes, Fikret Mathias, Jack 2001 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0032247400026735 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0032247400026735 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms Polar Record volume 37, issue 200, page 35-48 ISSN 0032-2474 1475-3057 journal-article 2001 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/s0032247400026735 2024-09-25T04:03:09Z Abstract The Inuvialuit Region of the Canadian western Arctic continues to support a variety of land-based activities as part of the regional mixed economy. Tourism development, one of the newer elements of the mixed economy, has potential to conflict with beluga whale hunting, one of the traditional activities. The paper asks the question: can local employment be created through nature-based tourism development in Inuvik, Aklavik, and Tuktoyaktuk in the Inuvialuit Region in ways that support the local mixed economy and minimize conflict with the traditional sector? Results of interviews with Inuvialuit elders and tour operators indicate that both parties regard tourism as a desirable employment option and a creator of economic benefits, with relatively few economic drawbacks and relatively little environmental concern. The problem, however, is that tourism also brings with it social impacts and cultural drawbacks that are, in the Inuvialuit view, mostly related to (a) intrusiveness of tourists, especially in relation to the beluga hunt; (b) representation of the aboriginal hunt in a negative light; and (c) commodification of culture. On the balance, nature-based tourism development has the capability to support the local mixed economy, subject to resolving the conflict between beluga whaling activities and tourists. Fundamentally, however, the conflict is between Inuvialuit lifestyles and values versus the values and expectations of tourists. Article in Journal/Newspaper Aklavik Arctic Beluga Beluga whale Beluga* Inuvialuit Inuvik Polar Record Cambridge University Press Aklavik ENVELOPE(-135.011,-135.011,68.219,68.219) Arctic Inuvik ENVELOPE(-133.610,-133.610,68.341,68.341) Tuktoyaktuk ENVELOPE(-133.006,-133.006,69.425,69.425) Polar Record 37 200 35 48 |
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Open Polar |
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Cambridge University Press |
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crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
description |
Abstract The Inuvialuit Region of the Canadian western Arctic continues to support a variety of land-based activities as part of the regional mixed economy. Tourism development, one of the newer elements of the mixed economy, has potential to conflict with beluga whale hunting, one of the traditional activities. The paper asks the question: can local employment be created through nature-based tourism development in Inuvik, Aklavik, and Tuktoyaktuk in the Inuvialuit Region in ways that support the local mixed economy and minimize conflict with the traditional sector? Results of interviews with Inuvialuit elders and tour operators indicate that both parties regard tourism as a desirable employment option and a creator of economic benefits, with relatively few economic drawbacks and relatively little environmental concern. The problem, however, is that tourism also brings with it social impacts and cultural drawbacks that are, in the Inuvialuit view, mostly related to (a) intrusiveness of tourists, especially in relation to the beluga hunt; (b) representation of the aboriginal hunt in a negative light; and (c) commodification of culture. On the balance, nature-based tourism development has the capability to support the local mixed economy, subject to resolving the conflict between beluga whaling activities and tourists. Fundamentally, however, the conflict is between Inuvialuit lifestyles and values versus the values and expectations of tourists. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Dressler, Wolfram H. Berkes, Fikret Mathias, Jack |
spellingShingle |
Dressler, Wolfram H. Berkes, Fikret Mathias, Jack Beluga hunters in a mixed economy: managing the impacts of nature-based tourism in the Canadian western Arctic |
author_facet |
Dressler, Wolfram H. Berkes, Fikret Mathias, Jack |
author_sort |
Dressler, Wolfram H. |
title |
Beluga hunters in a mixed economy: managing the impacts of nature-based tourism in the Canadian western Arctic |
title_short |
Beluga hunters in a mixed economy: managing the impacts of nature-based tourism in the Canadian western Arctic |
title_full |
Beluga hunters in a mixed economy: managing the impacts of nature-based tourism in the Canadian western Arctic |
title_fullStr |
Beluga hunters in a mixed economy: managing the impacts of nature-based tourism in the Canadian western Arctic |
title_full_unstemmed |
Beluga hunters in a mixed economy: managing the impacts of nature-based tourism in the Canadian western Arctic |
title_sort |
beluga hunters in a mixed economy: managing the impacts of nature-based tourism in the canadian western arctic |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
2001 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0032247400026735 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0032247400026735 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-135.011,-135.011,68.219,68.219) ENVELOPE(-133.610,-133.610,68.341,68.341) ENVELOPE(-133.006,-133.006,69.425,69.425) |
geographic |
Aklavik Arctic Inuvik Tuktoyaktuk |
geographic_facet |
Aklavik Arctic Inuvik Tuktoyaktuk |
genre |
Aklavik Arctic Beluga Beluga whale Beluga* Inuvialuit Inuvik Polar Record |
genre_facet |
Aklavik Arctic Beluga Beluga whale Beluga* Inuvialuit Inuvik Polar Record |
op_source |
Polar Record volume 37, issue 200, page 35-48 ISSN 0032-2474 1475-3057 |
op_rights |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/s0032247400026735 |
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Polar Record |
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37 |
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200 |
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35 |
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48 |
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1812815116262965248 |