“It's Not that Simple”: A Collaborative Comparison of Sea Ice Environments, Their Uses, Observed Changes, and Adaptations in Barrow, Alaska, USA, and Clyde River, Nunavut, Canada

• Main Authors: Shari Gearheard, Warren Matumeak, Ilkoo Angutikjuaq, James Maslanik, Henry P. Huntington, Joe Leavitt, Darlene Matumeak Kagak, Geela Tigullaraq, Roger G. Barry
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences 2006
• Subjects: Arctic; Canada; Clyde River; Nunavut; Barrow; inuit; Sea ice; Alaska
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1579/0044-7447(2006)35[203:INTSAC]2.0.CO;2

The Arctic environment, including sea ice, is changing. The impacts of these changes to Inuit and Iñupiat ways of life vary from place to place, yet there are common themes as well. The study reported here involved an exchange of hunters, Elders, and others from Barrow, Alaska, USA, and Clyde River, Nunavut, Canada, as members of a larger research team that also included visiting scientists. Although the physical environments of Barrow and Clyde River are strikingly different, the uses of the marine environment by residents, including sea ice, had many common elements. In both locations, too, extensive changes have been observed in recent years, forcing local residents to respond in a variety of ways. Although generally in agreement or complementary to one another, scientific and indigenous knowledge of sea ice often reflect different perspectives and emphases. Making generalizations about impacts and responses is challenging and should therefore be approached with caution. Technology provides some potential assistance in adapting to changing sea ice, but by itself, it is insufficient and can sometimes have undesirable consequences. Reliable knowledge that can be applied under changing conditions is essential. Collaborative research and firsthand experience are critical to generating such new knowledge.