Grizzly and polar bears as nonconsumptive cultural keystone species

Grizzly bears and polar bears often serve as ecological “flagship species” in conservation efforts, but although consumptively used in some areas and cultures they can also be important cultural keystone species even where not hunted. We extend the application of established criteria for defining cu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:FACETS
Main Authors: Douglas Clark, Kyle Artelle, Chris Darimont, William Housty, Clyde Tallio, Douglas Neasloss, Aimee Schmidt, Andrew Wiget, Nancy Turner
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Canadian Science Publishing 2021
Subjects:
conservation
cultural keystone species
grizzly bear
heiltsuk
kitasoo
nuxalk
polar bear
reconciliation
resurgence
ursus arctos
ursus maritimus
xai’xais
Education
L
Science
Q
Churchill
First Nations
Ursus arctos
Ursus maritimus
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1139/facets-2020-0089
https://doaj.org/article/6b2a389894f94de6b7ee81f4cc6fb1fb
Description
Summary:Grizzly bears and polar bears often serve as ecological “flagship species” in conservation efforts, but although consumptively used in some areas and cultures they can also be important cultural keystone species even where not hunted. We extend the application of established criteria for defining cultural keystone species to also encompass species with which cultures have a primarily nonconsumptive relationship but that are nonetheless disproportionately important to well-being and identity. Grizzly bears in coastal British Columbia are closely linked to many Indigenous Peoples (including the Haíɫzaqv (Heiltsuk), Kitasoo/Xai’xais, and Nuxalk First Nations), where they are central to the identity, culture, and livelihoods of individuals, families, Chiefs, and Nations. Polar bears in Churchill, Manitoba, provide another example as a cultural keystone species for a mixed Indigenous and non-Indigenous community in which many of the livelihood benefits from the species are mediated by economic transactions in a globalized tourism market. We discuss context specificity and questions of equity in sharing of benefits from cultural keystone species. Our expanded definition of cultural keystone species gives broader recognition of the beyond-ecological importance of these species to Indigenous Peoples, which highlights the societal and ecological importance of Indigenous sovereignty and could facilitate the increased cross-cultural understanding critical to reconciliation.

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