“A Sense of Seal” in Greenland: Kalaallit Seal Pluralities and Anti-Sealing Contentions
This article questions the conceptual terms upon which Inuit hunting practices are deemed acceptable in current international seal regimes. Specifically, the article examines how Kalaallit–seal relations in Greenland unsettle Euro-American seal regimes. It argues that the current narratives of Inuit...
| Published in: | Études Inuit Studies |
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| Format: | Text |
| Language: | English |
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Centre interuniversitaire d’études et de recherches autochtones (CIÉRA)
2020
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.7202/1081810ar http://id.erudit.org/iderudit/1081810ar |
| Summary: | This article questions the conceptual terms upon which Inuit hunting practices are deemed acceptable in current international seal regimes. Specifically, the article examines how Kalaallit–seal relations in Greenland unsettle Euro-American seal regimes. It argues that the current narratives of Inuit seal hunting as a “sustainable, subsistence” practice (e.g., European Commission 2016) risk coopting Indigenous worldviews to suit Western interpretations. While narratives of sustainability and subsistence may soothe European anti-sealing sentiments, they may not resonate with Inuit knowledges and practices. By engaging with fieldwork interviews with hunters in Greenland, this article suggests that Kalaallit ways of sensing, knowing, and engaging with seals reflect reciprocal, as well as complex, human–animal relations. Utilizing Métis/otipemisiw scholar Zoe Todd’s analytical framework of “fish pluralities” (2014), the article considers how seals may exist in Greenland in a “plurality of ways” that extend beyond a simple needs-based use of a natural resource Cet article remet en question les termes conceptuels selon lesquels les pratiques de chasse inuit sont jugées acceptables dans les régimes internationaux actuels de chasse au phoque. Plus précisément, l’article examine la manière dont les relations entre les Kalaallit et les phoques au Groenland déstabilisent les régimes euro-américains de chasse au phoque. Il soutient que les récits actuels de la chasse au phoque inuit en tant que pratique « durable et de subsistance » (par exemple, la Commission européenne 2016) risquent de coopter les visions du monde autochtones pour les adapter aux interprétations occidentales. Si les récits de durabilité et de subsistance peuvent apaiser les sentiments européens anti-chasse aux phoques, ils peuvent ne pas résonner avec les connaissances et les pratiques inuit. En s’appuyant sur des entretiens menés sur le terrain avec des chasseurs au Groenland, cet article suggère que les manières Kalaallit de sentir, de connaître et de ... |
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