“We don’t know anything about whales”: ecological knowledge and ways of knowing in Ulukhaktok, Northwest Territories, Canada
This paper reports on interviews conducted during June and July 2015 to document ecological knowledge of beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) in Ulukhaktok, Northwest Territories. Beluga whales are not a traditionally available or important species for Ulukhaktomiut, but they have appeared in incre...
Published in: | Arctic Science |
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Main Authors: | , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English French |
Published: |
Canadian Science Publishing
2018
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Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2017-0030 https://doaj.org/article/a760f17e9b814e32b3e5908298ee8ee7 |
Summary: | This paper reports on interviews conducted during June and July 2015 to document ecological knowledge of beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) in Ulukhaktok, Northwest Territories. Beluga whales are not a traditionally available or important species for Ulukhaktomiut, but they have appeared in increasing numbers in the waters around the community, and hunters have actively pursued and taken them. We conducted interviews in English with 31 Inuit about their beluga knowledge. A Key Words in Context (KWIC) analysis of the word “know” in the narratives reveals different conceptions of what it means to know something about whales. “Know” variously references practical skill, concern and empathy for others, or the developing awareness of one’s place in the world. Each of these meanings is coded uniquely in Inuinnaqtun, providing insights about the important differences between researchers and Inuit in how “ecological knowledge” is understood and activated. |
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