The Importance of Traditional Ecological Knowledge during Times of Change in the Sahtu Region

• Main Author: Martin, Chelsea
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: English
• Published: 2019
• Subjects: climate change; socio-ecological impacts; fishing livelihoods; environmental change; traditional knowledge; Great Bear Lake; Northwest Territories; Mackenzie River; Canada; Sahtu Region; Délįne; Mackenzie river; Subarctic
• Online Access: https://era.library.ualberta.ca/items/93375222-770c-4ec1-af72-f2f1223c974e; https://doi.org/10.7939/r3-x1e9-6b10

Northern fishing communities in Canada understand that environmental conditions are likely to fluctuate and vary, but it is when those particular settings become abnormal or unprecedented that people become incredibly concerned. In order to identify these uncharacteristic ecological shifts, a research collaboration was developed with the Sahtú Got’ine community of Délįne in the Sahtú Settlement Area of the Northwest Territories. The research aims to provide insight into the phenomenon and impacts of climate change in the Canadian Subarctic region, based on research with youth and elders from the community of Délįne located on Great Bear Lake (GBL) in the Mackenzie River Basin. In collaboration with the Sahtú Renewable Resources Board, the research focused on understanding two key questions: What is climate change from the perspective of Délįne Got’ine people and their traditional knowledge (oral histories) of climate in the region? What are the impacts of climate change on the fishing livelihoods of the Délįne Got’ine people?