Inuvialuit Traditional Ecological Knowledge of Beluga Whale (Delphinapterus leucas) Under Changing Climatic Conditions in Tuktoyaktuk, NT

• Main Authors: Waugh, Devin, Pearce, Tristan, Ostertag, Sonja K., Pokiak, Verna, Collings, Peter, Loseto, Lisa L.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: NRC Research Press (a division of Canadian Science Publishing) 2017
• Subjects: Arctic; Tuktoyaktuk; Beluga; Beluga whale; Beluga*; Climate change; Delphinapterus leucas; Inuvialuit
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1807/87455; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/abs/10.1139/AS-2017-0034

This paper documents Inuvialuit TEK of beluga, including ecology and behaviour, hunting techniques, and food preparation under changing climatic conditions in Tuktoyaktuk, NT. Beluga Whale (Delphinapterus leucas) are an important food source for Inuvialuit in the western Canadian Arctic, a region that is experiencing dramatic climate change. Data were collected using semi-directed interviews with 17 Inuvialuit beluga harvesters and participant observation. The research found that Inuvialuit beluga harvesters possess detailed rational knowledge of beluga, particularly regarding hunting techniques and food preparation, both which are guided by a moral code about how to behave with respect to beluga. In terms of beluga ecology and behavior, Inuvialuit knowledge is limited to anecdotal reasoning drawing on generalized observations of beluga and the accounts of others. Inuvialuit are experiencing the effects of climate change, but seem to be coping thus far in the context of beluga harvesting but ongoing change in the region may increase risks associated with hunting and preparing beluga in the future. The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author.