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Inuit Qaujimaningit Nanurnut
Inuit Knowledge of Polar Bears
A project of the Gjoa Haven Hunters’
and Trappers’ Organization
Prepared by Darren Keith
with Jerry Arqviq, Louie Kamookak and Jackie Ameralik and the
Gjoa Haven Hunters’ and Trappers’ Organization
© 2005 Gjoa Haven Hunters’ and Trappers’
Organization and CCI Press
Inuit Qaujimaningit Nanurnut Inuit Knowledge of Polar Bears
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Main entry under title
Inuit Qaujimaningit Nanurnut = Inuit Knowledge of Polar Bears/ Darren Keith … [et al.]
(Solstice Series, no. 4)
Co-published by the Gjoa Haven Hunters’ and Trappers’ Organization
Includes bibliographical references
ISBN 1-896445-32-2
ISSN 1709-5824 Solstice Series No. 4
1. Polar bear hunting – Canada, Northern. 2. Inuit – hunting. 3. Inuit – hunting – Nunavut -- Gjoa
Haven Region. 4. Polar bear. I. Keith (Darren Edward), 1967 --. II. Gjoa Haven Hunters’ and Trappers’
Organization. IlI. Title: Inuit knowledge of polar Bears. IV. Series
E99.E7159 2005 639’.11786’0899712 C2005-900905-5
All rights reserved.
© 2005 Gjoa Haven Hunters’ and Trappers’ Organization and CCI Press
Inuktitut summary by Norman Keenainak and Nick Amautinnuar
Printed in Canada by art design printing, inc.
Cover design by art design printing, inc.
Cover and inside illustrations by Danny Aluk
The publication of this volume was made possible by a grant from the World Wildlife Federation.
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A project of the Gjoa Haven Hunters’ and Trappers’ Organization
Table of Contents
Preface v
Acknowledgements vi
Inuktitut Summary 1
Introduction 33
Polar Bear Hunting in the Central Canadian Arctic 35
Pre-Trading Post Era – Before the 1920s 35
After the Arrival of Traders – 1920s to Settlement 39
From Settlement to the Present 44
Hunting and Use of Polar Bear 47
Apumiujuksiuqtut -- Hunting Polar Bears in Dens 47
Hunting by Dog Team 54
Current Hunting Methods 58
Tradition, Culture, and Beliefs 61
The Cultural Value of Polar Bear Meat 61
Sharing of Polar Beat Meat 63
Processing and Uses of Polar Bear Parts 68
Beliefs 72
The Cultural Significance of Polar Bear Hunting 82
Safety in Polar Bear Country 86
Identifying Polar Bears by Age and Sex 91
Polar Bear Age and Sex Terminology 91
Identification and Tracking 93
Denning and Denning Habitat 95
Denning Habitat and Core Denning Areas 97
Changes in Core Denning Areas 98
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Inuit Qaujimaningit Nanurnut Inuit Knowledge of Polar Bears
Polar Bear Feeding and Feeding Habitat 107
Seals and Seal Habitat 107
How Polar Bears Hunt 111
Where Polar Bears Feed 114
Polar Bear Habitat Preferences 118
Environmental Changes 123
Sea-Ice 123
Icebergs and Multi-Year Ice 126
Snow 129
Freshwater Ice 132
Other Observations on Environmental Change 134
Polar Bear Population and Distribution 137
Inuit Qaujimaningit of Polar Bear Mobility 137
Changing Polar Bear Encounters 140
Reasons for Decline in Polar Bear Numbers 141
Health of Polar Bears 144
Conclusion 147
References/Further Reading 149
Appendices 151
Appendix 1: Interview transcripts, 31 January 2002 151
Appendix 2: Field Trip and Interview notes, 3-16 April 2002 185
Appendix 3: Interview transcripts, 10 June 2002 205
Appendix 4: Polar Bear Study: Principles, Methods, Interview Guide 231
Appendix 5: Key to Place Names Inuktitut/English — English/Inuktitut 241
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A project of the Gjoa Haven Hunters’ and Trappers’ Organization
Preface
Inuit Knowledge (IQ) is in the trust of Elders. IQ incorporates new knowledge and grows, as does
any body of knowledge that seeks to explain an ever-changing world. As the oldest living holders
of the tradition, Elders have the greatest breadth of inherited knowledge, and the longest time
spent assimilating new experiences using their IQ framework. This study presents not only IQ,
passed on through the generations, but also IQ–based inferences made by today’s authoritative
knowledge holders.
Polar bear hunting is today a specialized subsistence activity in Gjoa Haven, with very few
individuals participating actively. Of this limited pool of potential informants, even fewer are
Elders, and of these, even fewer are still active polar bear hunters and travel extensively
throughout the study area. In the course of interviewing various individuals, it became apparent
to the authors that significant IQ related to polar bears and associated vocabulary has been lost
among active polar bear hunters in their 40s and 50s and younger. This underlines the
importance of working with the most authoritative remaining Elders to record IQ of polar bears as
comprehensively as possible.
The IQ presented in this report was collected in the course of three interview sessions with
16 individuals between January and June 2002. Two sessions were conducted in Gjoa Haven;
the transcripts of these sessions form Appendices 1 and 3. Information was also collected as
field notes during informal interviews and participant observation during a field trip north of King
William Island in early April 2002 (Appendix 2). Quotes from appendices are cited as A1, A2 and
A3 respectively throughout the text.
Appendix 4 provides information on the study that was the background of this publication.
To preserve the accuracy and specificity of Inuit geographical description, an effort was
made to use Inuktitut place names in transcripts, field notes, and in this report. A key to place
names is included as Appendix 5.
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Inuit Qaujimaningit Nanurnut Inuit Knowledge of Polar Bears
Acknowledgements
This project and publication would not
have been possible without the
participation and assistance of a number
of individuals. First, the Gjoa Haven HTO
commissioned the study and identified
individuals in the community to contribute
their knowledge and expertise by providing
interviews, developing the interview guide,
and taking part in consultations and
discussions. Co-researchers Louie
Kamookak, Jackie Ameralik and Jerry
Arqviq provided consecutive translations
during the interviews and provided
guidance based on their experience as
polar bear hunters. Field notes were transcribed from the consecutive interpretations on the audio
recordings. Jerry Arqviq was the co-researcher for the field trip, and almost the entire second round
of in-town interviews. Elders Bob Konana and George Kamookak were selected to lead the field trip
by the Gjoa Haven HTO because of their authority as senior polar bear hunters and their ability to
undertake such physically demanding activity. Youth Trainees Ian Kamookak and John Pukiqnaq
were selected by the HTO to take part in this study. Geographer Darren Keith was the lead IQ
researcher (currently Senior Researcher, Kitikmeot Heritage Society), with Jerry Arqviq as co-
researcher. Filmmaker Charles Liard of Big Fish Productions (Yellowknife) accompanied the party to
make a video documentary of the trip. The Inuit Qaujimaningit Nanurnut research project was
supported by contributions from the Nunavut Department of Sustainable Development, the Nunavut
Wildlife Management Board, the Bathurst Road and Port Project, and Nunavut Tungavik Inc.
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A project of the Gjoa Haven Hunters’ and Trappers’ Organization
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Inuit Qaujimaningit Nanurnut Inuit Knowledge of Polar Bears
Photo courtesy CCI Archives
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A project of the Gjoa Haven Hunters’ and Trappers’ Organization
Inuktitut Summary
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