Field data, remote sensing, and Inuvialuit knowledge were synthesized to document regional ecological change in the outer Mackenzie Delta and to explore the timing, causes, and implications of this phenomenon. In September 1999, a large magnitude storm surge inundated low-lying areas of the outer Mackenzie Delta. The storm was among the most intense on record and resulted in the highest water levels ever measured at the delta front. Synthesis of scientific and Inuvialuit knowledge indicates that flooding during the 1999 storm surge increased soil salinity and caused widespread vegetation death. Vegetation cover was significantly reduced in areas affected by the surge and was inversely related to soil salinity. Change detection analysis, using remotely sensed imagery bracketing the 1999 storm event, indicates severe impacts on at least 13 200 ha of terrestrial vegetation in the outer delta. Inuvialuit knowledge identifying the 1999 surge as anomalous is corroborated by geochemical profiles of permafrost and by a recently published paleo-environmental study, which indicates that storm surge impacts of this magnitude have not previously occurred during the last millennium. Almost a decade after the 1999 storm surge event, ecological recovery has been minimal. This broad-scale vegetation change is likely to have significant implications for wildlife and must be considered in regional ecosystem planning and in the assessment and monitoring of the cumulative impacts of development. Our investigations show that Inuvialuit were aware of the 1999 storm surge and the environmental impacts several years before the scientific and regulatory communities recognized their significance. This study highlights the need for multidisciplinary and locally informed approaches to identifying and understanding Arctic environmental change. étude fait ressortir la nécessité d'avoir des méthodes multidisciplinaires et de faire appel aux gens de la région pour déterminer et comprendre les changements environnementaux dans l'Arctique.

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Archaeology and oral history are used to interpret recent Inuit land use along the lower Kazan River. A record of caribou crossings, camps, and other places of cultural significance generated by Inuit elders from Baker Lake is combined with the results of an archaeological survey to identify important spring and fall sites. The survey, which employed differential Geographic Positioning System (GPS) technology to record individual archaeological features (e.g., tent rings, caches), has resulted in a Geographic Information System (GIS) database for the Fall Caribou Crossing National Historic Site. Individual 'sites' are distinguished, within a more general 'non-site' distribution of features in the study region, on the basis of two criteria: clustering of features and the known history of use of these places by elders and previous generations of Harvaqtuurmiut Inuit. Analysis of the different kinds of features indicates considerable site variation, but also some seasonal patterning: fall has a more distinctive signature than spring. In this study, individual features are used to address questions of regional land use, site definition, and season of site occupation. This emphasis on the feature reflects the special circumstances of this project, which include the need to record archaeological materials occurring on the ground surface and spread over a large area and the availability of elders to interpret those materials.

The Harvaqtuurmiut were an Inuit society whose territory was Harvaqtuuq—the lower Kazan River—between the outlet of Hikuligjuaq (Yathkyed Lake) and the river’s mouth at Qamani’tuaq (Baker Lake). The Harvaqtuurmiut lived a completely inland existence and their subsistence revolved largely around the migration of caribou. In Harvaqtuurmiut perception, the landscape was organized and given orientation by three important influences: the migration of caribou; the flow of the river; and the relative location of the ocean. The organizing and orienting effects of these three influences are demonstrated through an analysis of Harvaqtuurmiut place names. Concepts related to the flow of the river and the relative location of the ocean were imbedded in the Inuktitut language at the time of Inuit migration to Harvaqtuuq in the mid-19th century. The environmental force of the caribou migration became very influential in Harvaqtuurmiut perception of landscape organization and orientation only after they had adapted to subsistence inland.Les Harvaqtuurmiut habitaient le territoire Harvaqtuuq — le bas de la rivière Kazan — situé entre la décharge de Hikuligjuaq (le lac Yathkyed) et l’embouchure de la rivière à Qamani’tuaq (le lac Baker). Les Harvaqtuurmiut vivaient de façon recluse et leur subsistance était principalement assurée par la migration du caribou. Selon la perception des Harvaqtuurmiut, le paysage était structuré et orienté par trois influences majeures: la migration du caribou, l’écoulement de la rivière et la proximité de l’océan. Les effets de l’organisation et de l’orientation de ces trois influences sont expliqués par l’analyse de toponymes harvaqtuurmiut. Les concepts concernant l’écoulement de la rivière et la proximité de l’océan étaient enchâssés dans la langue inuktitut au moment de la migration des Inuit vers Harvaqtuuq au milieu du 19ième siècle. La force de la migration du caribou sur l’environnement devint une influence très importante sur la perception des Harvaqtuurmiut concernant l’organisation et l’orientation du paysage seulement après que ceux-ci se soient adaptés à un mode de subsistance à l’intérieur des terres

The use of panoramic images to transport viewers to remote geographic locations can be traced back to the panorama theatres of nineteenth-century Victorian London. More recently, Google’s World Wonders Project has utilized 360-degree panospheres to capture some of the world’s most famous heritage sites. Using arrows that demarcate a defined path of movement, users can virtually tour these sites by “jumping” from one panosphere to the next. Arvia’juaq National Historic site is located near the community of Arviat. Although the heritage value of the site is highly significant, Arvia’juaq sees few national and international visitors because of its remote location. For a variety of reasons, some local Inuit also find it difficult to regularly visit the site even though it is an important source of cultural identity. In this paper, we explore how panospheres can be used to create interactive virtual tours of heritage sites like Arvia’juaq. Although there are some caveats, we argue that virtual reality (VR) tours are potentially powerful tools for connecting people to heritage sites that might otherwise be inaccessible. This has important implications for raising awareness of polar heritage and its significance to Indigenous people, as well as national and international audiences.