In the Canadian Arctic, where sea ice is a feature of purposeful and spiritual significance to the Inuit inhabitants, evidence suggests that traditional knowledge of the terms for sea ice is diminishing. This article presents the findings from fieldwork regarding the terms, and their definitions, that a group of Inuit from Kangiqsualujjuaq in Nunavik, Northern Quebec, use to describe sea ice. This case study, which explores their knowledge of sea ice phenomena, offers insights into the present state of Inuit knowledge of sea ice terminology in that community. Instruments used to elicit knowledge of and about sea ice terms are described in this article. Participant inclusion was based on gender and age groups, and an illustration was produced to demonstrate the disparity in sea ice knowledge across three generations of male and female hunters. It is suggested that future nomenclature studies of Inuit knowledge be based on the canvassing of all age brackets, if a realistic picture of the ways in which such knowledge is transmitted within and across generations is to be ascertained.

This paper explores the legacy of the stone cairn beacons known as inuksuit — intriguing stone formations built by the Inuit for the last 4000 years that describe messages about landscape, convey messages about way-finding and communicate stories about place. Although inuksuit appear as ancient artefacts of a by-gone era, they have survived well into the twenty-first century, withstanding the changes that have dramatically impacted other traditional facets of Inuit life. Inuksuit remain as solidified fingerprints on the landscape, marking ancient and modern navigation routes. They are signs in themselves and signs that converge to form maps. The power and legacy inuksuit exert over the landscape is, however, potentially at risk from mining and hydro-electricity developments that are planned to consume further areas of the Arctic. Moreover, particular marketed forms of inuksuit threaten to taint and avert the original inuksuit function. A case for preserving inuksuit is indeed strong, and perhaps quite necessary considering they are one of the few remaining tangible fabrics of Inuit society that continue to function within an original setting.

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