“All the problems in the community are multifaceted and related to each other”: Inuit concerns in an era of climate change

Abstract

Objective: Human dimensions of climate change research in the Arctic often proposes ways for local communities to adapt to changes to their environment, foregrounding problems posed by climate change while treating social, political, and economic factors as background conditions. We explore the relevance of this research paradigm for Inuit by examining how Inuit from Kangiqsujuaq present and discuss the major issues facing their community. Methods: We thematically code and analyze the responses of 107 Inuit to three free-response questions about the problems facing their community and the best things about their community. The data were collected as part of a questionnaire for a project focused on food security and food sharing conducted in Kangiqsujuaq, Nunavik, in 2013 to 2014. Results: Few respondents mentioned issues relating to climate change among the most pressing problems faced by their community. Rather, a suite of interconnected social and economic issues, particularly substance abuse and the cost of living, emerged as the main concerns of Kangiqsujuarmiut. However, the environment was a central theme in respondents' favorite thing about their community.Conclusions: In light of the concerns identified by Inuit, we argue that much research on climate change makes incorrect a priori assumptions and consequently fails to capture aspects of Arctic socioecological systems that are essential for how Inuit are responding to climate change. An inductive, open-ended approach can help produce research more relevant to communities. | INTRODUCTIONRates of climate change in the Arctic are rapid and significant (ACIA, 2004), and research on climate change in the region is accordingly prolific. Alongside natural science research that focuses on topics including sea ice measurement and modeling, permafrost melt, vegetation changes, and of course, polar bears, a veritable industry attends to the human dimensions of climate change. The currently dominant paradigm in this area of scholarship draws on

How can evolutionary and biological anthropologists engage broader audiences?

“…This is especially the case for archeological sites (Douglass & Cooper, 2020; Kohler & Rockman, 2020), but is also true of work with contemporary communities. By collecting detailed, longitudinal data focused on the effects of climate change—or the local relevance of its indirect effects (Kramer & Hackman, 2021; Ready & Collings, 2021)—we can tackle causal relationships and observe human responses in real time instead of relying on retrospective data collection or predictive modeling. As reflected in the increasing prevalence of mixed‐effect models in our journals, EBAs are well‐prepared to analyze these longitudinal data as we produce them.…”

“…We have the tools, experience, and perspectives to understand the diverse range of human-environment interactions, past and present, and to unify scattered empirical observations about human biology and behavior from across disciplines, often under approaches like Indigenous studies or political economy (Gibson & Lawson, 2015;Jones, 2009;Smith, 2013). We can bring diversity to conversations about policy and human nature by injecting data from contemporary peoples whose perspectives are often absent (Bliege Bird & Bird, 2021;Broesch et al, 2020;Hazel et al, 2021;Kramer & Hackman, 2021;Pisor & Jones, 2021b;Ready & Collings, 2021), as well as past peoples whose experiences are instructive but often forgotten (Douglass & Rasolondrainy, 2021;Kohler & Rockman, 2020). Given that the story of human evolution is one of adaptation to changing climates (Behrensmeyer, 2006), EBAs are exceedingly well-positioned to contribute to debates about current and future adaptation to climate change (Pisor & Jones, 2021a)-and contribute we should, now, as climate change threatens to displace 2-4 billion people in the next 50 years (Xu et al, 2020).…”

Human adaptation to climate change: An introduction to the special issue

“…Today, global climate change threatens billions of people (Xu, Kohler, Lenton, Svenning, & Scheffer, 2020), especially communities living in poverty (Olsson et al, 2014). For many Indigenous communities, climate change is one component of a "total environment of change" (Moerlein & Carothers, 2012), including social and economic change, that are altering Indigenous lifeways (Kramer & Hackman, 2021;Ready & Collings, 2021).…”

“…For horticulturalists or foragers, variation across seasons or across years is often more salient than these longerterm trends (Kramer & Hackman, 2021). Further, though climate change often directly affects food resources, it can also affect the means of production, for example, by limiting mobility Ready & Collings, 2021). Research on climate-change adaptation that ignores other pressing issues communities face on a daily basis-the "total environment of change" (Moerlein & Carothers, 2012), which includes poverty and legacies of colonialism-risks being both scientifically flawed and (at best) irrelevant for local communities (Kramer & Hackman, 2021;Ready & Collings, 2021;Scaggs et al, 2021).…”

“…Participating in these conversations, however, requires that we engage in outreach and make these resources available to the climate community and the general public (Jones et al, 2021a). It also means that we need to engage with and listen to the communities with whom we collaborate (Broesch et al, 2020;Kramer & Hackman, 2021;Ready & Collings, 2021).…”