Identity and the evolving relationship between Inuit women and the land in the eastern Canadian Arctic

Abstract

Academic discussions around Inuit identity once focused on acculturation. These have mainly been replaced by concepts of adaptation to new living conditions. Yet, Inuit in the eastern Canadian Arctic still frame identity concerns around their land activities and are wary of becoming too much like ‘Qallunaat’ or southerners. This paper examines what material and non-material goods (for example psychological goods) Inuit seek from the land today in order to understand what traditional aspects of their relationships with the land persist and what new ones might have emerged recently. It then discusses the implications these have for Inuit identity. The study found a decrease in the procurement and use of material goods from the land compared with previous generations. Concomitantly, the acquisition of non-material goods has become more formalised and distinctly identified in discussions of land excursions. The non-material goods are clearly linked to Inuit ideology and traditions, rather than to southern ideas. The desire for, and acquisition of, non-material goods is developing both from a top-down or group consensus and bottom-up or individual decision, illustrating an interplay between the construction of group and individual identities in relation to the land. Inuit in the eastern Canadian Arctic are transforming their relationship with the land in a way that demonstrates an emerging identity as community Inuit who are rooted in their own local history and geography and also consciously subscribe to a larger Inuit culture that is premised on values such as sharing and building harmonious relationships.

Inuit Nunangat and the Northwest Passage: An Exploration of Inuit and Arctic Shipping Conceptualizations of and Relationships with Arctic Marine Spaces in Canada

“…Whereas the shipping governance worldview is based in a naturalist ontology, Inuit, like many other Indigenous peoples, have a worldview rooted in an animist or relational ontology (Blaser 2009;Heyes 2007). Through this lens, there is no natureculture divide; people are not separated from the natural world, but rather all aspects of life are intertwined, with people a part of a network (Aporta 2002(Aporta , 2010(Aporta , 2011Dowsley 2015;Ingold 2000;Tester and Irniq 2008;Tyrrell 2005). The relationships within this network are social, non-dominant, and respectful, as opposed to hierarchical wherein people are to use and manage the marine environment (Dowsley 2015;Ingold 2000;Laidler 2006Laidler , 2007.…”

“…Knowledge is not something one gains, stores, and transmits, it is discovered and lived through everyday practices; it is a process rather than a transaction. Inuit knowledge is therefore best understood as a way of being in the world (Rasing 2017;Tester and Irniq 2008) and subsequently is as much about being "Inuk" as it is about what one knows (Dowsley 2015;Searles 2009Searles , 2010Tyrrell 2005;Whitridge 2004).…”

“…Rasing (2017) also wrote of the changes in the relationship between Inuit and the environment as a result of the shift from the semi-nomadic lifestyle of living on the land to the more sedentary lifestyle of living in communities. Trippett (2000), however, understands these changes as examples of the close and dynamic relationship between all facets of life, including between Inuit and the land (Aporta and Higgs 2005;Dowsley 2015). Therefore, although the manifestation of the relationship and conceptualization of spaces may be changing, the existence and importance of the relationship may not necessarily be diminishing.…”

Berry Plants and Berry Picking in Inuit Nunangat: Traditions in a Changing Socio-Ecological Landscape

“…Personal Well-Being Interviewees described how berry picking is calming and an opportunity to get away from stresses of the community. Berry picking trips contribute to mental health (Cunsolo Willox et al 2013) and provide Bpsychological goods^ (Dowsley 2015) that may be acquired informally through a family trip, alone, in small groups, or, more formally, through land-based counselling and Bhealing^trips. While many go berry picking with their spouse, some informants discussed how berry picking is an opportunity for women to be alone or with their younger kids away from community.…”

Structured decision analysis informed by traditional ecological knowledge as a tool to strengthen subsistence systems in a changing Arctic

“…An additional weakness was that the selection of participants by the Trilateral Committee of Wainwright resulted in unequal representation of the sexes: only 2 of our 12 participants were female. Therefore, our study was limited largely to the male point of view and may overlook issues of importance to female subsistence users, e.g., harvesting of plants and berries (Dowsley 2015). Furthermore, the appointment of participants by the Trilateral Committee may have caused us to not sample all possible viewpoints in the community.…”