The Curious Case of King William Island, Nunavut: An Island Overlooked in Caribou Research

Ljubicic, Gita; Oberndorfer, Erica; Smith, G. J.

doi:10.14430/arctic4638

Cited by 6 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…A three-day workshop identified the local priorities and research principles that shaped our collaborative process (Laidler and Grimwood, 2010;Ljubicic et al, in press). As part of the larger project, we undertook a systematic literature review (Ljubicic et al, 2017) and facilitated semi-directed interviews, participatory mapping, Elder-youth land camps, planning and training workshops, and results verification workshops. Only the methods specifically contributing to results presented in this paper are described below.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It also included grey literature searches using government, Indigenous organization, co-management board, and independent wildlife and research committee websites for publicly available reports. Details of the literature review process and findings are provided in Ljubicic et al (2017). The literature review also contributed specifically to this paper in that we went back through all academic and grey literature that focused on Inuit knowledge to explore the consistency of Uqsuqtuurmiut approaches to naming and distinguishing caribou with those of other Inuit communities in the Kitikmeot and Kivalliq regions.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Our review of caribou management reports and biological studies found that the herd most closely associated with Qikiqtaq (King William Island) is commonly known as the Ahiak herd (Ljubicic et al, 2017). The Ahiak herd was formerly known as the Queen Maud Gulf (QMG) herd, in reference to its calving grounds concentrated along the coastal areas of QMG (Ahiap Tariunga in Inuktitut).…”

Section: Language -Accounting For Dialect Differencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Qikiqtaq has been largely overlooked in the context of caribou research (Ljubicic et al, 2017). On the majority of herd range maps Qikiqtaq is shown as blank or is indicated as having uncertain status (COSEWIC, 2004(COSEWIC, , 2016GN, 2011;Ljubicic et al, 2017). The available literature shows no clear consensus on which herds may be present on Qikiqtaq or are most closely relevant to Qikiqtaq and hunters traveling from Uqsuqtuuq.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Inuit Approaches to Naming and Distinguishing Caribou: Considering Language, Place, and Homeland toward Improved Co-management

Ljubicic¹,

Okpakok²,

Robertson³

et al. 2018

ARCTIC

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Qikiqtaq (King William Island), in the Kitikmeot region of Nunavut, has been largely overlooked in caribou research to date. Qikiqtaq is shown as blank, or as having uncertain status, in the majority of caribou herd range maps.Qikiqtaq (King William Island), in the Kitikmeot region of Nunavut, has been largely overlooked in caribou research to date. Qikiqtaq is shown as blank, or as having uncertain status, in the majority of caribou herd range maps. However, our work with Inuit Elders and hunters in Uqsuqtuuq (Gjoa Haven) on the southeastern coast of Qikiqtaq made it clear that caribou migrate on and off the island seasonally, and some remain on the island year-round. Caribou were identified as a local research priority in 2010, and we have worked together with Uqsuqtuurmiut (people of Uqsuqtuuq) from 2011 to 2016 to document and share Uqsuqtuurmiut knowledge of caribou movements, hunting, and habitat, as well as the importance of caribou for community diets, livelihoods, and cultural practices. In this process, it was important to understand appropriate Inuktitut terminology and local approaches to naming and distinguishing caribou in the region. Uqsuqtuurmiut do not generally distinguish caribou (tuktuit in Inuktitut) according to herds, in the way that biologists or wildlife managers do. Locally, people differentiate four main types of caribou: iluiliup tuktuit (inland caribou), kingailaup tuktuit (island caribou), qungniit (reindeer), and a mixture of iluiliup tuktuit and kingailaup tuktuit. Through these names, along with reviewing approaches to naming and distinguishing caribou in other Kitikmeot and Kivalliq communities, we emphasize how Inuit-caribou connections are articulated and enacted through language, place, and homeland. In efforts to support more inclusive and meaningful incorporation of Inuit knowledge in caribou co-management, we suggest that careful consideration of Inuit approaches to naming and distinguishing caribou could aid communication and mutual understanding. Key considerations that emerged include (1) accounting for dialectical differences, (2) understanding relative geographic references, and (3) recognizing historical and contemporary influences of traditional homelands and societies on terminology used. These considerations have potential implications for identifying and discussing caribou, as well as for new or refined approaches to monitoring caribou herds and habitats, since these approaches are often the result of how herds are defined.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Language -Accounting For Dialect Differencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Inuit Approaches to Naming and Distinguishing Caribou: Considering Language, Place, and Homeland toward Improved Co-management

Ljubicic¹,

Okpakok²,

Robertson³

et al. 2018

ARCTIC

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Uqsuqtuurmiut inuita tuktumi qaujimaningit(Inuit knowledge of caribou from Gjoa Haven, Nunavut): Collaborative research contributions to co-management efforts

et al. 2018

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Caribou (tuktuit) are embedded in northern life, and have been part of Inuit culture and seasonal rounds for generations. In Inuit Nunangat (Inuit homelands), tuktuit are the most prevalent of country foods consumed, and remain interconnected with Inuit values, beliefs and practices. Despite co-management mandates to consider Inuit and scientific knowledge equally, the intertwined colonial legacies of research and wildlife management render this challenging. In Uqsuqtuuq (Gjoa Haven, Nunavut), community members identified the importance of documenting Inuit knowledge in order to be taken more seriously by researchers and government managers. To address this priority we worked with Uqsuqtuurmiut (people of Uqsuqtuuq) to articulate which types of tuktuit are found on or near Qikiqtaq (King William Island), provide a historical perspective of tuktuit presence/absence in the region, and describe seasonal movements of tuktuit on and off the island. In reflecting on potential intersections of our work with the Government of Nunavut strategy “Working Together for Caribou”, we identify several considerations in support of Qanuqtuurniq (information and knowledge acquisition): defining information needs, recognising and valuing Inuit knowledge, and developing and implementing credible research. By sharing lessons from our collaborative process we aim to contribute to broader cross-cultural research and co-management efforts in Nunavut.

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Seasonal Sea Ice Conditions Affect Caribou Crossing Areas Around Qikiqtaq, Nunavut: Uqsuqtuurmiut Knowledge Guides Ice Chart Analysis

Paquette¹,

Ljubicic²,

Johnson³

et al. 2023

ARCTIC

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Though polar ecologists consider sea ice primarily as a habitat for marine mammals, caribou use sea ice to complete their reproductive cycles, to access areas with preferred climatic and vegetation conditions, and to avoid predators seasonally and sporadically. Building on previous caribou research in Uqsuqtuuq (Gjoa Haven, Nunavut), we explored the connections between caribou and sea ice phenology in 5 community-identified caribou crossing areas around Qikiqtaq (King William Island). We defined freeze-up and breakup based on Uqsuqtuurmiut (people of Uqsuqtuuq) knowledge of caribou habitat requirements, to orient our analysis to the complex and multifaceted hazards that caribou can encounter while moving through their dynamic and unpredictable sea ice habitat. We investigated the reliability of caribou sea ice habitat surrounding Qikiqtaq, prioritizing key transitional periods with intensified caribou movement. We use regional ice charts produced by the Canadian Ice Service (CIS) and held workshops with Uqsuqtuurmiut to understand how sea ice phenology and caribou mobility have changed over time. The high spatial and temporal variability of sea ice phenology around Qikiqtaq facilitates caribou moving across sea ice should they need to respond to seasonal or unpredictable changes in ecological conditions or anthropogenic disturbance. Therefore, these localized sea ice conditions may increase caribou resiliency to changes or extreme events by providing alternative options for movement across the sea ice. We encourage others to consider the needs of wildlife sea ice users when assessing or providing ice information.

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The Curious Case of King William Island, Nunavut: An Island Overlooked in Caribou Research

Cited by 6 publications

References 15 publications

Inuit Approaches to Naming and Distinguishing Caribou: Considering Language, Place, and Homeland toward Improved Co-management

Inuit Approaches to Naming and Distinguishing Caribou: Considering Language, Place, and Homeland toward Improved Co-management

Uqsuqtuurmiut inuita tuktumi qaujimaningit(Inuit knowledge of caribou from Gjoa Haven, Nunavut): Collaborative research contributions to co-management efforts

Seasonal Sea Ice Conditions Affect Caribou Crossing Areas Around Qikiqtaq, Nunavut: Uqsuqtuurmiut Knowledge Guides Ice Chart Analysis

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