Understanding subarctic wildlife in Eastern James Bay under changing climatic and socio-environmental conditions: bringing together Cree hunters' ecological knowledge and scientific observations

Herrmann, Thora Martina; Royer, Marie-Jeanne S.; Cuciurean, Rick

doi:10.1080/1088937x.2011.654356

Cited by 17 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…Traditional knowledge (TK), the information and understanding acquired by experience and shared among members of a cultural group (e.g., Berkes, 2012), provides one means of documenting information about these topics (Ferguson and Messier, 2000;Huntington, 2000, Noongwook et al, 2007Herrmann et al, 2012). This type of information is particularly important in the case of polar bears because they occupy remote sea ice habitats, where only the few nearby coastal communities have regular opportunities to observe their behavior.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Traditional Knowledge about Polar Bears (<i>Ursus maritimus</i>) in Northwestern Alaska

Voorhees¹,

Sparks²,

Huntington³

et al. 2014

ARCTIC

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ABSTRACT. Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are an iconic Arctic species, but residents of Arctic coastal communities are among the few who have opportunities to observe their behavior for extended periods of time. Documenting traditional knowledge about polar bears is thus an important research approach, especially in light of recent rapid changes to summer sea ice extent. We interviewed polar bear hunters in seven Alaska Native communities along the coast of the northern Bering Sea and Chukchi Sea. Our study confirmed findings from similar research conducted in the mid-1990s and added information about the responses of polar bears to more recent environmental change. The distribution and local abundance of polar bears have changed over time, though different communities report different patterns. Polar bears arrive from the north later in fall than previously. Despite substantial changes in sea ice and other aspects of polar bear habitat, the animals generally appear to be in good body condition, and cubs continue to be observed regularly. While polar bears continue to feed primarily on seals, they have been observed eating a diverse range of foods, including eggs, greens, fish, berries, and other foods as available. Reduction in harvest levels due to environmental, economic, and social factors is the overriding trend; however, in years when bears are particularly abundant around villages, this pattern is temporarily reversed. Polar bears remain important spiritually and culturally for the indigenous communities of northern and western Alaska.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Traditional Knowledge about Polar Bears (<i>Ursus maritimus</i>) in Northwestern Alaska

Voorhees¹,

Sparks²,

Huntington³

et al. 2014

ARCTIC

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“…Remote indigenous populations usually share close relationships with the land and practice traditional land-based lifestyles [26,27]. Thus, indigenous groups living in Canada's arctic and subarctic regions are particularly vulnerable to climate change due to their interconnectedness with the land [25,28].…”

Section: Risk and Challenges Associated With Climate-related Impactsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Increasing the Adaptive Capacity of Indigenous People to Environmental Change: The Potential Use of an Innovative, Web-Based, Collaborative-Geomatics Informatics Tool to Reduce the Degree of Exposure of First Nations Cree to Hazardous Travel Routes

Barbeau¹,

Cowan²,

Tsuji³

2016

Geospatial Technology - Environmental and Social Applications

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The arctic and subarctic regions of Canada are experiencing amplified climate change impacts, which are disproportionately impacting Canadian indigenous populations' ability to safely travel on land to acquire resources. Less predictable and more dangerous travel conditions are impacting not only the health and safety of individuals but also the traditional lifestyles that are vital to the cultural well-being of these indigenous communities. The University of Waterloo's Computer Systems Group has developed a novel decision-support tool termed "Collaborative-Geomatics." This webbased informatics tool can allow for the community to monitor, in real-time, the safety of travel routes. Using handheld GPS tracking systems, the utility of the geomatics system to present real-time travel conditions was carried out in a Canadian First Nations community, located along the Western James Bay coast. The results of this study showed that the collaborative-geomatics tool offers the potential to monitor and store information on the safety of travel routes, helping to promote adaptive capacity and aid in knowledge transfer within arctic and subarctic indigenous communities.

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“…As was the case in the workshop presented by Cuerrier et al (2012), Jensen found that, for some Inuit students, becoming involved in research was a fast track to stimulating interest in pursuing studies at the university level. Trant et al (2012) and Herrmann et al (2012) contribute to understanding human dimensions of climate change within the Innu and Cree Nations respectively. In Trant et al (2012), we learn that the Innu of Labrador have a well-established program for monitoring changes within their territory.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Arctic community engagement during the 2007–2008 International Polar Year

2012

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Understanding subarctic wildlife in Eastern James Bay under changing climatic and socio-environmental conditions: bringing together Cree hunters' ecological knowledge and scientific observations

Cited by 17 publications

References 37 publications

Traditional Knowledge about Polar Bears (<i>Ursus maritimus</i>) in Northwestern Alaska

Traditional Knowledge about Polar Bears (<i>Ursus maritimus</i>) in Northwestern Alaska

Increasing the Adaptive Capacity of Indigenous People to Environmental Change: The Potential Use of an Innovative, Web-Based, Collaborative-Geomatics Informatics Tool to Reduce the Degree of Exposure of First Nations Cree to Hazardous Travel Routes

Arctic community engagement during the 2007–2008 International Polar Year

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