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Citation: 

Keith, David, Jerry Arqviq, Louie Kamookak, Jackie Ameralik, and the Gjoa Haven Hunters’ and Trappers’ Organization. Inuit Qaujimaningit Nanurnut: Inuit Knowledge of Polar Bears. Edmonton: CCI Press, 2005.

Abstract/Summary: 

This book examines how Inuit Knowledge (IQ), particularly regarding how to hunt polar bears, has been passed on by elders in the past, and how difficult it has been in the 21st century to continue to convey these traditions orally. Consequently, this study conducted observations of and interviews with Inuit elders to transcribe and record this process in Gjoa Haven in order to attempt to preserve these traditions; some of the transcripts are included in the Appendices.  The process is systematically broken down in several chapters: Polar Bear Hunting in the Central Canadian Arctic; Hunting and Use of Polar Bear; Tradition, Culture, and Beliefs; Identifying Polar Bears by Age and Sex; Denning and Denning Habitat; Polar Bear Feeding and Feeding Habitat; Environmental Changes; and Polar Bear Population and Distribution.  The book concludes that Inuit-led, small-scale, traditional polar bear hunting must continue in order for future generations to fully appreciate the importance of this animal to Inuit culture regarding their habitat, behavior, and providing sustenance. 

Source/Credit: 
Shannon Leggett