Abstract

Climate change is becoming one of the most important foci of scientific research. The Arctic is particularly sensitive to changes in climate, and Inuit are in a good position to experience such changes as they interact with their environment on a daily basis while traveling, hunting and camping on the land and sea ice. The perceptions of what those changes mean, however, differ from the views predominantly held by scientists, especially when they relate to local observations.

Inuit in Igloolik, where this research has been focused, do not see local environmental change as a new event. Inuit and their ancestors have inhabited the Arctic for thousands of years, adapting to and enduring many periods of climatic variability and change. Inuit knowledge of the environment constitutes a unique aspect of their culture and has been crucial to their own adaptive capacity.

This thesis shows that Inuit in Igloolik see the environmental changes experienced today as part of a cycle. They also believe that they will adapt to those changes, and that animals are equally capable of adapting. This thesis also analyzes how Inuit in Igloolik relate these experiences to larger debates of global climate change. It contrasts the local narratives of change with those produced by scientific reports, the media, and Inuit organizations. In this sense, this thesis helps develop a better understanding of the process of knowledge construction in situations where the local and the global intersect. Finally, this thesis aims to show that although research studies increasingly acknowledge the value and utility of local indigenous knowledge, cultural and linguistic barriers continue to persist to permit fruitful collaboration.