“We don’t know anything about whales”: ecological knowledge and ways of knowing in Ulukhaktok, Northwest Territories, Canada

Arctic Science

article

Peter Collings¹  Tristan Pearce²  Joseph Kann¹ 

[1] Department of Anthropology, University of Florida;University of the Sunshine Coast

关键词: qualitative data analysis;    traditional ecological knowledge;    Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit;    beluga whales.;   

DOI  :  10.1139/as-2017-0030

学科分类：地球科学(综合)

来源: NRC Research Press

【 摘 要 】

This paper reports on interviews conducted during June and July 2015 to document ecological knowledge of beluga whales ( Delphinapterus leucas ) in Ulukhaktok, Northwest Territories. Beluga whales are not a traditionally available or important species for Ulukhaktomiut, but they have appeared in increasing numbers in the waters around the community, and hunters have actively pursued and taken them. We conducted interviews in English with 31 Inuit about their beluga knowledge. A Key Words in Context (KWIC) analysis of the word “know” in the narratives reveals different conceptions of what it means to know something about whales. “Know” variously references practical skill, concern and empathy for others, or the developing awareness of one’s place in the world. Each of these meanings is coded uniquely in Inuinnaqtun, providing insights about the important differences between researchers and Inuit in how “ecological knowledge” is understood and activated.

【 授权许可】

CC BY