to the Arctic, such as the Chukchi in the Russian Federa- skills and attitudes, which are required for the success-
tion, the Iñupiat and Yup’iit in Alaska, USA, the Inuvi- ful harvesting of marine mammals, are transferable to
aluit and Inuit in Arctic Canada, and the Greenlanders. modern community life and are critical to the preserva-
Each of these indigenous groups continues to practice tion of the local indigenous culture and the mixed cash
traditional, natural resource-based activities while si- and subsistence economy
103
.
multaneously participating in and adapting to the con-
temporary world
91
. Arctic communities continue to rely on traditional, local
knowledge about their environments for travelling and
Throughout history, a majority of the indigenous peo- hunting activities as well as for survival. Unfortunately,
ples of the Arctic have subsisted on the resources of the such knowledge may prove less valuable as ice condi-
sea, and they continue this form of livelihood today
100–102
. tions, weather, and prey distribution become less pre-
Ringed and bearded seals, beluga, narwhal and bowhead dictable and more variable, and as available species and
whales, walrus and polar bears are animals used by Arc- hunting ranges change.
tic indigenous groups for food, clothing and other sec-
ondary products. These animals figure predominantly in
the mixed cash-subsistence economy of local households
and communities. Notably, all of these species depend
on sea ice for their survival. Any changes in climatic and
sea-ice conditions will therefore have consequences for
marine mammals and their habitats, with inevitable im-
pacts for the communities that depend on them.
Climate variability has been shown to affect the abun-
dance and availability of marine mammals in the past
and will continue to shape the ability of Arctic peoples to
harvest and process these animals in the future. Signifi-
cant changes with respect to the geography of species
distribution and composition, animal health, and dis-
ease vectors are expected under future climate change.
These changes will in turn affect the hunting activities
of the local communities.
Participation in marine mammal harvesting among Arc-
tic indigenous groups is not only important for econom-
ic purposes but is a crucial factor in the maintenance of
Figure 5.17: A hunter’s grandchild in her grandfather’s skiff in
cultural identity and social relationships. A significant
Qeqertarsuaq, Western Greenland. These skiffs are about to re-
place dog teams as means of transport to the winter hunting
amount of the time spent hunting is presently devoted
grounds. Due to lack of solid ice in the winter time, skiffs are
to educating younger generations about weather, ice
now used all year round by the hunters in Qeqertarsuaq.
conditions and the biology of marine species. These Photo: Stine Rybråten
88 GLOBAL OUTLOOK FOR ICE AND SNOW