Nanuk & Inuit
Polar bears have become a symbol of the urgency of climate change, often depicted stranded on shrinking icebergs. However, absent from this widespread coverage is the nuanced perspective and experiential knowledge of Inuit communities, who for centuries have lived alongside polar bears (referred to as Nanuk, Nanoq, Nanuq … etc. in various dialects). These communities hold intricate observations on shifts in polar bear behavior, health, and habitats—valuable real-time indicators of ecological changes.
Polar bear subpopulations around the world are undergoing varying changes, with some experiencing declines, others remaining stable, and a few showing signs of growth. Western Science, while providing valuable insights, has primarily relied on short-term data and thus has mainly identified short-term trends in polar bear populations. Consequently, our knowledge about the long-term health and dynamics of these populations remains incomplete, underscoring the need for more extensive and longitudinal observations to get a better sense of polar bear health, abundance, habitat, behavior, and other factors related to this species. Given Inuit share the same homelands as these bears, they hold a range of holistic, long-term, place-based knowledge and observations that can support with gaining a better understanding of a polar bear population.
The Issue
Historically, many legal frameworks and decision-making processes linked to polar bear management have been strongly influenced by top-down, Western scientific perspectives in biology and ecology. However, as with many arctic species, polar bears play a key role in the cultural, nutritional, social, and economic dimensions of Inuit life. Excluding Inuit Knowledge has often led to decisions that fail to capture the local nuances critical to both bear and community health. There have been steps in the right direction to incorporate Inuit perspectives into wildlife management, such as co-management boards which aim to blend Western and Indigenous Knowledge systems for monitoring and researching certain species. Yet, Inuit Knowledge can still be inaccurately interpreted while being incorporated into wildlife-related decision making.
The colonial legacy across Inuit Nunangat has also left many Inuit youth disconnected from their heritage. Reviving cultural teachings and passing down land-based knowledge is vital for fostering a positive self-concept and well-being among young Inuit, who straddle the line between traditional and modern worlds. Much of these teachings can only be shared from Elders, who are passing on as the years go by. As such, the need for documenting and communicating Elder wisdom related to polar bears, and all the place-based observations and cultural skills that accompany this human-animal relationship, have never been greater
Collaborative Action
Within this context, three Inuit co-management boards – the Torngat Wildlife & Plants Co-Management Board (Nunatsiavut), the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board (Nunavut), and the Nunavik Marine Region Wildlife Board (Nunavik) – formed a unique, partnership in 2021 with funding from Polar Knowledge Canada. This initiative identified a strategic priority to explore how collective Inuit Knowledge can be more accessible, influential, and implemented for sustainable Inuit relationships with polar bears and the long-term stewardship of this species. To support this focus, visual media that presents Inuit Knowledge and experiences with polar bears in accessible and culturally appropriate ways was seen as invaluable. Thus, emerging out of this initiative is Nanuk Narratives – an Inuit-led documentary film series that gathers, preserves, and communicates Inuit Knowledge and experiences with polar bears in Nunavut, Nunavik, Nunatsiavut, and Greenland.