A traditional knowledge calendar co-developed with the community of Ulukhaktok
A traditional knowledge calendar co-developed with the community of Ulukhaktok
4 June 2024
4 June 2024
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Nearly four million individuals live in the Arctic: Indigenous Peoples, recent settlers, hunters, herders and urban residents. About 10 percent of this population is Indigenous.
Climate change impacts the Arctic inhabitants in various ways.
CRices develops connections and co-production of knowledge with Arctic Stakeholders and Rightsholders, including local and Indigenous communities, to ensure that scientific outcomes will have direct relevance and connections to their needs.
CRiceS researcher Nadja Steiner has worked together with the community of Ulukhaktok, NWT, Canada on a project aimed at integrating climate science, particularly climate modeling, with Indigenous knowledge systems. This collaboration seeks to effectively communicate anticipated environmental changes and to understand both the direct and indirect impacts on the community, particularly regarding subsistence harvesting activities, in order to maintain food security.
In the realm of communicating climate change science, it is imperative for researchers to grasp Indigenous knowledge systems and utilise communication tools familiar to Indigenous groups. Rather than relying solely on conventional academic science graphs and visualisations, embracing Indigenous perspectives fosters more effective communication and understanding. Nadja Steiner and her team collaborated closely with the Ulukhaktok community to co-develop a traditional knowledge calendar, in partnership with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the University of Victoria, and the Inuvialuit Game Council.
For this project, Nadja Steiner and her colleagues adhered to one motto: 'Get to know, listen, take your time, and be patient!'
They visited the community multiple times, beginning with interviews with the Indigenous population. Through these dialogues, they gathered valuable information including seasonal markers (such as the appearance of snow and temperature variations), stories, anecdotes, advice, quotes, and specific Inuinnaqtun expressions.
Various groups, including students, teachers, elders, and hunters, actively participated in co-developing the calendar. They engaged in discussions about its content and design, and ultimately, all parties approved the finalised version. Community artists contributed by creating drawings.
Their seasonal traditional knowledge calendar provides information on seasonal environmental changes, species occurrences and traditional harvesting activities and can provide the link to Western science tools.
It includes:
- Stories: personal memories, traditional knowledge
- Drawings and quotes from the community
- Information: anecdotes and the link between animals and seasons (best times to harvest)
- Circles: showing the main timing in a more western way of illustrating
We express our sincere gratitude to the community of Ulukhaktok for welcoming us, for hosting us, for sharing with us their deep knowledge of the environment and ecosystems.
For collaborative projects such as this discussions on ownership and sharing are imperative. Disclaimer and acknowledgements linked to the calendar have been compiled to ensure the Traditional knowledge is protected. The work is currently being compiled into a scientific journal article and a community book. The calendar itself can be cited as: Patrick Farnole, Allen Pogotak, Koral Memogana, Mark Stoller, Nadja Steiner. Ulukhaktok Cultural Calendar. Olokhaktomiut Hunters & Trappers Committee, 2024.
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