Inuit Workshop Held on Applying Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge to Polar Bear Management

Ottawa, Ontario – October 6, 2011 - Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK), Canada’s national Inuit organization, convened a workshop in Inuvik, Northwest Territories on October 1-3, 2011, on the gathering and use of Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge (ATK) for polar bear management and decision-making. The workshop was organized as a follow up to one of the commitments made at the 2009 Ministerial Round Table on Polar Bear, specifically in regard to finding ways to better use and integrate ATK and Science. 

This workshop was attended by 27 delegates of Inuit national and regional organizations and wildlife management boards from Nunavik, Nunatsiavut, Nunavut and the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, including the governments of the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Canada (Environment Canada).  Other concerned jurisdictions will be invited to participate in follow up actions flowing from this workshop.

A key outcome from the workshop included the formation of a working group to draft a Protocol toward enhancing and improving the use and integration of ATK and science for polar bear research and management. This will be done within the context of existing legal frameworks, which include land claims agreements, and will set out agreed-to principles and commitments for meeting the Protocol’s objective. The working group will also be tasked to set a timeline for drafting the Protocol as well as working with partners in order to reach an endorsement by all affected parties.

An important area of focus of the discussions centered on the need to improve relations, communications, and levels of mutual respect and trust between Aboriginal knowledge holders and scientific researchers when it comes to polar bear research and management processes. Related to this is the need to have integrative approaches jointly designed and to ensure that this is reflected in decisions from the local to the international levels.

In addition, a number of best practices were identified such as: the need to establish a shared definition of ATK and related concepts; the development of a toolkit to improve research studies and surveys; improving the planning of ATK and science projects; and the communication of results to ATK holders and to regional and national stakeholders. 

All participants were pleased to have the opportunity to discuss and find ways forward on this  important issue and are confident that this joint initiative will lead to better decision making for the management of polar bears in Canada.

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