Inuit, Whaling, and Sustainability is based on extensive ethnographic, ecological, and policy research sponsored by the Inuit Circumpolar Conference. It presents Inuit perspectives on the integral role whales play in cultural, economic, philosophical, and nutritional aspects of Inuit life. As a unique example of interdisciplinary and collaborative research, it is a model for development studies, environmental policy and science, community studies, and Native studies.
Whaling has been central to the life of Greenland's Inuit peoples for at least 4000 years, but political, economic, technological, and regulatory changes have altered this ancient practice. Richard A. Caulfield reveals these impacts first by analyzing Home Rule and its success in Greenland, and then by looking at whaling's place in the contemporary Greenlandic economy and its evolving co-management regime. What emerges from his investigation is an intricate web connecting traditions of indigenous peoples, the promises and pitfalls of co-management, the influence of international whaling policies, the complexities of sustainability, and the power of culturally determined views shaping relationships between humans and their environment. Caulfield finds that controversy over whaling often arises from conflicting idea systems, rather than disagreement over biological resource management. Understanding the ways Greenlanders and outside interests have defined and negotiated these conflicts "gives us more than just an insight into how indigenous peoples are coping with a changing world," he writes. "It also provides us with a sense of the challenges we face as well."
Bill Hess -a noted photographer - began his association with the Inupiat Eskimos in 1982. Eventually, he got permission to accompany them on their historic whale hunt. This book is his record, in sensitive text and almost 200 stark images, of what he experienced. Hess explores Inupiat history and traditions juxtaposed against contemporary life, never shying away from the controversial aspects of this ancient trek. Gift of the Whale is a rare contribution to Native history.
Through case studies, opposing viewpoints, and primary documents, this reference work examines the environmental and sustainability issues regarding water as well as how water is an intrinsic part of human culture. Every culture and ecosystem on earth depends on water. As the world's climate changes, human culture is increasingly threatened by the seemingly opposite problems of having too little clean, potable water and "having too much water"—e.g., flooding, melting polar ice caps, and rising sea levels. What are the solutions that humanity must collectively pursue to protect our ability to flourish on planet earth? Water Planet: The Culture, Politics, Economics, and Sustainability of Water on Earth offers an unprecedented examination of the critical subject of water sustainability. Its essays, viewpoints, case studies, and documents show how this vital resource that many in first-world countries take for granted is intricately woven into not only basic human survival but also cultural, political, and economic stability. Readers will learn about topics such as flooding and drought; the growing problem of water pollution; the connections between water and gender, including gender equity and gender aspects of water ownership; the effects of global temperature changes on the water supply; concerns regarding fishing and overfishing; water security; and sustainable water management.
The Bowhead Whale: Balaena mysticetus: Biology and Human Interactions covers bowhead biology from their anatomy and behavior, to conservation, distribution, ecology and evolution. The book also discusses the biological and physical aspects of the Arctic ecosystem in which these whales live, with careful attention paid to the dramatic changes taking place. A special section of the book describes the interactions of humans with bowheads in past and present, focusing on their importance to Indigenous communities and the challenges regarding entanglement in fishing gear, industrial noise and ship strikes. This volume brings together the knowledge of bowheads in one place for easy reference for scientists that study the species, marine mammal biologists, but, equally important, for everyone who is interested in the Arctic. - Presents the only current book dedicated to this species - Includes short, high-impact chapters that make it possible to review all bowhead biology in one compact volume - Illustrated with never-before published photos of bowheads in their natural environment - Provides a platform for an in-depth understanding of indigenous whaling
This second edition of Historical Dictionary of the Inuit provides a history of the indigenous peoples of North Alaska, arctic Canada including Labrador, and Greenland. This is done through a chronology, an introductory essay, an extensive bibliography, and over 400 cross-referenced dictionary entries on significant persons, places, events, institutions, and aspects of culture, society, economy, and politics. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about the Inuits.
This wide-ranging treatment of daily life in the contemporary Inuit communities of Alaska, Canada, and Greenland reveals the very modern ways of being Inuit. Daily Life of the Inuit is the first serious study of contemporary Inuit culture and communities from the post-World War II period to the present. Beginning with an introductory essay surveying Inuit prehistory, geography, and contemporary regional diversity, this exhaustive treatment explores the daily life of the Inuit throughout the North American Arctic—in Alaska, Canada, and Greenland. Twelve thematic chapters acquaint the reader with the daily life of the contemporary Inuit, examining family, intellectual culture, economy, community, politics, technology, religion, popular culture, art, sports and recreation, health, and international engagement. Each chapter begins with a discussion of the historical and cultural underpinnings of Inuit life in the North American Arctic and describes the issues and events relevant to the contemporary Inuit experience. Leading sources are quoted to provide analysis and perspective on the facts presented.
As a mythical creature, the whale has been responsible for many transformations in the world. It is an enchanting being that humans have long felt a connection to. In the contemporary environmental imagination, whales are charismatic megafauna feeding our environmentalism and aspirations for a better and more sustainable future. Using multispecies ethnography, Whale Snow explores how everyday the relatedness of the Iñupiat of Arctic Alaska and the bowhead whale forms and transforms “the human” through their encounters with modernity. Whale Snow shows how the people live in the world that intersects with other beings, how these connections came into being, and, most importantly, how such intimate and intense relations help humans survive the social challenges incurred by climate change. In this time of ecological transition, exploring multispecies relatedness is crucial as it keeps social capacities to adapt relational, elastic, and resilient. In the Arctic, climate, culture, and human resilience are connected through bowhead whaling. In Whale Snow we see how climate change disrupts this ancient practice and, in the process, affects a vital expression of Indigenous sovereignty. Ultimately, though, this book offers a story of hope grounded in multispecies resilience.
Whaling has become one of the most controversial environmental issues. It is not that all whale species are at the brink of extinction, but that whales have become important symbols to both pro- and anti-whaling factions and can easily be appropriated as the common heritage of humankind. This book, the first of its kind, is therefore not about whales and whaling per se but about how people communicate about whales and whaling. It contributes to a better understanding and discussion of controversial environmental issues: Why and how are issues selected? How is knowledge on these issues produced and distributed by organizations and activists? And why do affluent countries like Japan and Norway still support whaling, which is of insignificant economic importance? Basing his analysis on fieldwork in Japan and Norway and at the International Whaling Commission, the author argues how an image of a “superwhale” has been constructed and how this image has replaced meat and oil as the important whale commodity. He concludes that the whaling issue provides an arena where NGOs and authorities on each side can unite, swapping political legitimacy and building personal relations that can be useful on issues where relations are less harmonious.
