Author(s)
Henry Huntington
Author(s) Description
Henry Huntington is Arctic science director for the Pew Environment Group
In April 1995, I sat with a group of nine Iñupiaq and Yupik elders in the community centre in Koyuk, Alaska, documenting information that they had acquired—from experience, observation and previous generations—about beluga whales. At one point, the conversation took a surprising turn—from whales to beavers. I must have looked confused. One of the elders smiled and explained that a growing beaver population was damming streams in which fish spawn, affecting the belugas’ food source. The connection was clear when spelled out, but it was not one that most whale researchers would have anticipated.
The concept of scientists using indigenous, or traditional, knowledge in their research has received increasing attention over the past few decades. This is particularly true in the Arctic, where the potential global effects of changes such as permafrost thaw and ice melt have created an urgent need to understand how climate change is affecting the region. Historical physical data about the region are lacking, but indigenous cultures there have retained practices and knowledge acquired over countless generations.
More and more, scientists are finding value in collaborating with these populations. And growing political awareness and activism by indigenous peoples have led to increased recognition of their knowledge and ideas.
Yet there is still far to go...
Read the full article, The Local Perspective, on the Nature website (subscription required).
