Permafrost foundation design recognizes the impact of climate change on soil bearing capacity, as described in Canadian guideline CSA PLUS 4011:19. There is, however, no guidance as to the climate scenarios most prudent to adopt for such design. We have compared climate change scenarios outlined in 2003 for the design of the proposed Mackenzie Gas Project (MGP) with climate data for 1991 – 2020 to determine the projections most representative of what did, in fact, occur. In Canada, the greatest change in climate during the last 50 years has been measured in the western Arctic, where fluctuations in annual air temperatures are regionally consistent. In this region, the rate of change in annual mean air temperature for 1971 – 2020 has ranged from 0.77 °C decade-1 at Inuvik, NT, to 0.30 °C decade-1 at Komakuk Beach, YT, with warming concentrated in winter. No statistically significant trends in total annual precipitation have been observed and these records are poorly correlated within the region. In 2003, 29 climate projections from seven global climate models were examined for the MGP and, in 2005, for research regarding forest fires in Yukon. The observed climate warming in Yukon and adjacent Northwest Territories during 1991 – 2020 was close to the upper projections for mean annual and winter air temperature. For example, at Inuvik the 2.3 °C increase observed in mean annual air temperature between 1961 – 90 and 1991 – 2020, exceeds the median projection for change by 2010 – 39 of +1.6 °C and approaches the upper value of +2.4 °C. No consistency between observed and projected precipitation has been determined. These results indicate that, when required, future projections of temperature in northwest Canada may prudently adopt higher or more extreme scenarios because they have been the most realistic to date. They imply that near-surface permafrost may soon become unsustainable in southern parts of the region and so site investi gations to locate thaw-stable soils will likely be cost effective for new projects.
{"title":"Performance of Climate Projections for Yukon and Adjacent Northwest Territories, 1991 – 2020","authors":"Astrid Schetselaar, T. Andersen, C. Burn","doi":"10.14430/arctic77263","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14430/arctic77263","url":null,"abstract":"Permafrost foundation design recognizes the impact of climate change on soil bearing capacity, as described in Canadian guideline CSA PLUS 4011:19. There is, however, no guidance as to the climate scenarios most prudent to adopt for such design. We have compared climate change scenarios outlined in 2003 for the design of the proposed Mackenzie Gas Project (MGP) with climate data for 1991 – 2020 to determine the projections most representative of what did, in fact, occur. In Canada, the greatest change in climate during the last 50 years has been measured in the western Arctic, where fluctuations in annual air temperatures are regionally consistent. In this region, the rate of change in annual mean air temperature for 1971 – 2020 has ranged from 0.77 °C decade-1 at Inuvik, NT, to 0.30 °C decade-1 at Komakuk Beach, YT, with warming concentrated in winter. No statistically significant trends in total annual precipitation have been observed and these records are poorly correlated within the region. In 2003, 29 climate projections from seven global climate models were examined for the MGP and, in 2005, for research regarding forest fires in Yukon. The observed climate warming in Yukon and adjacent Northwest Territories during 1991 – 2020 was close to the upper projections for mean annual and winter air temperature. For example, at Inuvik the 2.3 °C increase observed in mean annual air temperature between 1961 – 90 and 1991 – 2020, exceeds the median projection for change by 2010 – 39 of +1.6 °C and approaches the upper value of +2.4 °C. No consistency between observed and projected precipitation has been determined. These results indicate that, when required, future projections of temperature in northwest Canada may prudently adopt higher or more extreme scenarios because they have been the most realistic to date. They imply that near-surface permafrost may soon become unsustainable in southern parts of the region and so site investi gations to locate thaw-stable soils will likely be cost effective for new projects.","PeriodicalId":55464,"journal":{"name":"Arctic","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2023-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46631947","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The 2008 United States (U.S.) listing of the polar bear as a threatened species prohibits the importation of polar bear trophies into the U.S., significantly decreasing the number of Americans paying for guided polar bear hunts in Canada. We examined the numbers and composition of the harvest in three polar bear subpopulations, Northern Beaufort Sea, Southern Beaufort Sea, and Viscount Melville Sound, located in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region in the western Canadian Arctic to identify what happens when the support for guided hunting is withdrawn. We find that there was no significant change in the number of polar bears harvested or in the sex composition of the harvest in the three subpopulations after the U.S. listing. Over the twelve-year study period, harvests in each subpopulation were always within the quota. The number of guided hunts decreased after the U.S. listing and the number of subsistence hunts increased in each subpopulation during this time. The number of bears harvested as a percentage of tags used was significantly higher in the Northern Beaufort Sea after the listing. This is because a tag issued for a guided hunt is considered “used” even if the hunt is unsuccessful, which is often the case as hunters seek large male bears, whereas a tag issued for subsistence is re-issued until a successful harvest. We conclude that while the U.S. listing and rapid decline in guided hunts did not affect the number of polar bears harvested, it did disrupt the Inuit cultural economy.
{"title":"Changes in the Composition of the Harvest in Three Polar Bear Subpopulations in the Western Canadian Arctic after the U.S. Listing of the Polar Bear as a Threatened Species","authors":"T. Pearce, D. Fawcett, James Ford","doi":"10.14430/arctic77186","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14430/arctic77186","url":null,"abstract":"The 2008 United States (U.S.) listing of the polar bear as a threatened species prohibits the importation of polar bear trophies into the U.S., significantly decreasing the number of Americans paying for guided polar bear hunts in Canada. We examined the numbers and composition of the harvest in three polar bear subpopulations, Northern Beaufort Sea, Southern Beaufort Sea, and Viscount Melville Sound, located in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region in the western Canadian Arctic to identify what happens when the support for guided hunting is withdrawn. We find that there was no significant change in the number of polar bears harvested or in the sex composition of the harvest in the three subpopulations after the U.S. listing. Over the twelve-year study period, harvests in each subpopulation were always within the quota. The number of guided hunts decreased after the U.S. listing and the number of subsistence hunts increased in each subpopulation during this time. The number of bears harvested as a percentage of tags used was significantly higher in the Northern Beaufort Sea after the listing. This is because a tag issued for a guided hunt is considered “used” even if the hunt is unsuccessful, which is often the case as hunters seek large male bears, whereas a tag issued for subsistence is re-issued until a successful harvest. We conclude that while the U.S. listing and rapid decline in guided hunts did not affect the number of polar bears harvested, it did disrupt the Inuit cultural economy.","PeriodicalId":55464,"journal":{"name":"Arctic","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2023-03-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41656419","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Rhys McMaster, B. Noble, G. Poelzer, Vikas Menghwani
Introducing local renewable energy solutions into the fossil fuel dominated energy mix of many northern and off-grid Indigenous communities has the potential to create new socio-economic opportunity and address historical energy injustices. However, energy systems are comprised not only of technology and infrastructure but also the communities who generate, use, and benefit from energy. The design of local energy systems that are community appropriate thus requires an understanding of a community’s socio-technical capacity, coupled with an understanding of the social processes that stimulate and sustain transitions and the longer-term, desired outcomes from local energy. This paper explores the socio-technical capacity for renewable energy transitions in northern and Indigenous communities, based on a case study of four Gwich’in communities in the Northwest Territories, Canada. Results show that the foundational attributes of socio-technical capacity for energy transition in northern communities are interconnected, and strengths or challenges in one area often reflect strengths or challenges in another. Several capacity strengths already exist to support energy transition, including community energy values inclusive of community vision and the embedded and transferable skillsets of communities, coupled with next generation leaders. In turn, there are areas where significant capacity building is required, including supports for local energy champion(s) and enabling inter-local energy networks. Results also demonstrate that recent scholarly literature regarding local capacity for community energy does not tightly align with, or reflect the nuances of, energy transition needs in northern and Indigenous communities.
{"title":"Local Capacity for Energy Transition in Northern and Indigenous Communities: Analysis of Gwich’in Communities in Northwest Territories, Canada","authors":"Rhys McMaster, B. Noble, G. Poelzer, Vikas Menghwani","doi":"10.14430/arctic77183","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14430/arctic77183","url":null,"abstract":"Introducing local renewable energy solutions into the fossil fuel dominated energy mix of many northern and off-grid Indigenous communities has the potential to create new socio-economic opportunity and address historical energy injustices. However, energy systems are comprised not only of technology and infrastructure but also the communities who generate, use, and benefit from energy. The design of local energy systems that are community appropriate thus requires an understanding of a community’s socio-technical capacity, coupled with an understanding of the social processes that stimulate and sustain transitions and the longer-term, desired outcomes from local energy. This paper explores the socio-technical capacity for renewable energy transitions in northern and Indigenous communities, based on a case study of four Gwich’in communities in the Northwest Territories, Canada. Results show that the foundational attributes of socio-technical capacity for energy transition in northern communities are interconnected, and strengths or challenges in one area often reflect strengths or challenges in another. Several capacity strengths already exist to support energy transition, including community energy values inclusive of community vision and the embedded and transferable skillsets of communities, coupled with next generation leaders. In turn, there are areas where significant capacity building is required, including supports for local energy champion(s) and enabling inter-local energy networks. Results also demonstrate that recent scholarly literature regarding local capacity for community energy does not tightly align with, or reflect the nuances of, energy transition needs in northern and Indigenous communities.","PeriodicalId":55464,"journal":{"name":"Arctic","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2023-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41534195","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"An Interview with Documentary Filmmaker Anne Troake: Reflecting on Anti-sealing Activism and its Impact on Rural Coastal Peoples in Canada","authors":"D. Burke","doi":"10.14430/arctic77177","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14430/arctic77177","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":55464,"journal":{"name":"Arctic","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2023-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41323226","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Fourhorn sculpin (Myoxocephalus quadricornis) is ubiquitous in Canadian Arctic waters with a more common marine and brackish form and a rarer freshwater form. There is a paucity of information available for the freshwater form from Canadian waters. In the summer of 2003, we serendipitously collected 28 of the freshwater form of fourhorn sculpin from Lake Tuborg, Ellesmere Island, Nunavut. The fish ranged in size from 62 mm to 171 mm total length and age from 1 to 12 years with females growing faster and to a larger theoretical maximum total length than males. The sculpin preyed mainly upon the crustacean, Mysis segerstralei, but were also opportunistic feeders (e.g., Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) eggs) and cannibalistic. Although our sample of fourhorn sculpin is small, the data from these fish represent the only information from a fully freshwater form population of the species from Canadian waters. We also present an updated list of the known Canadian lacustrine and riverine populations of fourhorn sculpin.
{"title":"Freshwater Form of Fourhorn Sculpin (Myoxocephalus quadricornis) from Lake Tuborg, Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, with Reference to other Canadian Lacustrine and Riverine Populations","authors":"J. Babaluk, J. Reist, T. Lewis","doi":"10.14430/arctic77063","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14430/arctic77063","url":null,"abstract":"Fourhorn sculpin (Myoxocephalus quadricornis) is ubiquitous in Canadian Arctic waters with a more common marine and brackish form and a rarer freshwater form. There is a paucity of information available for the freshwater form from Canadian waters. In the summer of 2003, we serendipitously collected 28 of the freshwater form of fourhorn sculpin from Lake Tuborg, Ellesmere Island, Nunavut. The fish ranged in size from 62 mm to 171 mm total length and age from 1 to 12 years with females growing faster and to a larger theoretical maximum total length than males. The sculpin preyed mainly upon the crustacean, Mysis segerstralei, but were also opportunistic feeders (e.g., Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) eggs) and cannibalistic. Although our sample of fourhorn sculpin is small, the data from these fish represent the only information from a fully freshwater form population of the species from Canadian waters. We also present an updated list of the known Canadian lacustrine and riverine populations of fourhorn sculpin.","PeriodicalId":55464,"journal":{"name":"Arctic","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2023-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47444993","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Julie P. Parrett, Alexander K. Prichard, Charles B. Johnson, Brian E. Lawhead
The Coastal Plain of northern Alaska is an important nesting area for a variety of avian species, where the productivity of ground-nesting species can be strongly influenced by nest predators. Recently, the density of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) has increased in many areas of the Arctic, likely because of climate warming as well as the availability of anthropogenic food sources during winter. In areas where they occur sympatrically, red foxes can outcompete and kill the smaller Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus). There is considerable dietary overlap between the fox species, but if the red fox is a more successful nest predator, this ongoing shift in canid species could have important implications for ground-nesting species like the Yellow-billed Loon (Gavia adamsii). We examined time-lapse photographs from 186 nests of Yellow-billed Loons in northern Alaska during the years 2008 – 15 and 2019 for the presence of foxes and other nest predators and quantified nest predation by species. Although both Arctic and red foxes were photographed near nests, we found that all successful predation of Yellow-billed Loon nests by foxes was attributable to red foxes, which were the second most frequent predator of Yellow-billed Loon nests after Glaucous Gulls (Larus hyperboreus). Arctic foxes photographed at Yellow-billed Loon nests were unsuccessful at displacing incubating loons. Several data sources suggest that the prevalence of red foxes has increased in Arctic Alaska over the last three decades, a change that is likely to have negative impacts on the nesting success of Yellow-billed Loons and possibly other large waterbirds.
{"title":"An Ongoing Shift in Mammalian Nest Predators of Yellow-billed Loons in Arctic Alaska","authors":"Julie P. Parrett, Alexander K. Prichard, Charles B. Johnson, Brian E. Lawhead","doi":"10.14430/arctic76945","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14430/arctic76945","url":null,"abstract":"The Coastal Plain of northern Alaska is an important nesting area for a variety of avian species, where the productivity of ground-nesting species can be strongly influenced by nest predators. Recently, the density of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) has increased in many areas of the Arctic, likely because of climate warming as well as the availability of anthropogenic food sources during winter. In areas where they occur sympatrically, red foxes can outcompete and kill the smaller Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus). There is considerable dietary overlap between the fox species, but if the red fox is a more successful nest predator, this ongoing shift in canid species could have important implications for ground-nesting species like the Yellow-billed Loon (Gavia adamsii). We examined time-lapse photographs from 186 nests of Yellow-billed Loons in northern Alaska during the years 2008 – 15 and 2019 for the presence of foxes and other nest predators and quantified nest predation by species. Although both Arctic and red foxes were photographed near nests, we found that all successful predation of Yellow-billed Loon nests by foxes was attributable to red foxes, which were the second most frequent predator of Yellow-billed Loon nests after Glaucous Gulls (Larus hyperboreus). Arctic foxes photographed at Yellow-billed Loon nests were unsuccessful at displacing incubating loons. Several data sources suggest that the prevalence of red foxes has increased in Arctic Alaska over the last three decades, a change that is likely to have negative impacts on the nesting success of Yellow-billed Loons and possibly other large waterbirds.","PeriodicalId":55464,"journal":{"name":"Arctic","volume":"30 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135836184","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Fur Trader: From Oslo House to Oxford House, by Einar Odd Mortensen Sr. with Gerd Kjustad Mortensen","authors":"David Malaher","doi":"10.14430/arctic77174","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14430/arctic77174","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":55464,"journal":{"name":"Arctic","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2023-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45759188","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
At the global level, interest is growing in extending agricultural activities northwards to increase future food production. Agricultural activities are emerging at the local level in the subarctic and Arctic regions in order to adapt to climate change, mitigate food insecurities, and build up food autonomy. This pilot crop management study was situated in the Hudson Bay Lowlands within an isolated, Indigenous community garden site surrounded by a mature shelterbelt. The study’s purpose was to compare kale growing in three types of low-cost garden bed treatments (four plots per treatment) under ambient conditions in a subarctic climate. The 2019 study measured aboveground biomass and total leaf surface area of kale, monitored soil climate conditions of each treatment, and deciphered, with regards to regional suitability, the benefits and drawbacks of each garden bed treatment. Kale cultivated in the standard boxes (0.25 m height raised bed) and hügelkultur-style boxes (0.50 m height raised bed, including a layer of buried woody debris) resulted in 44 – 58% more aboveground mass and 52% more total surface area than were yielded in kale cultivated in the ground treatment (not elevated), but these increases did not represent statistically significant differences among treatments (ANOVA, p ≥ 0.12) because of the large variation likely from a small sample size. The two raised box treatments increased early-season soil temperatures by 0.5˚C to 2.5˚C and reduced soil moisture by 41% – 53% compared to the ground treatment. We determined that the standard box treatment is best suited for the study site for improving soil climate conditions, protecting against water erosion, and decreasing the need to bend over.
{"title":"An Examination of Outdoor Garden Bed Designs in a Subarctic Community","authors":"M. Wilton, J. Karagatzides, A. Solomon, L. Tsuji","doi":"10.14430/arctic77061","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14430/arctic77061","url":null,"abstract":"At the global level, interest is growing in extending agricultural activities northwards to increase future food production. Agricultural activities are emerging at the local level in the subarctic and Arctic regions in order to adapt to climate change, mitigate food insecurities, and build up food autonomy. This pilot crop management study was situated in the Hudson Bay Lowlands within an isolated, Indigenous community garden site surrounded by a mature shelterbelt. The study’s purpose was to compare kale growing in three types of low-cost garden bed treatments (four plots per treatment) under ambient conditions in a subarctic climate. The 2019 study measured aboveground biomass and total leaf surface area of kale, monitored soil climate conditions of each treatment, and deciphered, with regards to regional suitability, the benefits and drawbacks of each garden bed treatment. Kale cultivated in the standard boxes (0.25 m height raised bed) and hügelkultur-style boxes (0.50 m height raised bed, including a layer of buried woody debris) resulted in 44 – 58% more aboveground mass and 52% more total surface area than were yielded in kale cultivated in the ground treatment (not elevated), but these increases did not represent statistically significant differences among treatments (ANOVA, p ≥ 0.12) because of the large variation likely from a small sample size. The two raised box treatments increased early-season soil temperatures by 0.5˚C to 2.5˚C and reduced soil moisture by 41% – 53% compared to the ground treatment. We determined that the standard box treatment is best suited for the study site for improving soil climate conditions, protecting against water erosion, and decreasing the need to bend over. ","PeriodicalId":55464,"journal":{"name":"Arctic","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2023-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"66598922","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Matthew J. Walsh, S. O'Neill, A. Prentiss, R. Willerslev, F. Riede, P. D. Jordan
Anthropologists have long been fascinated by the strikingly similar adaptations of circumpolar cultures as well as their puzzling differences. These patterns of diversity have been mapped, studied, and interpreted from many perspectives and often at different social and spatiotemporal scales. While this work has generated vast archives of legacy data, it has also left behind a fragmented understanding of what underpins Arctic cultural diversity and change. We argue that it is time to engage with questions that highlight the roles of socio-environmental learning and cumulative cultural inheritance in shaping human adaptations to Arctic environs. We situate this in light of longue durée adaptations to environmental change. We examine five case studies that have used this framework to explore the genealogy of northern cultural traditions and show how social learning, cultural inheritance, and transmission processes are germane to understanding the generation and change in varied information systems (i.e., traditional knowledge). Specifically, a cultural evolutionary framework enables long-lens insights into human decision-making trajectories, with continued and prescient impacts in the rapidly changing Arctic. It is critical to improve understandings of traditional knowledge not as static cultural phenomena, but as dynamic lineages of information: ideas with histories. Improving knowledge of the dynamic and evolving character of inherited traditional knowledge in circumpolar human-environment interactions must be a research priority given the pressures of accelerating climate change on Indigenous communities and the social-ecological systems in which they exist in order to help buffer cultural systems against future adaptive challenges in the rapidly changing Arctic.
{"title":"Ideas with Histories: Traditional Knowledge Evolves","authors":"Matthew J. Walsh, S. O'Neill, A. Prentiss, R. Willerslev, F. Riede, P. D. Jordan","doi":"10.14430/arctic76991","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14430/arctic76991","url":null,"abstract":"Anthropologists have long been fascinated by the strikingly similar adaptations of circumpolar cultures as well as their puzzling differences. These patterns of diversity have been mapped, studied, and interpreted from many perspectives and often at different social and spatiotemporal scales. While this work has generated vast archives of legacy data, it has also left behind a fragmented understanding of what underpins Arctic cultural diversity and change. We argue that it is time to engage with questions that highlight the roles of socio-environmental learning and cumulative cultural inheritance in shaping human adaptations to Arctic environs. We situate this in light of longue durée adaptations to environmental change. We examine five case studies that have used this framework to explore the genealogy of northern cultural traditions and show how social learning, cultural inheritance, and transmission processes are germane to understanding the generation and change in varied information systems (i.e., traditional knowledge). Specifically, a cultural evolutionary framework enables long-lens insights into human decision-making trajectories, with continued and prescient impacts in the rapidly changing Arctic. It is critical to improve understandings of traditional knowledge not as static cultural phenomena, but as dynamic lineages of information: ideas with histories. Improving knowledge of the dynamic and evolving character of inherited traditional knowledge in circumpolar human-environment interactions must be a research priority given the pressures of accelerating climate change on Indigenous communities and the social-ecological systems in which they exist in order to help buffer cultural systems against future adaptive challenges in the rapidly changing Arctic. ","PeriodicalId":55464,"journal":{"name":"Arctic","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2023-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47554807","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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