Caribou (Rangifer tarandus) and Inuit Nutrition Security in Canada

Abstract

Caribou (Rangifer tarandus) has been fundamental to the diet and culture of Arctic Indigenous Peoples for thousands of years. Although caribou populations observe natural cycles of abundance and scarcity, several caribou herds across the Circumpolar North have experienced dramatic declines in recent decades due to a range of interrelated factors. Broadly, the objectives of this study are to examine food and nutrition security in relation to wildlife population and management status across Inuit Nunangat (the Inuit homeland, consisting of four regions across the Canadian Arctic). Specifically, we: (1) characterize the contribution of caribou to Inuit nutrition across northern Canada and (2) evaluate the population and management status of caribou herds/populations harvested by Inuit. Dietary data were derived from the 2007-2008 Inuit Health Survey, which included dietary information for Inuit adults (n = 2097) residing in thirty-six communities, spanning three regions (the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Nunavut, and Nunatsiavut) of the Canadian North. Published information regarding the range, abundance, status, and management status of caribou herds/populations was collected through document analysis and was validated through consultation with northern wildlife experts (territorial governments, co-management, and/or Inuit organizations). While caribou contributed modestly to total diet energy (3-11% of intake) across the regions, it was the primary source of iron (14-37%), zinc (18-41%), copper (12-39%), riboflavin (15-39%), and vitamin B12 (27-52%), as well as a top source of protein (13-35%). Restrictions on Inuit subsistence harvest (harvest quotas or bans) are currently enacted on at least six northern caribou herds/populations with potential consequences for country food access for over twenty-five Inuit communities across Canada. A holistic multi-sectorial approach is needed to ensure the sustainability of wildlife populations, while supporting Inuit food and nutrition security in the interim.

Food insecurity in Nunavut: Are we going from bad to worse?

“…Caribou, in particular, is fundamental to Inuit food systems, ranking as the top dietary source of protein in Nunavut. 11 Substantial popula tion declines for several caribou herds have been documented, with total allowable harvest designations applied to herds on Southampton Island since 2012, and for the 3 Baffin Island herds since 2015. 11 Harvest restrictions and declining wildlife abun dance have the potential to exacerbate food insecurity by increasing reliance on store foods, reducing incomeearning opportunities, disrupting sharing networks, and limiting oppor tunities for youth to acquire harvesting knowledge and skills.…”

“…Although we found few changes in access to trails used for hunting and fishing when applying Ford and colleagues' 12 data set to the communities included in the linked research for the period 2006-2016, declin ing caribou populations and increasing stress on other species consumed by Inuit have been linked to climate change. 11 Examining these alternative explanations of rising food insecurity underlines the need for qualitative ethnographies of the pathways through which policies affect Inuit food systems. Such work needs to consider both store and traditional foods, and the complex interlinkages between the two.…”

Culture and the social-ecology of local food use by Indigenous communities in northern North America

“…Healthrelated traditional food research focuses primarily on food-tohealth outcomes, emphasizing the unique nutrient profiles and high nutritional value of traditional foods (Kuhnlein and Receveur 2007, Johnson-Down and Egeland 2010, Egeland et al 2011, Kenny et al 2018b; their contributions to food security (Lambden et al 2007, Power 2008, Kasimba et al 2018 and reduced incidence of chronic health conditions, including diabetes and obesity (Young et al 2000, Milburn 2004, Egeland et al 2011, Marushka et al 2017; and their role in food-borne contaminant and disease exposure (Kuhnlein and Chan 2000, Donaldson et al 2010, Quinn et al 2012, Dudley et al 2015, Binnington et al 2016. Environment-related traditional food research focuses primarily on environment-to-food impacts, emphasizing the climate vulnerability of traditional food systems (Krupnik and Jolly 2002, Furgal and Seguin 2006, Ford 2009, Royer 2015, including observed changes in the abundance and health of harvested species (Wassmann et al 2011, Dinero 2013, Kenny et al 2018a) and the increased difficulty and risk of Ecology and Society 25(2): 8 https://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol25/iss2/art8/ Fig. 1.…”

Potential impact of restricted caribou (Rangifer tarandus) consumption on anemia prevalence among Inuit adults in northern Canada

“…Country foods obtained from hunting, fishing, and trapping, remain fundamental to the Inuit food system, despite rapid sociocultural and economic changes in Inuit communities over the last several decades [10]. While Inuit harvest and consume a diversity of local species (including both plant, and animal species) for culture and subsistence, dietary studies show that caribou (Rangifer tarandus) generally represents the most frequently, and abundantly, consumed country food [11,12]. Over 90 % of participants in the Inuit Health Survey reported consuming caribou over the previous year, with a mean annual consumption of 29.6-122.8 kg of caribou per person, according to sex, and region [12].…”

“…Over 90 % of participants in the Inuit Health Survey reported consuming caribou over the previous year, with a mean annual consumption of 29.6-122.8 kg of caribou per person, according to sex, and region [12]. Caribou is also the number one source of iron (up to 36.5% of total population iron intake) and several micronutrients (including zinc, copper, vitamin B 6 , and vitamin B 12 ) involved in erythropoiesis reported in contemporary Inuit diets [11,13].…”