“…We compiled 31 records in total, of which 18 could be assigned to a year or decade and 13 that had no temporal information, and included reports such as ‘seen occasionally’. The majority of sighting reports are from TEK interviews with Inuvialuit residents (Byers and Roberts 1995; T. Byers, unpublished data, 1993; Hartwig 2009). Although four observations were made near Barrow, Alaska by Canadian Inuvialuit hunters (Byers and Roberts 1995; T. Byers, unpublished data, 1993); they were not included in this summary.…”
Section: Resultsmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Few records include information on month or date of sightings, although killer whales are typically observed in summer, with reports in both July and August. Killer whales have been observed hunting beluga whales, and hunters have observed that belugas and seals will avoid areas when killer whales are present (Table 1) (also see Byers and Roberts 1995; Harwood and Smith 2002). Fig.…”
Section: Resultsmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…In 1993, Byers and Roberts (1995) conducted semi-directed interviews and group discussion meetings to collect TEK of beluga whales. A total of 119 individuals participated in three Inuvialuit communities, 41 in Tuktoyaktuk, 40 in Aklavik, and 38 in Inuvik.…”
Section: Methodsmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Interviewees were mostly (74%) male, and 55% were defined as elders (> 50 years old), with the remaining interviewees ranging from 19 to 49 years of age. Byers and Roberts (1995) include some records of Beaufort Sea killer whale sightings, and other records were included in the raw data collected (T. Byers, unpublished data, 1993). These records were included and briefly discussed in Canadian Arctic-wide summaries (Higdon 2007; Higdon and others 2011: 450 records the database, which included 18 records (4%) in the Beaufort Sea-Amunsden Gulf ecoregion), but are presented in more detail here.…”
Section: Methodsmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…1), and some published distribution maps show their presence there (for example Jefferson and others 1991; Dahlheim and Heyning 1998). There is an Inuvialuktun word ( aarlu ) for killer whale, and while residents of the Mackenzie Delta region historically knew of this species, it was rarely seen (Byers and Roberts 1995; Harwood and Smith 2002). Killer whales have not been observed by marine mammal researchers despite four decades of extensive marine mammal survey work in this area (Baird 2001; Higdon and others 2011).…”
Sightings of killer whales (Orcinus orca) are increasing in the eastern Canadian Arctic, but trends in the western Arctic have not been thoroughly examined. We summarise killer whale observations from the Canadian Beaufort Sea, primarily from traditional ecological knowledge interviews and group workshops conducted in 1993 and 2006–2007. After correcting for duplicative reports, we documented 31 observations occurring from the 1940s to 2000s (18 of the 31 observations could be attributed to a particular decade whereas others could not). Killer whales are rare in the Canadian Beaufort Sea, with only 1–5 reported sightings per decade since the 1940s (median = 3). In 1993 only 15% of Inuvialuit hunters in three communities had observed them, including some sightings in Alaska. Recent mapping workshops (2006–2007) collected only eight sightings from 128 participants in all six regional communities. Local observations indicate no apparent increase in killer whale presence in the western Canadian Arctic. Sightings were widely distributed across the region, although concentrated in the Mackenzie Delta area with few to the east. Killer whales are annually observed as far north as Barrow, Alaska, but do not appear to make regular eastward movements and are rare in Canadian waters.
“…We compiled 31 records in total, of which 18 could be assigned to a year or decade and 13 that had no temporal information, and included reports such as ‘seen occasionally’. The majority of sighting reports are from TEK interviews with Inuvialuit residents (Byers and Roberts 1995; T. Byers, unpublished data, 1993; Hartwig 2009). Although four observations were made near Barrow, Alaska by Canadian Inuvialuit hunters (Byers and Roberts 1995; T. Byers, unpublished data, 1993); they were not included in this summary.…”
Section: Resultsmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Few records include information on month or date of sightings, although killer whales are typically observed in summer, with reports in both July and August. Killer whales have been observed hunting beluga whales, and hunters have observed that belugas and seals will avoid areas when killer whales are present (Table 1) (also see Byers and Roberts 1995; Harwood and Smith 2002). Fig.…”
Section: Resultsmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…In 1993, Byers and Roberts (1995) conducted semi-directed interviews and group discussion meetings to collect TEK of beluga whales. A total of 119 individuals participated in three Inuvialuit communities, 41 in Tuktoyaktuk, 40 in Aklavik, and 38 in Inuvik.…”
Section: Methodsmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Interviewees were mostly (74%) male, and 55% were defined as elders (> 50 years old), with the remaining interviewees ranging from 19 to 49 years of age. Byers and Roberts (1995) include some records of Beaufort Sea killer whale sightings, and other records were included in the raw data collected (T. Byers, unpublished data, 1993). These records were included and briefly discussed in Canadian Arctic-wide summaries (Higdon 2007; Higdon and others 2011: 450 records the database, which included 18 records (4%) in the Beaufort Sea-Amunsden Gulf ecoregion), but are presented in more detail here.…”
Section: Methodsmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…1), and some published distribution maps show their presence there (for example Jefferson and others 1991; Dahlheim and Heyning 1998). There is an Inuvialuktun word ( aarlu ) for killer whale, and while residents of the Mackenzie Delta region historically knew of this species, it was rarely seen (Byers and Roberts 1995; Harwood and Smith 2002). Killer whales have not been observed by marine mammal researchers despite four decades of extensive marine mammal survey work in this area (Baird 2001; Higdon and others 2011).…”
Sightings of killer whales (Orcinus orca) are increasing in the eastern Canadian Arctic, but trends in the western Arctic have not been thoroughly examined. We summarise killer whale observations from the Canadian Beaufort Sea, primarily from traditional ecological knowledge interviews and group workshops conducted in 1993 and 2006–2007. After correcting for duplicative reports, we documented 31 observations occurring from the 1940s to 2000s (18 of the 31 observations could be attributed to a particular decade whereas others could not). Killer whales are rare in the Canadian Beaufort Sea, with only 1–5 reported sightings per decade since the 1940s (median = 3). In 1993 only 15% of Inuvialuit hunters in three communities had observed them, including some sightings in Alaska. Recent mapping workshops (2006–2007) collected only eight sightings from 128 participants in all six regional communities. Local observations indicate no apparent increase in killer whale presence in the western Canadian Arctic. Sightings were widely distributed across the region, although concentrated in the Mackenzie Delta area with few to the east. Killer whales are annually observed as far north as Barrow, Alaska, but do not appear to make regular eastward movements and are rare in Canadian waters.
PurposeTo learn how Inuvialuit people feel about the oil and gas activities on their land.Design/methodology/approachInterviews were administered to a stratified sample, on Inuvialuit land. Participants included: Inuvialuit elders; entrepreneurs; public servants; employees of the private sector; managers of oil companies; unemployed persons; housewives; the mayor of Inuvik; and the first aboriginal woman leader in Canada.FindingsIt was reported that oil and gas industry activities are having a positive impact on the regional economy, creating indirect as well as direct financial benefits for the Inuvialuit among others. However, some residents qualified their support saying that they are in favour of continued activity only if benefits filter to them as opposed to being enjoyed only by oil companies and migrant employees. Concern was also expressed for the environment and for the threat that development brings to wildlife upon which people rely on as a food source.Research limitations/implicationsThis study should have a longitudinal follow‐up.Practical implicationsWhile oil and gas exploration and the building of a pipeline may have economic advantages, this might have social, cultural and environment costs for the Inuvialuit.Originality/valueThe paper illustrates how oil and gas activities on Inuvialuit land will transform the lives of these people.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
