Clyde River, Nunavut, Canada

27 August – 5 September 2009

Linking Inuit Knowledge and Local-Scale Environmental Modeling to Evaluate the Impacts of Changing Weather on

Human Activities at Clyde River, Nunavut

Dr. Shari Gearheard

Project Leader

University of Colorado

And

Clyde River

Linking Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit

(Traditional Knowledge)

and Science

Dr. Henry Huntington

Pew Charitable Trusts

And

Huntington Consulting

Synthesis of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit

and Science

Dr. Glen Liston

Colorado State University

Snow and Meteorological

Modeling

Dr. Kelly Elder

US Forest Service

Snow, Meteorological

Towers

Joelie Sanguya

Clyde River

Local Expertise and Inuit

Qaujimajatuqangit (Traditional Knowledge)

Ilkoo Angutikjuak

Clyde River

Local Expertise and Inuit

Qaujimajatuqangit and Weather Forecaster

Laimikie Palluq

Clyde River

Local Expertise and Inuit

Qaujimajatuqangit

(and polar bear lookout)

A two-day boat trip up Clyde Inlet / Fjord.

Laimikie’s Inuit Freighter Canoe (with a big motor)

Joelie’s boat.

Discussing possible meteorological tower locations.

Keeping an eye out for polar

bear (nanuq), or any other kind

of food.

(Very) Fresh Arctic Char

A camp on the beach.

And a cabin (if you are

worried about polar bears).

In the 1950s the Canadian government gave the Inuit

numbers (instead of English names), starting with an E or a W for eastern and western Canadian

Arctic ...

Joelie

Icebergs from Jakobshavn, Greenland

Sighting Summary:5 Snowy Owls1 Gyre Falcon2 Polar Bears8 Ring Seals1 (dead) Bowhead Whale2 (live) Bowhead WhalesLots of Arctic CharLots of Blueberries6 Lemmings (caught and

eaten by the dogs)2 Red-Throated Loons0 Narwhal (bummer)Northern Lights

A Clyde River dog who didn’t pass

the, very strict, sled-dog test.

local sled dogs

Ilkoo carving a polar bear for Glen (he is one

of three carvers in Clyde River).

(from left) Laimikie Palluq, Elijah Kautaq, and Joelie Sanguya, marking end-of-winter snow-free areas within a 150-km radius of Clyde River (to be compared with our model

simulations)

The End

Inuksuk(to guide the way)