Inuit, Polar Bears, and Sustainable Use

This book addresses four particular aspects of polar bear conservation, namely (1) the practice of conservation hunting of polar bears, (2) Inuit understanding of polar bears and their changing habitat, (3) public perceptions of polar bears and climate changes that appear to influence polar bear management decisions, and (4) analysis of existing polar bear management and governance programs. The aim of this book is to contribute to culturally-inclusive, equitable an effective wildlife conservation and management in the Northern regions - and by extension, in other regions where indigenous systems of co-existing with wildlife also struggle to work with positivistic science-based assessments of conservation needs. Given the diverse world views, perspectives and agendas of all those seeking to influence conservation of the iconic polar bear, it is impossible in a single book to provide a comprehensive treatment of the management problems Inuit residents of the Canadian Arctic and their government co-management partners face at the present time. Consequently what is presented in this volume are the generally under-reported perspectives of Arctic residents that reflect an experiential understanding of events taking place in the region, and of some others whose views also augment assessments being used to develop polar bear conservation initiatives. Papers by: Milton M.R. Freeman and Lee Foote; Lee Foote and George W. Wenzel; Martina Tyrrell; Kerrie Ann Shannon and Milton M.R. Freeman; George W. Wenzel; Dan Slavik; Eugene H. Buck; Martina Tyrrell; Darren Keith; Richard Glenn; Gabriel Nirlungayuk and David S. Lee; Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and Inuit Circumpolar Council-Canada; Nunavut Tunngavik Ink; Government of Nunavut; Milton M.R. Freeman; Lee Foote, Naomi Krogman, Douglas A. Clark, and Lindsay Johnston; Nigel Bankes and David S. Lee; Martha Dowsley; Douglas A. Clark, Martina Tyrrell, Martha Dowsley, Lee Foote, Milton M.R. Freeman and Susan G. Clark.