Dynamic Inuit social strategies in changing environment: A long term perspective

For the IPY project Dynamic Inuit Social Strategies in Changing Environments: A Long-Term Perspective, archaeologists and other scientists from across Canada collaborated with Inuit community and heritage organizations to better understand how Inuit culture developed and changed over the past 1,000 years. Six research teams brought together Inuit traditional knowledge, excavation of important archaeological sites, and information about changing Arctic environments. The research took place across the Canadian Arctic, with fieldwork occurring in Nunavut near the communities of Cambridge Bay, Arviat, Taloyoak, Igloolik, and Hall Beach; in Nunavik (northern Québec) near Inukjuak; and in Labrador near Nain (Figure 1). The ultimate goal of the project is to understand how outside forces, such as climate change and interaction with Europeans, were combined with complex and dynamic Inuit cultural patterns, to produce the diverse and successful societies which exist across the Canadian Arctic today. A key part of the project is its emphasis on close integration with Inuit organizations. The various research teams worked closely with community groups and cultural organizations, and a large number of Inuit elders and youth were involved in various aspects of the planning, fieldwork, and communication of knowledge gained. The results of the project will be useful to Inuit heritage organizations and educational institutions that are dedicated to connecting the past with the present, and also will provide a long-term historic perspective on issues facing modern northern communities as they deal with climate change and other challenges. Results from the fieldwork include significant new insights into the early Thule Inuit migration from Alaska through the eastern Arctic, the nature of early Inuit life in coastal regions across the Arctic, and the relationship between climate change and Inuit culture change.

针对国际极地年（International Polar Year，IPY）项目《变化环境中的因纽特动态社会策略：长期视角》，来自加拿大各地的考古学家与其他科研人员联合因纽特社区及遗产组织，旨在深入探究过去1000年间因纽特文化的发展与变迁历程。六个研究团队整合了因纽特传统知识、重要考古遗址的发掘成果，以及北极环境变化的相关信息。该项研究覆盖加拿大北极地区，野外工作开展于努纳武特地区剑桥湾、阿维亚特、塔洛约阿克、伊格卢利克与哈尔比奇社区周边，努纳维克地区（魁北克北部）因纽朱亚克周边，以及拉布拉多的内恩周边（图1）。本项目的终极目标是厘清气候变化、与欧洲人的互动等外部因素，如何与复杂且动态的因纽特文化模式相互作用，最终造就了如今遍布加拿大北极地区的多元且充满活力的社会。该项目的核心环节之一，是强调与因纽特组织的深度融合：各研究团队与社区团体及文化组织紧密协作，大量因纽特长老与青年参与到规划、野外工作以及知识传播等各个环节当中。本项目的研究成果，将对致力于联结过去与当下的因纽特遗产组织与教育机构具有重要价值，同时也将为现代北极社区应对气候变化及其他挑战时面临的问题，提供长期的历史视角。野外工作的研究成果包括：对早期图勒因纽特人（Thule Inuit）从阿拉斯加经北极东部迁徙活动的全新重要认知、北极沿海地区早期因纽特人生活的本质特征，以及气候变化与因纽特文化变迁之间的关联。