Beluga Summit brings together hunters and researchers in Inuvik, N.W.T.

Dez Loreen · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 14, 2025 9:08 AM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours ago

Hunters, accepted cognition holders and scientists person wrapped up the second-ever Beluga Summit in Inuvik, N.W.T.

Almost 100 participants from crossed the Inuvialuit colony country and beyond were successful attendance for the three-day lawsuit that ended Thursday.

The archetypal lawsuit was held successful Inuvik successful 2016, to sermon the section beluga whales and show their population.

This week's gathering saw presentations from section harvesters from all six of the Inuvialuit communities of Aklavik, Inuvik, Paulatuk, Sachs Harbour, Tuktoyaktuk and Ulukhaktok. They gave accusation connected their section beluga populations and however galore whales person been harvested.

Researchers and scientists were besides successful attendance to contiguous their findings.

Herb Nakimayak is the seat of the Fisheries Joint Management Committee (FJMC) that co-hosted the summit. The FJMC is 1 of the Inuvialuit co-management boards formed under the Inuvialuit Final Agreement.

Nakimayak said the acme is an accidental for local hunters and cognition holders to share their experiences and observations with researchers from each over.

"All the Inuvialuit communities successful the ISR [Inuvialuit Settlement Region] are present contiguous and their probe partners which are from retired of territory," said Nakimayak.

According to Nakimayak, bridging the spread betwixt accepted cognition and Western subject is what the acme is each about.

He hopes that different Indigenous-led probe volition instrumentality from their exemplary and usage it successful their ain enactment with wildlife monitoring.

"We're improving the mode probe is done connected species, conscionable this species, but it could besides beryllium a bully template for Indigenous cognition connected galore different taxon that are monitored — not conscionable successful the Arctic, but each astir the world," helium said.

Nakimayak said the information shows that tracking whale populations has gotten much close and little invasive to the belugas.

"We spoke astir things similar tagging successful the past, drones and each antithetic types of exertion that aren't arsenic invasive, to guarantee that we are not putting excessively overmuch unit connected the beluga that we trust connected for nutrients," said Nakimayak.

Jimmy Kalinek of Inuvik was 1 of the participants astatine the summit. He said helium wasn't astatine the archetypal summit in 2016, but has been connected the onshore his full beingness and has accusation helium gathered from section elders, friends and household who would besides question to hunt and harvest their ain food.

"The cognition that I bring to the array is from our past elders, and from the teachers that taught me, and friends that person a batch of cognition that stock with me," said Kalinek.

"Just being retired determination harvesting, and practicing that harvest and teaching it, is precise important to myself and the Inuvialuit people."

During the presentations and discussions astatine the summit, Kalinek said it became evident that the Inuvialuit were taking the close attack to bluish research.

"The information that we bring to the table, with accepted cognition and Western science, is top-notch," helium said.

"Everybody is like, 'wow, you guys are doing a truly bully occupation up there,' and I deliberation there's a existent consciousness of pridefulness successful that — and each Inuvialuit should beryllium arrogant of that."