Transcript Polar Bear hunting - Class Notes For Mr. Pantano

Nunavut
http://www.nunavuttourism.com/media/search.aspx?tag=24&tagname=Animal
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This rock statue is called an inuksuk (in-uksuk)
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Inuit use them as directional markers and
landmarks
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“Inuk” means person and “suk” means
substitute
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It is meant to symbolize a person pointing
travelers in the right direction
A Brief History of Nunavut
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Scientists believe that the first people in North
America were the Old World hunters, who came
in search of food 30 000-25 000 BC.
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These hunters hunted mammoths and
mastodons.
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Between 30 000 and 12 000 BCE most of
Canada was buried under a thick ice sheet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoKxkx0bYRk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJJDM675Ypw
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By 9000 BC the ice sheet was almost
completely melted
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Around the year 1000 the Thule culture starts
to appear.
The Thule are the ancestors of the Inuit
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Between the 1570-1820 there were
numerous expeditions by British explorers.
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The British set up many settlements which
primarily served as whaling stations.
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In 1999 Nunavut becomes Canada’s official
3rd territory.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4oJBYkPwkQ
Nunavut: Land
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Nunavut means “our
land” in Inuktitut.
It makes up 21.3% of
Canada’s total area
(largest part of Canada)
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It is an Arctic
Archipelago (group of
islands).
Mountainous and
rocky
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Some areas
are covered
by ice sheets 2
km thick.
Lots of valleys,
frozen lakes,
and costal
fjords, caused
by glaciers.
•It has very rocky, mountainous terrain
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiQkZ
cUEtfc&nohtml5=False
EXPEDITION Q - A crossing of Baffin
Island
Baffin Island Fjord Nunavut
The Regions of Nunavut
Nunavut has three major regions:
1.Baffin Region
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Cities & towns include:
a) Iqaluit
b) Pond Inlet
c) Clyde River
d) Eureka
e) Alert
https://www.you
tube.com/watch?
v=Mi0TACqvc88
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Fjord: A narrow inlet of the sea between
cliffs or steep slopes
Eureka
Note: Alert is the most
northern settlement in the
world. It has only 5
permanent residents. Alert
is also used for military and
research.
Note: Eureka is
located on Ellesmere
Island and is primarily
used as a military base
and satellite/ radio
monitoring
Alert
2. Keewatin
Region:
Cities and Towns
Include:
a) Chesterfield Inlet
b) Repulse Bay
c) Rankin Inlet
3. Kitikmeot Region:
Include:
a) Cambridge Bay
b) Bathurst Inlet
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Purple Saxifrage is
Nunavut’s official
flower
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It is one of the few
plants that will grow in
Nunavut
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Source of food (Inuit)
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Sweet tasting flower –
(Eat it raw or boil it in
water)
Climate
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It is harsh
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Winters are long and cold (-40°C)
with strong winds
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Summers are short and cool (+/10°C).
Frost in the summer
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzE0CF2Qmzw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0AdN3lfySw
Climate continued…
Its mostly polar desert:
Annual precipitation: <250 mm
Average temp. during the warmest month
is <10 °C.
Land
plains
is mostly hard bedrock or gravel
Vegetation
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Very few plants are able to survive (harsh
climate).
Tundra vegetation consists:
 Small bushes
 Patches of grass
 Mosses, lichens
 Some flowers
 NO trees
Population
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Total area of 1.9 million km2.
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Approx. 30 000 inhabitants
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Iqaluit (capital city) has a little over 6,200
inhabitants.
Over 85% of Nunavut’s population is Inuit.
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Quebec has an area of 1.3 million km2 and has almost 8
million people.
Government
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Premier is the
Honourable PETER
TAPTUNA (since 2013)
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Narwhal is a sea animal with a long tusk on
it’s face.
+/- 4m-6m in length
Weighs up to 1.6 tons
Live +/- 50 years
Source of food (Inuit)
Tusks - used to make tools & weapons.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YO58kt-jETA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7aTCbiD0KM
Language and Education
TODAY
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Inuit kids go to public school.
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They speak English or French & Inuktitut.
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Also trying to protect their culture (like Qc).
PAST
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Knowledge was passed down orally from elders
to grandchildren; kids did not attend schools
Inuit Clothing
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Traditional clothing comes from animal
skins, intestines or furs.
These parts retained heat and were
waterproof
Getting wet/not wearing proper clothing in
the arctic is very dangerous...can lead to
death.
Shelter and Transportation
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Traditionally, they lived in skin tents or
mud houses (summer) and in igloos
(winter).
Today they live in wooden, permanent
houses.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=uB4JGUzve6M
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Different modes of transportation are
either traditional or modern.
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Modern: snowmobiles, ATV’s and
trucks
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Traditional: dog-sled, kayak, and umiaq
(row boat)
Sources of Food
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Inuit diet is made up of meat and fish &
edible plants.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrH0S68-luc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAqEK7K5oCQ
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Most Inuit will hunt or fish.
Food sources: narwhal, polar bear, seal,
caribou, musk ox, and whale.
This diet gives them lots of energy (very
important in the North).
WEAPONS
PAST
 Harpoon – Used it to hunt large animals.
 3 main parts: The shaft, head, and rope.
 Harpoon head stabs animal & rope is
used to pull body towards you.
TODAY
 High-powered rifles
 Harpoons
Inuit Diet
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Diet consists mostly
of meat - provides
them with the energy
needed to survive in
the Arctic.
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Edible plants - purple
saxifrage
Hunting in Nunavut
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Hunting is the main
source of acquiring
food in Nunavut.
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Today the Inuit can buy
food in general stores,
but most still hunt.
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Main hunting ground for the Inuit
was on pack ice and ice floes.
Inuit hunted larger animals (ex:
whales and seals) on sea ice.
Inuit hunting weapons:
a)
Harpoon and spear (larger animals)
b)
Bow and arrows, clubs, and knives
(smaller animals)
c)
Bolas were used to hunt birds.
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A Bola is a small net with bone beads
attached to it.
Polar Bear hunting
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It is a traditional food
source for the Inuit.
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Inuit eat its meat and
use its skin to make
clothing.
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Claws and bones are
used to make tools &
weapons.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SAEneWhwXc
In the past:
 Used harpoons & bow and arrows to kill
polar bears.
Today:
 Use high powered rifles.
Polar Bear hunting and Tourism:
Great for Nunavut’s Economy!
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The average American adventure traveler
will pay up to $30,000 for the chance to kill
a polar bear.
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Tourists provide hundreds of jobs to locals
(employment) in many communities.
The government also makes money
because it collects taxes from:
a) Tourists (hunting permits, tourist tax)
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b)
Local businesses (tour guides, hunting
permits, restaurants, souvenir shops,
hotels, airline companies etc.)
Canadian Government &
Hunting Quotas
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The government of Canada allows polar bear
hunting.
It sets yearly quotas that must be
respected by the hunting industry.
A Quota is a limited quantity of polar bears
that can be hunted in one year.
In Canada, the quota for polar pears is
approximately 500
Are Polar Bear
Endangered? YES!
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Experts believe Polar
Bears will go on the
endangered species list for
two reasons:
a)
Killed by hunters (high
quota)
Starving to death due to
lack of food caused by
global warming
b)
Seal hunting
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Seals are killed for their skin, blubber,
& meat
The Inuit use seals for food and use
their skin and bones to make clothing
and tools
The Inuit still use clubs, harpoons, and
hakapiks to kill them
Seals are hunted for 3 reasons:
a) Food
b) Balancing out its population
c) Make products we buy in stores
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Clothing companies sell seal skin products
(Ex: Versace, Gucci, Tommy Hilfiger)
Controversy: Seal Hunting
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Sealing is mostly done in the Canadian
north.
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Canadian Gov’t is criticized for allowing
sealing to continue.
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It sets yearly quotas (a fixed number ) at
approximately 300 000 seals.
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Canada is also
criticized by animal
rights groups for
allowing sealers to
use hakapiks to kill
seals.
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It is considered a
brutal method
because seals are
beaten to death
with these
weapons.
 Canadian
a)
b)
c)
Government argues:
Beating is painless
Sealing balances out its population in
the North
Sealing is good for our economy ($25
million every year).
Greenland Facts
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81% of its surface is covered by an ice
sheet.
Heavy ice sheet has pushed the surface
300m below sea level.
World’s largest island
Population: 60 000
What does Greenland & Nunavut
have in common?
1.
2.
a)
b)
c)
3.
4.
Large native population (Kalaallisut)
Both natives groups:
Live similar lifestyles
Rely on hunting & fishing
Use sea ice & land glaciers to hunt
Same climate & vegetation
Ice melt due to GLOBAL WARMING
Global Warming: The Basics
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It is a gradual, natural increase in the
overall temperature of the earth's
atmosphere
Greenhouse gases are created by:
a) Using large amounts of energy

b)
Burning of fossil fuels
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a)
b)
c)
What is speeding up the process of
Global Warming?
Greenhouse Gases
Pollution
Deforestation
What are the effects of global
warming in Nunavut?
1.
Sea ice for hunting is disappearing
2.
Marine mammals and animals that
use the ice will disappear
3.
Inuit will loose valuable food sources
4.
Inuit communities will disappear
Some General effects of
Global Warming
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Extreme Weather (Hurricane Sandy)
Sea level rise
Flooding or Drought
Loss of drinkable water
Decreased food supplies
Loss of many animal species
Cost for many products (food, electricity,
etc.) will increase.