By Kaila Jefferd-Moore
Hundreds of caribou biologists, harvesters, co-managers, and community members from across the spectrum of caribou monitoring, research and stewardship are gathering in Yellowknife this week.
The 20th North American Caribou Workshop (NACW) is being hosted by the N.W.T. government with caribou co-management partners, from Indigenous governments to resource and wildlife management boards.
“Caribou are ecologically and culturally very important across the circumpolar areas,” said Brad Woodworth, co-chair of the conference organizing committee and an ecologist with the wildlife division of the N.W.T. Department of Environment and Climate Change.
“It’s very important to be coming together to discuss and share and listen and learn from one another about issues facing caribou so we can hopefully have thriving and healthy populations now and in perpetuity.”
The theme of this year’s international conference is “united by caribou,” to emphasize the unique relationships different people, organizations and communities have with caribou.
“The conference itself has really been transforming from a science focus to [something] much more interdisciplinary, and incorporating many kinds of worldviews and ways of knowing about caribou,” said Kathy Unger, co-chair of the organizing committee and a biologist with the wildlife division. “So that means there’s a lot more space for Indigenous knowledge-sharing.”
Topics range from managing habitat restoration and using genetics to assess populations to assessing the impact of major infrastructure projects and incorporating Indigenous knowledge systems within caribou research, monitoring and stewardship.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: New maps shine light on decline of Bathurst Caribou in the N.W.T., CBC News
Finland: Sami Parliament in Finland call for reform to Reindeer Damage Act, Eye on the Arctic
Greenland: Greenland’s leader hails EU as trusted friend and urges investment in its minerals, The Associated Press
Norway: As climate changes, Sami herders need to feed reindeer as rain creates ice layer, Reuters
Russia: Putin in Arkhangelsk: Arctic industry and infrastructure on agenda, The Independent Barents Observer
Sweden: Just how significant is the discovery of rare earth metals in Arctic Sweden?
United States: Alaskan tribes sue B.C. gov’t over mines in far northwest, CBC News
