Inuit Co-Management Strategies in the Arctic

Abstract

Inuit co-management of northern resources and environments is critical to the survival of these rapidly changing ecosystems. This paper explores co-management initiatives currently present in the Arctic, as well as the creation and implementation of these strategies.  The relationship between Indigenous traditional knowledge and the success of co-management strategies is analyzed, noting that dismissive beliefs held by Eurocentric power figures affect the existence and enforcement of these strategies. The effects of climate change and faunal conservation are two of the pillars upon which co-management techniques are founded in Arctic communities, making them key players in the pursuit of a sustainable future.