When the Weather is Uggianaqtuq: Inuit Observations of Environmental Change

Uggianaqtuq (pronounced OOG-gi-a-nak-took ) is a North Baffin Inuktitut word that means to behave unexpectedly, or in an unfamiliar way. From the perspective of many hunters and elders in the Arctic, the weather has been uggianaqtuq in recent years. Inuit from two communities in Nunavut, Canada (Baker Lake and Clyde River), share their observations and perspectives on recent environmental changes. The CD-ROM is a pilot project that uses media technology, as opposed to written reports, as an alternative way to document and communicate Inuit observations and knowledge. It is a research product/report for the communities involved, as well as others interested in how Inuit are experiencing environmental change. Maps, text, photos, video and music are integrated to help illustrate the changes Inuit have observed in their environment and the impacts on their livelihoods. The integrated components allow the user to

* search by topic or the person being interviewed

* view interview clips in Inuktitut with English interpretations

* view and print maps about environmental changes drawn by participants

* view short videos with scenes from the communities

* view summaries and photos of environmental changes and their impacts to the landscape and community life.

The research project was funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), grant number OPP-9906740, a doctoral fellowship from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), and an award from the Innovative Research Program at the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), University of Colorado at Boulder (CU).