An archaeological survey of Kitsissut, a remote island cluster in the High Arctic of Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland), has revealed a human pres- ence almost 4500 years ago, during the formation of a vital marine environment—Pikialasorsuaq polynya. Kitsissut is accessible only by a difficult open-water…
An archaeological survey of Kitsissut, a remote island cluster in the High Arctic of Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland), has revealed a human pres- ence almost 4500 years ago, during the formation of a vital marine environment—Pikialasorsuaq polynya. Kitsissut is accessible only by a difficult open-water journey, and repeated occupation thus permits inferences on the sophistication of water- craft technology and navigational skill. Here, the authors argue that this demonstrable reach of Early Paleo-Inuit communities across marine and terres- trial ecosystems enhances our understanding of their lifeways and environmental legacy, raising critical new questions about Indigenous agency in shaping emerging Arctic ecosystems.
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Årstal:
2026
Emner:
Indigenous heritage; Arctic archaeology; Ecological agency; Kalaallit Nunaat; Pikialasorsuaq; North America
Titel på tidsskrift:
Antiquity
Udgiver:
Cambridge University Press
DOI nummer:
https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2026.10285
The Pikialasorsuaq Atlas is an attempt to bridge and represent both scientific knowledge and Inuit knowledge about a critically important Arctic sea ice feature. The Atlas consists of a web-based platform containing a variety of datasets, allowing the viewer to develop a comprehensive understanding…
The Pikialasorsuaq Atlas is an attempt to bridge and represent both scientific knowledge and Inuit knowledge about a critically important Arctic sea ice feature. The Atlas consists of a web-based platform containing a variety of datasets, allowing the viewer to develop a comprehensive understanding of the ecological and cultural importance of the North Water Polynya (Pikialasorsuaq). A collaboration between the Inuit Circumpolar Council's Pikialasorsuaq Commission, Dalhousie University, KNAPK (The Association of Fishers and Hunters in Greenland) and WWF, the Atlas was released in 2017. This paper will describe the methodology used for documenting Inuit knowledge, discuss the structure of the Atlas, and explore the implications of using Inuit knowledge datasets in the context of a broader integrated, web-based platform. More specifically, this paper will explore the following questions: 1) What are the main challenges of representing and using Inuit knowledge data with other types of data; and 2) What are the consequences of decontextualization and reconstruction of knowledge implicit in the Atlas? The authors will argue that Inuit data, if carefully curated and presented, can be employed in the co-production of knowledge by Indigenous Peoples and researchers challenging prevailing cartographic representations with counter-mapping practices.
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Forfatter:
Clive Tesar; Claudio Aporta
Editor:
David Molyneux; Katleen Robert; Dawn Roche
Årstal:
2019
Emner:
Inuit knowledge; North Water polynya; Pikialasorsuaq; Co-production of knowledge
Titel på tidsskrift:
The Journal of Ocean Technology
Volumen af tidsskriftet:
14
Tidsskriftsnummer:
1
Udgiver:
Marine Institute & Memorial University of Newfoundland
Publikationssted:
St. John’s
Publikationsland:
Canada
ISSN nummer:
1718-3200