Sea ice is disappearing in the North. This is how Inuit are responding
Shrinking sea ice and the Inuit response to a climate crisis
For over three decades, Reuben Flowers has been meticulously documenting the changes occurring in the North. As an Inuk life skills teacher from Hopedale, he has dedicated his life to recording daily observations of weather conditions and ice levels in the capital of Nunatsiavut. His journals serve as undeniable evidence that the climate is indeed changing.
In a recent interview with Unreserved host Rosanna Deerchild, Flowers, now 57, shared his insights on the alarming thinning of the ice. He recalled how, as a child, the ice was much thicker compared to what it is today. In many Northern communities, ice is a constant presence for six to nine months of the year, playing a vital role in the landscape. During the winter months, when transportation options become limited, ice serves as a crucial connector between communities, enabling people to travel, hunt, and gather essential resources.
Flowers emphasized that climate change is disrupting the land and ice that have long sustained Inuit people physically, emotionally, spiritually, and mentally. He explained that the Inuit identity is deeply intertwined with the ice, as they are known as the “people of the ice.”
As the ice continues to deteriorate, residents of Nunatsiavut, including Flowers, are facing the need to adapt to a new reality. Rex Holwell, an Inuk from Nain, the northernmost community in Nunatsiavut, has taken proactive measures to address the issue. As the manager of SmartICE operations in Nunatsiavut, Holwell leads a team that combines traditional knowledge with modern technology to monitor Northern ice conditions. Despite the increasing demand for their services, Holwell acknowledges the bittersweet nature of their work, as it reflects the unwanted reality of climate change.
In the past, Inuit communities relied on traditional knowledge passed down through generations to assess ice conditions. However, Holwell noted that the changing weather patterns, including extended periods of rain and warmer temperatures, have rendered some of this traditional knowledge obsolete. In response, SmartICE provides communities with data-driven insights on ice conditions to ensure safer travel and decision-making.
SmartICE utilizes innovative tools such as the “smart buoy” and the “smart qamutik” to collect data on ice thickness and conditions. By empowering communities with this information, SmartICE is helping them adapt to the rapidly changing environment.
Robert Way, an associate professor and research chair at Queen’s University, and a Kallunângajuk (Nunatsiavummiut) from central Labrador, is deeply concerned about the impact of melting ice on Northern communities. He is working on initiatives to generate maps that identify areas unsafe for construction due to changing permafrost conditions. Way emphasized the urgency of addressing housing issues in Nunatsiavut exacerbated by the melting ice.
Despite the challenges posed by climate change, Flowers continues to impart his knowledge to the next generation. Through hands-on experiences on the land, he teaches his students to observe and measure the ice while passing on traditional survival skills. Similarly, Holwell is dedicated to training locals on using and maintaining the equipment, with a particular focus on engaging with elders in the community.
As Holwell aptly puts it, the essence of their work lies in adapting to the changing environment and learning to live with the circumstances they are faced with. By blending traditional knowledge with modern technology, the Inuit communities in Nunatsiavut are striving to navigate the challenges of a rapidly changing climate while preserving their cultural identity and connection to the ice.
