Seasonal Resources

Overview

The Arctic environment changes dramatically over the course of a year, transforming from a landscape of ice and snow in the winter to a kaleidoscope of biological activity in the spring and summer. Traditional knowledge passed down through the generations has helped the Inuit of the Arctic make the most of what nature has to offer throughout the seasons.

In this activity students will use a food wheel to explore the seasonality of food resource harvesting in Sanikiluaq, an island community in Hudson Bay. Students will then create their own food wheels depicting the seasonal availability of key food items in their own communities, and compare them to the community of Sanikiluaq.

Contents

Overview 67

Background 68

Seasons in the Belcher Islands 72

Inuit seasons in the high arctic 74

Preperation 75

Procedure 76

Extensions 78

Resources 79

Part 1 Discussion Questions 80

Part II Discussion Questions 81

Belcher Islands Inuit Seasons 82

Worksheet 1A 85

Worksheet 1B 86

Worksheet 2A 87

Worksheet 2B 87

Seasonal Food wheel 88

Seasonal Food wheel 89

Background

For centuries, the diets of Inuit people in the Arctic have been shaped by seasonal changes in the local environment. In order to survive and thrive in the Arctic climate, people had to develop a keen understanding of seasonal cycles, and a diverse set of skills for successful harvesting of wildlife and plants. They had to know the timing and specific geography of food availability, and adapt to changing and unpredictable conditions year after year. What people ate was governed by the seasons, by their ability to harvest, as well as by cultural and personal preference.

In Northern communities, store-bought foods are extremely expensive and contain far less nutritional and caloric value, gram for gram, than “country foods”, or foods that can be harvested locally. Subsistence harvesting (hunting and gathering food from the local environment) remains a way of life in many Arctic communities today. Modern Inuit apply skills honed over generations to use harvested animals as thoroughly as possible, for food, clothing, tools, art, medicine, and many other uses. Depending on location, animals such as seal, caribou, muskoxen, various whale species, and fish are used to varying degrees by Inuit across the Arctic. For example, the Inuit of Baker Lake call themselves the “caribou people” because of the important role caribou play in their diets. The community of Baker Lake is the only non-coastal community in Nunavut, and so marine wildlife, such as whales and seals, features much less prominently in the local diet.

Fish is dried and preserved over a fire.

In the Belcher Islands of southeast Hudson Bay, Inuit in the community of Sanikiluaq use eider ducks as a major source of food and clothing. Several dietary staples can be found year-round in Hudson Bay, including ringed and bearded seals, common eiders, and sea-bottom animals such as mussels and sea urchins. Among other environmental factors, the presence (or absence!) and quality of sea ice greatly influences what will be available for Inuit to harvest.

Early spring is a particularly difficult time for food resource gathering in the Belcher Islands. Polynyas can freeze over at this time, decreasing the availability of open water in which eider ducks can feed, forcing them to spend more time in open water at the floe edge. The floe edge is where the sea ice attached to land, called landfast ice, meets the moving floe ice of Hudson Bay. Cracks often form between the floe ice and the landfast ice, opening what are called flaw leads. Flaw leads can be used by animals such as seals to access air to breath, and by eider ducks for access to food at the sea floor.

Seals are also more difficult to hunt during the early spring. Seals start making multiple breathing holes in the late fall as the ice develops, and they maintain these holes over the winter by scraping back the ice with their thick nails. However, in the early spring the sea ice is so thick that seals have a hard time keeping their breathing holes open. In the spring months Inuit hunt the seals by waiting at their breathing holes. But as the holes freeze up it becomes more challenging to find both the holes and the seals.

Observations of wildlife and other natural events and human activities tradditionally correspond to the Inuit calendar, which consists of six (or sometimes more) seasons. Each season is characterized by observable environmental conditions relevant to a local area.

In general, the Inuit seasons consist of Ukiuq (winter), Upirngassaq (early spring), Upirngaq (spring), Aujaq (summer), Ukiassaq (early fall), Ukiaq (fall). A table showing how these Inuit seasons correspond to the commonly known 12-month calendar is shown in figure 1.

Figure 1 - Calendar month to Inuit Season

It is interesting to note how the spelling of the seasons changes based on local dialects, and also how the characteristics of the specific seasons change in different eco-regions throughout the Arctic. This emphasizes how seasonal calendars were understood in a local context and used as tools to understand and live within specific local seasonal dynamics.

Vocabulary

Seasons in the Belcher Islands

This following descriptions of Inuit seasons for the Belcher Islands area are based on interviews with elders and community members in Sanikiluaq.

Sea ice covers Hudson Bay. Ice affects what food sources are available to humans and other animals.

Upirngassaq (Early Spring)

Historically this was often a time of famine as
families reached the end of their winter resources (such as Arctic cod and caribou), and migratory birds had not yet arrived.

Birds and their eggs are harvested in the spring. Here, Eider duck eggs are cooked over a fire.

Upirngaaq (Spring)

Caribou can be used by land during Aujaq

Aujaq (Summer)

Caribou are hunted by boat or ATV.

Ukiassaaq (Early Fall)

Arctic fox is camouflaged against the snow; Ice begins to form on the bay.

Ukiaq (Fall)

Thick ice in winter makes hunting for large mammals, such as polar bear, possible.

Ukiuk (Winter)

Inuit seasons in the high arctic

The table below shows basic characteristics of the six traditional Inuit seasons for the High Arctic
Region including the communities of Hall Beach, Igloolik, Arctic Bay and Griese Fijord.

Ukiaq (Fall)

Ukiuk (Winter)

Upirngassaq
(Early Spring)

Upirngaaq (Spring)

Aujaq (Summer)

  • Mid-July to early September
  • Open water, some drifting ice
  • Daylight period long but
    decreasing.

Ukiassaaq (Early Fall)

Preperation

  1. Set up a computer or DVD to play video (optional)
  2. For a class of 30, photocopy:
    • 6 copies of the Belcher Island Inuit Seasons Information Sheet
    • 30 copies each of Worksheet 1a and 1b
    • 6 copies each of Worksheet 2a and 2b
    • 30 copies of Figure 5, Seasonal Food Wheel of Belcher Islands Inuit
    • 12 copies of the blank Food Wheel
    • 30 copies of the background information (Optional).
  3. Project the Seasonal Food Wheel Diagram on the screen, or draw it on a white board or flipchart.
  4. Print each of the Part I Discussion Questions on a separate piece of paper, and affix the sheets to the board at the front of the class.

    In spring birds, including eider ducks are nesting.

Procedure

How do these seasonal cycles affect people in the Arctic? Understanding the intricate cycles and annual patterns, and being able to adapt harvesting practices around them has played a critical role in the survival and persistence of Arctic peoples.

By creating a seasonal food wheel diagram, we can visualize and understand how different environmental and biological conditions at different times of the year give rise to the diverse local diets characteristic of Inuit communities.

PART I

  1. Optional: Hand out the background information sheets for students to read.
  2. If availible, show the Unit 2 video clip, which includes footage of natural resource harvesting around the community of Sanikiluaq, in the Belcher Islands.
  3. Initiate a brief class discussion based on what students read int he background or saw in the video:
    • What types of foods do Inuit from the Belcher Islands eat?
      (Eider duck meat and eggs, Caribou, Seal, Whale Maqtaaq etc.)
    • Where does this food come from?
      (Generally it is harvested locally, but most people supplement their diet with store bought foods)
    • How do you think the Belcher Islands Inuit diet different from your own? Why is it different or the same?
      (This is an open-ended question with no wrong answers!)
  4. Give students a brief overview and introduction on the topic of this lesson. In order to become more familiar with the topic, start with brief group discussions on some of the key concepts of the lesson.
  5. Divide the class into six groups of approximately equal size. Have each group take one discussion question from the front of the class, and instruct them to brainstorm their ideas on this question in their group. (At this point, they are just generating thoughts and ideas based on their prior knowledge and perhaps what they read or saw in the video). Briefly review each group’s question and brainstormed ideas as a class. Tell the class that they will be returning to these questions later.
  6. Tell the class they are going to take a closer look at seasonal diet for the Inuit in the Belcher Islands region of Hudson Bay, and that they will compare this with seasonal food availability in their own community. Show the community of Sanikiluaq on a map.
  7. The following is a list of food resources common to the Belcher Islands Assign each of the six groups one food resource from this list.

    • Ringed seal • Arctic char • Caribou/reindeer
    • Eider duck • Beluga whale • Berries

  8. Give each student in each group a copy of Worksheet 1a, and one copy per group of the Belcher Island Inuit Seasons Information Sheet. Have the students take turns reading out loud the descriptions of each of the six Inuit seasons. Instruct students to complete Worksheet 1a together as a group.
  9. Based on what they have learned about seasonal changes in the Belcher Islands ecosystem, have the students discuss the influence of the six seasons on their food resource. Instruct students to complete Worksheet 2a and the fill in the blank foodwheel as a group.
  10. Tell students they will be cooperating as a class to construct a seasonal food wheel depicting seasonal harvests for the six sample food resources in the Belcher Islands. One at a time, have each group go to the front and indicate where on the food wheel their food resource should appear. Have the students explain reasons why their food resource is harvested predominantly at that time of year.
  11. After all groups have contributed to the food wheel, have students comment on what they see. There are other food resources in the Belcher Islands that weren’t discussed, so have students discuss which of these may be prevalent in the Belcher Islands and when they might predominantly be harvested.
  12. Hand out the photocopies of Figure 5 – Seasonal Foods of the Belcher Islands Inuit, and have the class compare this diagram to the food wheel they created. Discuss any differences.
  13. As a class, go back to the Part I Discussion Questions. Review each question and have students contribute answers based on what they have learned.

    PART II

  14. Repeat the entire activity, except this time construct a food wheel based on your home community or if your community is very similar to the Belchers, choose a different community that would be different (see resoruce section for information about other provinces) . As a class, create a list of six food resources that could be grown, produced or harvested locally. Have students complete worksheets 1b and 2b in sequence, and then, as a class create another food wheel for your community.
  15. Talk about the Part II Discussion Questions as a class.

Extensions

Math

For a graphing activity suitable for Grades 6 to 8, access the Nunavut Wildlife Harvest Summary (See Resources for link). Have the students select a coastal community in the Hudson Bay region: Arviat, Chesterfield Inlet, Coral Harbour, Rankin Inlet, or Whale Cove. Have the students create bar or line graphs showing the monthly harvest of one species (ie. caribou) during one reporting year, much as in the “Food From the Ice” lesson plan. Have the students write a paragraph explaining the line shape/trend. For example, in which month is the largest harvest and, using the knowledge gained in this lesson, what are possible explanations for this peak in the harvest? Additionally, students can find the mean, median and mode of their data set.

Art/Social Studies

For an art project suitable for Grades 6 to 8, students can use cutouts from cooking magazines and grocery store flyers to create seasonal food wheel collages showing the seasonal availability of local food in your community and comparing it to the Hudson Bay region. This project can be completed under a sustainability theme by having the students feature their food wheel collages on posters advertising how to eat locally and seasonally, and then displaying these posters in the school or community. For more information on seasonal harvests in your area, check out the local food guides and Eating by the Seasons recipe book (see Resources).

Home Etc

Have students find a recipe for each season that includes local ingrediants that would be in season. Recipes could be found in cook books, online or by asking family and friends. Have students add photos or drawings to thier recieps and then compile all the reciepes into a local seasonal class cookbook. Optionally have a class potluck where students make and bring some of the dishes from the book. See Great Meals for a Change in the resources section for ideas.

Social Studies/Native Studies

If you are based in the North, invite an elder or knowledgeable person to share traditional knowledge about the six Inuit seasons. If you are not in the North, contact an Aboriginal association or native friendship centre in your area to find someone to share traditional knowledge with your class about and seasonal use of local natural resources.

Resources

Nunavut Wildlife
Harvest Summary

www.nwmb.com/en

Download the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board’s 2004 summary of wildlife harvesting, either in full or by community.

Nunavut Wildlife
Management Board Inuit Bowhead Knowledge Study

http://www.nwmb.com/en/publications/bowhead-knowledge-study

Local Foods

Want to find out what local foods are seasonally available in your area? Provincial and municipal guides are often online. For some examples:

B.C.

www.getlocalbc.org

Ontario

www.foodland.gov.on.ca/english/availability.html

Quebec

www.trousseals.org/pdf/english/documentsutiles/quebec_seasonal_produce_calendar.pdf

Nova Scotia

http://www.selectnovascotia.ca/recipes

Eating by the Seasons
Recipe book

published by the Halifax-based Ecology Action Centre, with 160 recipes featuring seasonal recipes, a guide to sustainable seafood and finding locally produced food.

www.ecologyaction.ca

Voices from the Bay

Traditional Ecological Knowledge of Inuit and Cree in the Hudson Bay Bioregion. Canadian Arctic Resource Committee and Environmental Committee of the Municipality of Sanikiluaq. (1997)

www.carc.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=109&Itemid=171

Part 1 Discussion Questions

The examples in italics are possible answers to the disucssion questions.

  1. How do seasonal changes strengthen the nutritional quality of the diet of Inuit from Sanilikuaq?
      Inuit harvest different plants and animals in each season. This dietary diversity allows for a greater opportunity to get a variety of nutrients throughout the seasons.
  2. What is the advantage of harvesting many different types of animals and plants?
      As explored in the Arctic Food Webs lessons, food webs with many connections are usually more resilient. Humans are part of the environment, and we rely on many ecological relationships to sustain us. If Inuit only harvested a few species, and one of those species declined or went locally extinct, this would have very negative consequences for survival. Using a diversity of plants and animals as food resources contributes to human resilience in Inuit communities.
  3. Which season provides the smallest diversity of food resources? In other
    words, in which season is it most difficult to find a variety of food resources?
      In early spring, the sea ice is at its thickest and greatest extent, and so many traditional foods are not available at this time. For example, polynyas can freeze over, forcing Eider ducks to other locations such as flaw lead areas. Seals may also be harder to find because their breathing holes can freeze over. Furthermore, weathe conditions make long hunting trips more difficult and dangerous.
  4. How does sea ice impact harvesting and food availability through the seasons?
      The presence or absence of sea ice creates conditions that either promote or inhibit the presence of food resources, from phytoplankton on up to polar bears! It also influences where and how people can travel to find these resources. Thin and unpredictable ice conditions are dangerous, so travel by skidoo over the sea ice is restricted to certain seasons. Sea ice is a component of habitat for Arctic species such as polar bears and seals that rely on it for hunting.
  5. What food resources are harvested in the Arctic year-round? Why are some resources not harvested year round?
      As shown on the seasonal foods wheel for the Belcher Islands Inuit, eider ducks, ringed seal, bearded seals, and sea bottom animals are harvested year-round. Eider ducks are found here year-round because of the presence of polynyas and due to the open water at the floe edge. Seals survive year-round because they can maintain their own breathing holes through the winter and spring.
      Bottom-feeding animals, including mussels, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, clams, and starfish, which live on the sea floor, can be harvested year-round through cracks in the sea ice or by making holes in the ice. Other species, such as caribou, walrus, and whale, although important, are not harvested year-round because of the difficultly of travelling on the land during the freezing and thawing months, as well as other considerations such as the caribou calving and rutting seasons.
  6. Why are polynyas and flaw leads important to the food security of the Inuit in the Hudson Bay region, and in other regions?
      The open water of the polynyas and ever changing flaw leads support animal populations through the cold winter, when most of the sea is frozen solid. The eider ducks and the seals use the polynyas and flaw leads. As shown on the seasonal food wheel showing the natural resource harvesting of the Belcher Islands Inuit these are important sources of food through the winter months.

Part II Discussion Questions

  1. Is the availability of food resources affected as much by the seasons in your community, compared to the Belcher Islands? Why or why not?
      Answers vary, but in general, Southern communities have access to a much wider variety of food resources at all times of the year. Since most Southern communities do not rely on subsistence harvesting, their ability to access nutritious food is limited by their ability to get to the grocery store! For Northern communities, the timing and amount of sea ice in might mean a different distribution or timing of seasonal resources.
      Students may have heard of the “local food” movement, whereby individuals try to reduce their environmental “footprint” on the Earth by eating foods that are grown or produced locally. People who eat local foods will notice seasonal cycles more because they tend to only be able to get certain foods during the specific harvest season for that particular plant or animal.
  2. Food Security is defined as the degree to which nutritious food is accessible and available to people in an area of community. Would you say that food security is higher in your community or in the Belcher Islands? What about other parts of the country? Explain.
      Answers will vary and there is no right answer. It could be argued that food security in Southern communities is higher because there is greater access to a diversity of affordable, nutritious foods. In the North, food is much more expensive, and there is less variety. It can sometimes be more difficult to find nutritious food in Northern stores because of the time and cost of shipping food resources North. Fresh, nutritious food like fruits and vegetables often don’t withstand shipping as well as highly processed, packaged foods.
      On the other hand, Inuit rely to a greater degree on harvesting their own food where the availability of food resources is subject to weather conditions and the ability to safely hunt and gather. However, this also means that northerns with hunting skills are less reliant on outside sources of food and have more control over thier food, which is also a form of security.

Worksheet 1A

Tracking the Seasons in the Belcher Islands

Season

Months

Enviromental Changes
Consider temperature, precipitation, freezing and thawing cycles, ice extent cover and ice thickness

Biological Changes
How does each season impact plants and animals? What sources are most easily harvested at this time? How do enviro mental conditions impact your group’s food resource?

Early Fall
-
Ukiassaaq

Fall
-
Ukiaq

Winter
-
Ukiuq

Early Spring
-
Upirngassaaq

Spring
-
Upirngaaq

Summer
-
Aujaq

Worksheet 1B

Tracking the Seasons in (your community)

Season

Months

Environmental Changes
Consider temperature, precipitation,
freezing and thawing cycles, ice extent/cover and ice thickness

Biological Changes
How does each season impact plants and animals? What resources are most easily harvested at this time? How do environmental conditions impact your group’s food resource?

Early

Fall

-

Ukiassaaq

Fall

-

Ukiaq

Winter

-

Ukiuq

Early Spring

-

Upirngassaaq

Spring

-

Upirngaaq

Summer

-

Aujaq

Worksheet 2A

The Annual Cycle in the Belcher Islands

Our home group’s food source is: ________________________________

  1. For each season, how do the local environmental conditions influence this animal/plant? Add this information to the blank foodwheel. Also add the Inuit seasons to the outside ring. Consider how sea ice has an impact on this plant/animal throughout the year.



  2. In which season(s) do you think this plant/animal is primarily harvested? Why do you think it is harvested during this season? On your foodwheel, draw a cicular line that spans the time of year that your animal/plant is harvested.

Worksheet 2B

The Annual Cycle in (your community)

Our home group’s food source is: ________________________________

  1. For each season, how do the local environmental conditions influence this animal/plant? Add this information to the blank foodwheel. Also add the Inuit seasons to the outside ring. Consider how sea ice has an impact on this plant/animal throughout the year.



  2. In which season(s) do you think this plant/animal is primarily harvested? Why do you think it is harvested during this season? On your foodwheel, draw a cicular line that spans the time of year that your animal/plant is harvested.

Seasonal Food wheel

Figure 5: Seasonal Foods of the Belcher Islands Inuit.

Adapted from Voices from the Bay, p.21. This chart was compiled using knowledge of Inuit elders and active hunters. McDonald, Miriam, Lucassie Arragutainaq and Zack Novalinga (compilers). Changes in sea ice, climate and seasonality may have impacted the accuracy of this chart.

Seasonal Food wheel

Seasonal Foodwheel of (your community)