Carleton researcher heads International Polar Year project

As part of the International Polar Year (IPY) several projects funded by IPY Canada are undertaking research that will impact our understanding of the Arctic and its inhabitants. One of these projects is the Inuit Sea Ice Use and Occupancy Project (ISIUOP) which is currently documenting and mapping Inuit use of sea ice in four communities of Nunavut and three of Nunavik.

One of the main goals of the project is to provide a unique view of current (and to some degree historical, within living memory and oral histories) sea ice conditions and uses from Inuit perspectives. The project is also identifying key ice characteristics or indicators of change (physical or social) that influence a community’s ability to adapt to, or deal with, sea ice change. ISIUOP is hoping to provide a forum for enhanced discussions between scientists and northern communities, as well as among northern communities.

Claudio Aporta, anthropology professor and principal investigator of the project, was interviewed by CKLB radio early this fall, as part of Polar Day celebrations.