Description:
The harvest of natural resources is a key feature of traditional lifestyles and economies throughout the Arctic, and a continuing reliance on it as a mainstay of indigenous existence in the north is evident. Environmental change in Arctic regions is a key contributing factor to changing Inuit subsistence patterns. As examples, the Inuit speak of the thinning of the ice which makes hunting more challenging; species they once relied upon are disappearing; berries are not ripening. The impacts of climate change affect travel patterns and prevent the Inuit from reaching certain species. These shifts in the time and place of harvesting affect their ability to respond to the changes taking place. This figure presents the ratio of harvested meat and fish (country food) consumed in Canadian Inuit households in the year of 2000.