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. According to Northwest Territories, Canada (NWT) Labour surveys, about 37–45% of NWT residents went hunting or fishing in 2002. This has changed little since the first survey in 1983, and is high compared to southern Canada. About 40–60% of NWT residents living in small communities rely on traditional/country foods for at least 75% of their meat and fish. This percentage has not changed greatly for the past 10 years. The percentage of NWT residents living in medium and large communities that consume traditional/country foods is lower than for people living in small communities, and has declined during the past 10 years. The lowest percentage (less than 10%) of people who eat traditional/country foods (meat and fish) live in Yellowknife, the only large-sized community in the NWT.
Year: 2010
From collection: Arctic Biodiversity Trends 2010
Cartographer:
Hugo Ahlenius, GRID-Arendal & CAFF