PGR Program

Meteorological Observer Wayne Davidson and his team demonstrate how the thinkness of the ice is tested. He also discusses normal cloud formation and weather prediction.

Pangnirtung Meteorological Observer Wayne Davidson shows how weather balloons work and discusses the standard weather prediction methods.

Siila Watt-Cloutier, Officer of the Order of Canada and 2007 Nobel Peace Prize Nominee is an International Inuit leader and activist.  In Iqaluit in 2009, she addresses the 9th Annual Lafontaine-Baldwin Symposium on Canada's North, Inuit wisdom, and Inuit resiliency in the face of climate change and a rapidly changing cultural landscape.  In English with a preface in Inuktitut. <… Read more

Elisapee Ishulutak, Pangnirtung's oldest resident, discusses climate change.  

It use to be steaming fog from the shore and the dog teams would be coming. You could hear their breathing. You could hear them coming in the fog. It was cold. That was wonderful.

English Transcript: Back then, nobody hardly got sick because we were the only family out there. Nowadays, everyone is mingling amongst communities, and we get sick. It was not like that before. Sometimes we would get sick and use things from the land to heal us, like mushrooms and their powder and longs from a rabbit we'd use as band-aids, and tissue from ujuk fat.… Read more

English Transcript: The weather was not like this. It used to be good. Now it's different. We hunted for clothing in that area while the fur was thin. We used to row and portage. That's how it was.

Dominique Berteaux, PhD, is a Conservation Biologist at the University of Quebec at Rimouski.  He discusses at length his studies with fox species, among other things, and the effects of climate change on wildlife in the Canada's North. 

James speaks about his work in Igloolik in terms of the effect of climate change on food security. He says this is mostly in terms of access rather than the health of certain species. Hunters get stuck in communities, unable to get out to hunting grounds. The thickening of the ice is taking much longer and people are relying on store foods more and more.… Read more

James discusses the polarity of the Inuit perspective on polar bears and the scientific one. Perhaps scientists have gotten it wrong as they are not there year round to fully understand it. Regardless of this the scientific community is often taken as gospel.… Read more

George introduces himself and talk about his area of research. He discusses Inuit hunting as a practice and a way of life. He states that hunting is a full-time job and wage employment conflicts with this in the Inuit mixed economy.… Read more

Sheila Watt-Cloutier gave the daily inspiration words on September 14th, the opening day of the Symposium. As she was not able to be in Iqaluit, she shared a video communication which we reproduce here.

She talks about what it is to be a leader, especially for a woman in Nunavut. In Inuktitut and in English.

A testimony from the heart; Edna Elias, Commissioner of Nunavut, talks about her path, how she became the Commissioner and the people who are supporting her.

In English