The Impact on the Inuit of Environmental Degradation to the Canadian Arctic

Abstract

The Canadian Arctic has been undergoing profound and damaging environmental changes in recent decades at an ever-accelerating rate. In addition to climate change, a wide variety of other factors are dramatically affecting water quality, biodiversity, land stability and ice reliability. These changes have a particularly negatively impact upon population health, local transportation, traditional knowledge, cultural identity, food supply and lifestyle of the Inuit. This paper examines the threats being imposed upon the Inuit in the Canadian Arctic and their capacity to respond directly through exercising opportunities available through recent land claim settlements and northern governments in which they play a dominant role. The paper then considers the limited capacity of the federal government to deal with northern environmental issues and the potential available through enforcing international environmental agreements and human rights.