Traditional and Scientific Knowledge

WKSS determined that it would focus equally on traditional and scientific knowledge. The research done through WKSS formed a unique body of information on the West Kitikmeot/Slave Study area because it included knowledge collected through two different, yet complementary, forms of observation. The Partners recognized that a forum was required for communities to identify traditional knowledge (TK) research needs. Traditional knowledge, while continuing to be the intellectual property of the Metis, Dene and Inuit communities, was a valued component of the Study. The value of scientific knowledge was also recognized. The Study Office helped researchers contact community representatives, and research protocols developed by communities created opportunities to link traditional knowledge with western science to produce the best quality of information possible.

The requirement that scientific and traditional knowledge studies cooperate and compare information provided a deeper and more holistic understanding of certain research questions. For instance, the Tuktu and Nogak project used information from Inuit elders to examine Bathurst caribou and their calving. In parallel, the Bathurst Caribou Calving Grounds study used scientific methods to research factors affecting where caribou calve, and the Bathurst Caribou Seasonal Movement study provided information on the core calving area from year to year. These studies produced complementary information on shifts in the core calving area over time: scientists and elders agreed that climate change is becoming a factor in these shifts.