Crossroads of continents and modern boundaries: an introduction to Inuit and Chukchi experiences in the Bering Strait, Beaufort sea, and Baffin Bay
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The homeland of Inuit extends from Asia and the Bering Sea to Greenland and the Atlantic Ocean. Inuit and their Chukchi neighbors have always been highly mobile, but the imposition of three international borders in the region constrained travel, trade, hunting, and resource stewardship among neighboring groups. Colonization, assimilation, and enforcement of national laws further separated those even from the same family. In recent decades, Inuit and Chukchi have re-established many ties across those boundaries, making it easier to travel and trade with one another and to create new institutions of environmental management. To introduce Indigenous perspectives into the discussion of transboundary maritime water connections in the Arctic, this paper presents personal descriptions of what those connections mean to people who live and work along and across each of the national frontiers within the region: Russia–U.S., U.S.–Canada, and Canada–Greenland. Some of these connections have been made in cooperation with national governments, some in the absence of government activity, and some despite opposition from national governments. In all cases, the shared culture of the region has provided a common foundation for a shared vision and commitment to cooperation and the resumption of Indigenous self-determination within their homelands.
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The Indigenous Peoples on both sides of the Bering Strait, Chukchi, Iñupiat, Saint Lawrence Island and Siberian Yupik, are closely connected historically through cultural, ethnic and family linkages, and ocean-based subsistence activities, many centered on human-whale connections, that sustained their livelihoods and cultures for generations.
“The Indigenous Peoples on both sides of the Bering Strait, Chukchi, Iñupiat, Saint Lawrence Island (SLI) and Siberian Yupik, are closely connected historically through cultural, ethnic and family linkages, and ocean-based subsistence activities, many centered on human-whale connections, that sustained their livelihoods and cultures for generations (Huntington et al., 2020;Schweitzer and Golovko, 1”
From Institutional navigation of oceans governance: Lessons from Russia and the United States Indigenous multi-level whaling governance in the Arctic (2022) · cites this paper as Huntington et al., 2020
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Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredChukchi, Iñupiat, SLI Yupik, and Siberian Yupik community whaling communities' interests, knowledge, practices, and (sometimes) kin ties transcend nation-state boundaries.
“Chukchi, Iñupiat, SLI Yupik, and Siberian Yupik community whaling communities' interests, knowledge, practices, and (sometimes) kin ties transcend nation-state boundaries (Huntington et al., 2020).”
From Institutional navigation of oceans governance: Lessons from Russia and the United States Indigenous multi-level whaling governance in the Arctic (2022) · cites this paper as Huntington et al., 2020
Section 2 identifies Chukchi, Iñupiaq, and St. Lawrence Island or Siberian Yupik in the border-spanning Bering Strait region. Sections 2.1 and 5 describe family ties, shared culture, practices, and resource stewardship across national borders. The paper does not establish the more specific characterization of all these groups as whaling communities or describe their shared knowledge specifically in relation to whaling. (LLM, conf=0.83)
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References 9 · Cited by 7
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- Authors
- Huntington, H., Binder Sr., R., Comeau, R., Holm, L., Metcalf, V., Oshima, T., SimsKayotuk, C., & Zdor, E.
- Affiliations
- Ocean Conservancy (US)
- Inuvik, NT X0E 0T0, Canada
- Iqaluit, NU X0A 0H0, Canada
- Grønlands Naturinstitut (GL)
- Yukon Geological Survey (CA)
- Qaanaaq 3971, Greenland
- North Slope Borough (US)
- University of Alaska Fairbanks (US)
- Corresponding author
- Huntington, Henry
- Venue
- Water
- Publisher
- MDPI AG
- Published
- 2020-06-24
- Volume
- 12
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 1808
- ISSN
- 2073-4441 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W3037218706
- Cited by
- 7
- References
- 9
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 1
- FWCI
- 1.31
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- dx.doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Water (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Indigenous Studies and Ecology
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Arctic and Russian Policy Studies
- Social Sciences › Anthropology › Indigenous Cultures and History
- Keywords
- Inuit, Chukchi, Bering Strait, Beaufort Sea, Baffin Bay, international boundaries, Indigenous self-determination, indigenous environmental management, cross-border cooperation
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