Indigenous Peoples and MPAs

In 2021, PAME approved the "Indigenous Food Security in the Arctic" Information Brief which focuses on how climate change affects Arctic Indigenous food systems, in particular resources, culture, and health tied to marine environments, and highlights examples of adaptive responses in ocean management.

Rapid social and environmental change in the Arctic—including climate change—affect the health and well-being of millions of people and animals that call the Arctic home.1 To understand and manage
these impacts effectively, one needs to look at the ecosystem as a whole for a healthy environment, healthy humans, and healthy animals1 – a conceptual framework often referred to as One Health.

Food security can be an important indicator of ecosystem health and a major determinant of health among Indigenous Peoples. Indigenous communities rely on plants and animals from their environment
(often termed “traditional,” “wild,” or “country” foods), supplemented by imported store-bought food. This use of natural resources is a central part of Indigenous cultures. However, rapid climate change is
drastically changing the physical dynamics of the environment, and consequently affecting acquisition of traditional foods.

Major environmental changes are linked to the warming Arctic, with rapid deterioration of the Arctic sea ice ecosystem among the most drastic effects. Such changes are altering the availability and accessibility
of traditionally harvested species, with consequences to health and cultural wellbeing. The number and types of harvested species, as well as hunting and storage methods, vary by region, culture, and community.

While understanding these differences is important for considering the potential climate change consequences for and adaptation needs of each community, several common themes are outlined in this information brief.

“The two most important parts of our food security were the availability of the animals and the hunter’s ability to hunt. Over the past hundred years, this has changed.”
—Maggie Emudluk, Vice-President, Kativik Regional Government, Canada