For too long, Inuvialuit Traditional Knowledge has not been included in scientific research about polar bears in the North. Traditional knowledge holders across the Inuvialuit Settlement  Region took part in changing that with a groundbreaking report. In this episode of The Living North, traditional knowledge holders and scientists talk about what the report brings to understanding Northern polar bear populations.

Photo: Flickr/Creative Commons Rubyblossom

Dr. Chris Burn has spent 30 years working in the North, conducting scientific investigations into permafrost, and developing relationships with Inuvialuit people who travel and harvest on the Yukon North Slope. . At the 2012 Yukon North Slope Conference, he gave a talk about science, wisdom, and traditional knowledge. He also spoke about something else: mistakes.

The rich biodiversity of the North Slope attracts scientific researchers every year. Incorporating traditional knowledge into scientific data collected in the North has become essential to working in the region. In this podcast, we’ll hear two voices speak about how aboriginal perspectives contribute to all aspects of scientific data collection. Scientists are now expected to work with aboriginal communities in building their research program - from project planning, through data collection, interpretation and reporting. In this podcast, two aboriginal perspectives on how traditional knowledge can contribute to scientific data collection.