4,000 years of hunting experience
When you hunt with Canada North Outfitting in the Arctic, you venture into one of the harshest corners of the world, meet extraordinary people, and help preserve their traditions.
200 pairs of pupil sneakers, support for ice hockey teams, soccer teams, fish derbies, traditional sewing classes, and throat singing. Shane Black of Canada North Outfitting is committed to the lives of the local Inuit and their traditions. Uncomplicated and fast. His understanding and respect for the indigenous people began long before he took over Canada North Outfittings in Nunavut in 2011. “At the age of eleven, I regularly accompanied my father, who was a fur trader in northern British Columbia, Yukon, and the Northwest Territories,” Shane recounts, ”I practically grew up with the First Nation there, getting to know and appreciate their culture.”
These early impressions influence the way he organizes hunting experiences today. Shane: “Everything I do is about empowering local people and promoting their independence.” For him, it's about respect for their knowledge, their culture, and nature. He expects the same from his guests. They are always guided by Inuit who work with Shane on their own account. Customers benefit from the Inuit's millennia-old know-how while contributing to their traditions.
Hunting alone no longer ensures survival in winter, but it still plays an important role. “In addition to income, the hunting guides receive appreciation for their work,” explains Shane. This could be for a successful hunt or, for example, for managing wolverines to protect a caribou herd. “This recognition is particularly important when living conditions and, with them, self-image have changed as dramatically as they have for the Inuit over the past 75 years,” explains Shane. ”Some of my friends were born in a traditional Inuit house* and now live with the comforts and challenges of the 21st century.” This has demonstrated the enormous abilities of the Inuit, who have adapted to modern life within a very short time and now repair snowmobiles more often than fishing nets. Shane is certain that their tolerance and innate serenity have contributed to this.
The Inuit in Nunavut live in communities of between 800 and 1,500 inhabitants. “They often still have a close relationship with their land and prefer to live in small huts a short distance from the village or camp near the sea,” says Shane, adding, ”which is understandable when you consider that their ancestors lived on the land 4,000 years ago and successfully survived the harsh conditions.” That's why it's so important to take the Inuit's knowledge into account when it comes to managing these breathtaking landscapes and the wildlife that lives there with as little interference as possible.
Shane considers himself lucky to have been accepted in Nunavut and welcomed into the community. But it wasn't always easy. “It took me once a whole year to build up enough trust for a village community to grant me a permit to hunt polar bears,” he recalls, adding, “It's essential to take the time to understand your local partners, including their concerns.”
This sustainable approach taken by Canada North Outfitting also appeals to Blaser Safaris Managing Director Tanja Kantauer. The hunting tour operator has been working with Canada North Outfitting for more than 14 years. “We value Shane as a partner who respects nature and the Inuit and is committed to striking a balance between nature and people,” says Tanja Kantauer, referring to his collaboration with the University of Calgary. For more than ten years, he and his team have been assisting with research projects, for example with logistics or the procurement of samples. In this way, they contribute to sustainable wildlife management, too.
Further info: www.canadanorthoutfitting.com
Nunavut
In April 1999, the Northwest Territories were divided and the northern part became the Nunavut Territory. It makes up about one-fifth of Canada's total area and consists of mainland and most of Canada's Arctic islands. It is also the northernmost inhabited area on Earth. Nearly 37,000 people live here, most of whom are Inuit. This means that the population density is less than 0.02 per square kilometer. By comparison, the population density in Germany is 238 per square kilometer. Just under 8,000 people live in the capital, Iqaluit. There are only 25 other communities. The challenges facing the territorial government are enormous, as most of the inhabitants have had to transform from a barter-based, barter-based society characterized by nomadism to a 21st-century society is still ongoing. Education, health, and economic development are just some of the issues at the top of the political agenda.
Source: Wikipedia
*Traditional Inuit house: Often, a frame made of whale bones was embedded in the ground and covered with skins. Grass, clay or snow was then laid on top.
When you hunt with Canada North Outfitting in the Arctic, you venture into one of the harshest corners of the world, meet extraordinary people, and help preserve their traditions.
