Insights from Inuit Narwhal Hunters
Jens Jeremiassen
Uummannaq, Greenland
What is your most unforgettable memory of narwhals?
“When I first started hunting in 1960, I killed a narwhal and lost it. That is my most unforgettable memory. Also, since I began hunting for a living, I caught narwhals with a rifle. But the most unforgettable memory that I have is about hunting methods that no one uses anymore, which is about getting the narwhals with nets. That way, I caught a narwhal. That’s unforgettable for me.”
Ole Qvist
Uummannaq, Greenland
In this extensive interview, Ole Qvist from Uummannaq, Western Greenland, recounts memorable experiences hunting narwhals. He details narwhal behavior, tusk uses, feeding habits, group dynamics, and physical variations, highlighting how weather, ice, and natural circumstances influence their movements and survival. Qvist challenges claims of narwhal decline with insightful traditional knowledge
Cornelius Nutarak
Pond Inlet, Baffin Island, Nunavut
Cornelius Nutarak, a 100-year-old Inuit elder from Pond Inlet, recounts his life of narwhal hunting and evolving techniques. He details traditional practices, migration changes, and varied tusk characteristics. Reflecting cultural wisdom, he emphasizes environmental shifts, altered narwhal behaviors, and the crucial role of tusks in enduring Inuit survival traditions.
Pavia Nielsen
Uummannaq, Greenland
Pavia Nielsen describes how narwhal population assessment is more accurate when done with the active involvement of hunters. Funded by Narwhal Tusk Research, his address to the General Assembly Circumpolar Conference described the growing concern amongst hunters in Western Greenland that narwhal populations were stable or increasing, rather than decreasing as reported by scientists in years prior.