Indigenous knowledge in research and management

Abstract Indigenous whalers know a great deal about the habits and environment of bowhead whales. That knowledge is essential for safe and effective hunting and has also been invaluable to scientific research and management of bowheads. Studies in Chukotka, Nunavut, and Alaska have documented Indigenous knowledge about bowhead whales. From the methods used in counting whales to the confirmation of bowheads’ sense of smell to detailed accounts of how the animals avoid predators, collaborations between whalers and scientists are among the world’s best examples of using Indigenous and scientific knowledge together. Future progress includes a growing role for Indigenous scholarship and greater involvement of the holders of Indigenous knowledge in management and decision-making concerning whales and their habitat.