Contemporary Inuit exploitation of the sea-ice environment

To survive as hunters on arctic and subarctic coasts, Inuit have required expert knowledge of the demanding and dynamic sea-ice environment. This particular environment occurs through four of the six seasons of the Inuit year, namely ukia (late autumn), ukiu (winter), upingoaksak (early spring), and upingoa (spring). This paper presents certain aspects of contemporary Inuit use and knowledge of the sea-ice environment, an environment that continues to be of major importance, and of growing concern, to Inuit societies in Alaska, Canada, and Greenland.