Gwich’in Knowledge of Insects
Benson, Kristi and Crystal Ernst
Report prepared for the Gwich'in Renewable Resources Board, 2017. Report on file with the Gwich'in Tribal Council Department of Cultural Heritage. A part of the Nin Nihłinehch’ì’ – Łi’ hàh Guk’àndehtr’inahtìi (Animals at Risk – animals we are watching closely) 2012-2017 Project. 27 pp.
Insects are a very important part of the natural systems of the Gwich’in Settlement Region, and all across the north. With northern landscapes changing rapidly due to climate change, Gwich’in participants and scientists are worried about the health of insect populations, and the effects on the environment if insect populations do change dramatically. The Gwich’in Renewable Resources Board (GRRB) and the Department of Cultural Heritage (DCH) of the Gwich’in Tribal Council held a workshop and verification sessions to share Gwich’in and scientific knowledge about insects, and to build on the information already recorded in the DCH’s digital archives. This report, funded by the GRRB and the NWT Species at Risk Stewardship Program, is based on the information shared in the workshop and gathered in previous projects, and will be used by the GRRB and their partners to make better decisions about managing Gwich’in wildlife in the future.
