You Should Know
Inuit sharing their knowledge has been used to exploit them. There are many examples, including in the 80’s when PETA activities portrayed Inuit as violent for harvesting seals and the Canadian government enacted laws to restrict their ability to hunt traditional foods. Many people have written about this and we encourage you to self-educate on the topic. See for example the book Animal Rights, Human Rights: Ecology, Economy, and Ideology in the Canadian Arctic (Wenzel, 1991) and the film Angry Inuk by Alethea Arnaquq-Baril.
The Observers are aware of the political risks and costs of misuse of their data. As a team, we believe that the value of showing important cultural practices in context outweighs the costs of hiding it.
Visitors to this site are entering into a trust-based agreement not to use the data in any way that violates Inuit rights to cultural and subsistence activities. Please show respect for the trust you have been given.
The Observers are aware of the political risks and costs of misuse of their data. As a team, we believe that the value of showing important cultural practices in context outweighs the costs of hiding it.
Visitors to this site are entering into a trust-based agreement not to use the data in any way that violates Inuit rights to cultural and subsistence activities. Please show respect for the trust you have been given.
Nature and Limitations of the Data
We encourage you to explore this database and imagine ways that the contents could be useful for you. However, it is important that you be aware of how this data is produced and what that means for how it can be used. NSIOP data includes narrative, multimedia, geographic and non-standardized quantitative data. It has not been collected to answer any specific research questions, and therefore, certain types of analyses are not appropriate.
This dataset is appropriate for:
- This dataset is non-standardized and is not suited to population-level studies or formal quantitative statistical analysis
- The data has not been collected using experimental design, and as such, should not be treated as structured scientific datasets intended for broad generalization
- Data verification is implicit in the Observers’ recognized expertise, lived experience, and contextual knowledge of local environmental conditions
This dataset is appropriate for:
- Informing hypotheses (see example)
- Supporting or contextualizing quantitative findings
- Serving as qualitative or narrative evidence
How is sensitive data handled?
The Observers are trusted individuals selected for their role by community leadership. We therefore place the decision making about what information can be shared publicly in their hands.
There are a small number of exceptions to this rule, where specific information types are protected by data management protocols set by the Nunatsiavut Government. That information is treated as distinctly sensitive and is redacted from the online database.
This was decided during a workshop with NG and NSIOP representatives held in 2025.
There are a small number of exceptions to this rule, where specific information types are protected by data management protocols set by the Nunatsiavut Government. That information is treated as distinctly sensitive and is redacted from the online database.
This was decided during a workshop with NG and NSIOP representatives held in 2025.
Research using NSIOP data
All research conducted in Nunatsiavut, about Nunatsiavut or about Labrador Inuit needs to be approved through the Nunatsiavut Government Research Advisory Committee’s (NGRAC) official process. This involves submitting a pre-proposal for your research program. If you would like to use NSIOP data in your analytical work, please start by filing an NGRAC application.
If you already have an approved NGRAC that indicates you may work with our data, then you have approval to use this dataset. However, we would like the Observers and program administrators to be informed of how the data is contributing to knowledge development and research, so please reach out and let us know what you are working on.
Policy makers, historians, journalists, etc: please reach out to the NSIOP team with your specific requests to use this dataset.
Educators, language-revitalizers, community members: this database is for you, use it as you see fit. If you would like to work with us or need support from this program please reach out.
Best contact for the NSIOP team: [email protected]
Next best contact for the NSIOP team: [email protected]
If you already have an approved NGRAC that indicates you may work with our data, then you have approval to use this dataset. However, we would like the Observers and program administrators to be informed of how the data is contributing to knowledge development and research, so please reach out and let us know what you are working on.
Policy makers, historians, journalists, etc: please reach out to the NSIOP team with your specific requests to use this dataset.
Educators, language-revitalizers, community members: this database is for you, use it as you see fit. If you would like to work with us or need support from this program please reach out.
Best contact for the NSIOP team: [email protected]
Next best contact for the NSIOP team: [email protected]
Frequently Asked Questions
I am giving a presentation and I want to use a quote or image from this database. Do I need to contact the program for approval?
No, you can use a water-marked image or a quote with proper attribution. Here’s an example:
“Quote” - Ronald Webb, Nunatsiavut Sea Ice Observer Program, 2025
I’d like to access an offline version of your database, is there something I can download?
Sure, please send us a direct request by email. Do note the importance of having NGRAC approval before using this dataset, as described above.
How do I cite this dataset?
Oliver, E.C.J., Harrison, E., Ziegler, S., Jacque, J., Pottle, D., Broomfield, T., Jacque, M., Flowers, R., Flowers, R. & Webb, R. (2025). Nunatsiavut Sea Ice Observer Program (NSIOP) Observation Data Set [Data set]. National Snow and Ice Data Center. doi: 10.7265/YEW7-S138.
I see a photo of myself in this database and I want it to be taken down. What should I do?
Please click here to visit the Report an Issue page to send a message to the team, and we will reach out and take down the photo
I want to ask an Observer a question or request them to give a talk in my classroom. Can I arrange that?
We can ferry that request! Please email us.
Where can I find more information regarding the NSIOP?
Please see our About Us page.
What studies or programs have incorporated the NSIOP database in some way?
TBD: we will add studies and programs over time as they come out
Other questions you might have?
Please reach out to us at [email protected] or [email protected]
No, you can use a water-marked image or a quote with proper attribution. Here’s an example:
“Quote” - Ronald Webb, Nunatsiavut Sea Ice Observer Program, 2025
I’d like to access an offline version of your database, is there something I can download?
Sure, please send us a direct request by email. Do note the importance of having NGRAC approval before using this dataset, as described above.
How do I cite this dataset?
Oliver, E.C.J., Harrison, E., Ziegler, S., Jacque, J., Pottle, D., Broomfield, T., Jacque, M., Flowers, R., Flowers, R. & Webb, R. (2025). Nunatsiavut Sea Ice Observer Program (NSIOP) Observation Data Set [Data set]. National Snow and Ice Data Center. doi: 10.7265/YEW7-S138.
I see a photo of myself in this database and I want it to be taken down. What should I do?
Please click here to visit the Report an Issue page to send a message to the team, and we will reach out and take down the photo
I want to ask an Observer a question or request them to give a talk in my classroom. Can I arrange that?
We can ferry that request! Please email us.
Where can I find more information regarding the NSIOP?
Please see our About Us page.
What studies or programs have incorporated the NSIOP database in some way?
TBD: we will add studies and programs over time as they come out
Other questions you might have?
Please reach out to us at [email protected] or [email protected]