Indigenous Knowledge about the Belugas of Churchill

By: Ruth Teichroeb
August 1, 2024

Each summer, tourists from around the world flock to Churchill, Manitoba, eager to see the thousands of beluga whales that return to feed and calve in the Churchill River estuary on Western Hudson Bay. But long before the world’s largest congregation of majestic white whales became a major tourist attraction, the Indigenous residents of the community had a special relationship with belugas that dates back centuries.

A new storytelling project sponsored by Oceans North is gathering Indigenous and community knowledge about belugas from Inuit, Dene, Cree, and Metis residents of Churchill as part of an ongoing effort to record Indigenous perspectives that reflect the long co-existence of people and belugas at Churchill and Western Hudson Bay. This knowledge can be used to inform and educate generations to come as well as to help guide decisions around how to manage increasing human activity in an era of climate change.

“A big focus of the Churchill Storywork Project is trying to elevate voices that aren’t often heard but provide valuable information and insights when planning for the future,” said Aaron Janzen, senior field campaigner with Oceans North.

Last month, Janzen and co-researchers Heather Spence-Botelho and Kt Miller facilitated storytelling circles with 22 Indigenous residents who agreed to share their knowledge about beluga whales in the Churchill region. The contributors, both young and old, shared their stories either individually or in small circles. A local advisory council identified a list of possible interviewees and helped guide the process.

The sharing circles began with the question “When was the first time you saw a beluga whale?” and recorded a variety of stories about how individuals and communities related to beluga whales, both historically and up to the present. The most common observation from contributors was that “the whales have always been there.”

The relationship between people and belugas in this region stretches into the distant past, where belugas have been, and continue to be, an important food source for the Inuit of the region, as well as having cultural and spiritual significance. After the Hudson Bay Company set up an outpost in Churchill in 1689, whaling took place up until 1931. A whaling plant established in 1949 paid local hunters by the foot for belugas, which were valued for their oil and meat. When whale hunting ended in 1967, some local residents — nicknamed “cold water cowboys” – were hired to capture dozens of belugas for zoos and aquariums up until the early 1990s.

“Some recalled taking part in the live captures as whale jumpers or boat drivers,” Janzen said. “For others, their first glimpse of a beluga was seeing whales in a tank before they were shipped away.”

In recent decades, ecotourism has drawn growing numbers of tourists to Churchill to see the white whales. As a result, an “unspoken agreement” not to hunt belugas in the Churchill River estuary exists among local residents, including those who are Inuit, Janzen said.

“It’s out of respect for tourism,” he said. “Inuit who want to eat muktuk (whale blubber and skin) have to get it from hunters in Arviat.”

Contributors also talked about their visions for the future, including ensuring that beluga whales continue to thrive in the region and protecting them from threats such as pollution. Some Inuit expressed a desire to be able to return to their tradition of hunting belugas.

“Everyone talked about how special the whales are in Churchill and how they always want them to be there,” Janzen said.

In the next phase of the project, data from the interviews will be analyzed and summarized in a variety of forms, including podcasts and a report. Initial findings will be reviewed by the advisory council before being shared with the local community.

The project is modelled after a thesis research project conducted by Kt Miller and co-researcher Georgina Berg which focused on Indigenous stories of co-existence with polar bears in Churchill. Data from that project was shared through podcasts and other articles. The storywork project could be continued to focus on other species and themes, with the next potential iteration to focus on birds.

Information about the Churchill Storywork Project was also presented during the “Honouring the Water” conference and gathering in Churchill last month that was collaboratively organized by CPAWS and Oceans North. “Honouring the Water” opened with a water ceremony conducted by Cree elder Susan Kobliski and thirteen local women.

Speaking to the Honouring the Water attendees, Environment and Climate Change Minister Tracy Schmidt said the NMCA also provides “a very exciting opportunity” for Manitoba to achieve its commitment to protect 30 percent of Manitoba by 2030. “It’s an ambitious commitment, but I think it’s an achievable one and it’s going to be done by working together with local communities and with the Indigenous peoples of Manitoba.”

The ceremony, held at the lower dock area near the mouth of the Churchill estuary, reflected on the importance of water as a giver of life, and the important connection between Indigenous people and water, both the fresh water of the river and the salt water of the bay. About 80 people, including two Manitoba cabinet ministers, took part in the ceremony, which was possibly the first public water ceremony in Churchill.

The conference also featured a presentation by Parks Canada about a proposed National Marine Conservation Area (NMCA) for the region, an important opportunity for the community to lead the way in determining how to protect the water and important beluga habitat in Western Hudson Bay.

Speaking to the Honouring the Water attendees, Environment and Climate Change Minister Tracy Schmidt said the NMCA also provides “a very exciting opportunity” for Manitoba to achieve its commitment to protect 30 percent of Manitoba by 2030. “It’s an ambitious commitment, but I think it’s an achievable one and it’s going to be done by working together with local communities and with the Indigenous peoples of Manitoba.”

Ruth Teichroeb is a regular contributor to Oceans North and is former communications director. She is based in Sidney, B.C.