Nunavut Generations: Change & Continuity in Canadian Inuit Communities

Change in arctic populations has not been a sudden phenomenon, but rather a gradual process that has occurred over a number of generations. In this longitudinal case study, McElroy introduces readers to four Baffin Island communities in the eastern Canadian Arctic and focuses on the challenges and hardships they face in transition from hunting-gathering lifestyles to wage employment and political participation in towns. Through long-term fieldwork, historical material, and life histories collected from elders, Nunavut Generations richly illustrates political and ecological change alongside native stability and self-determination.

"This is an outstanding examination of Nunavumiut sociocultural dynamics through the last fifty years. McElroy skillfully blends elements of her own research (and personal experiences) with a critical overview of the social, economic, and political developments affecting Inuit in the late twentieth century. This work captures the nuances, as well as the `facts,' leading up to and during the creation of Nunavut." -- George Wenzel, McGill University

"An erudite book on the process of doing ethnographic research and the nature of interactions with people in the field. Excellent for students with no prior research experience." -- Wanni Anderson, Brown University