When research relies on wildlife samples obtained from communities: a case study on local cultural contexts of beluga whale (<i>Delphinapterus leucas</i>) harvesting in Tuktoyaktuk, NT and Arviat, NU

Each community across Inuit Nunaat has specific histories, geography, and cultural norms or practices when it comes to beluga ( Delphinapterus leucas) harvesting. These coastal communities across Inuit Nunaat range over vast distances but share some similarities. Wildlife samples obtained from Inuit harvesters provide much of the data for current scientific literature in the Arctic. We use beluga as a case study to demonstrate the importance and value of including local contexts in wildlife research by focusing on Arviat, NU and Tuktoyaktuk, NT and their local cultural contexts of beluga harvesting and sampling. Local harvesters were interviewed about beluga to characterize the beluga hunting season, beluga harvest preference and selection, which cuts are preferred, how to examine beluga health, and research priorities. There were marked differences in all these areas between communities, except for how harvesters assess beluga health, which were similar. We also highlight potential research directions raised during the interviews. These findings confirm that there are cultural differences in beluga harvesting between these two communities. These harvest preferences should be accounted for in scientific interpretations of the data, which are often entirely derived from hunter-harvested animals. It follows then that local cultural preferences can result in biases for certain animals (size, colour), as we have shown, illustrating the importance of considering local contexts when conducting wildlife research.