ARCTIC Native Harvest Surveys and Statistics: A Critique of Their Construction and Use

ABSTRACT. Native harvest statistics are counts, or estimates, of the number of animals by category taken by a specific group of native people during a specific time period. These statistics are significant for basic research in the social and biological sciences, for public policy and for the resolution of environmental conflicts in the North. This paper reviews and assesses two common sources of native harvest data- administrative and monitoring records, and special-purpose studies- and provides an extensive bibliography for the latter. Native harvest data are normally obtained by recall survey rather than direct observation. The existing data base is therefore evaluated in terms of the methodological norms of social surveys, with particular attention to precision and uniformity of survey parameters and interview terminology, sampling procedures, non-response bias and response bias. Despite some lack of methodological rigour, especially regarding parameters, terminology and projection from reported harvests, it is concluded that the existing body of information may be used to recreate an historical statistical series of substantial breadth and depth, useful for both socio-economic and biological research purposes. Key words: native, Northwest Territories, wildlife, social surveys, methodology RÉSUMÉ. Les statistiques de rtcoltes indigbnes sont des comptages ou des estimations du nombre d’animaux classts par categories, rtcoltts par un groupe d’indigbnes particulier, pendant une période onnte. Ces statistiques sont importantes pour la recherche fondamentale en sciences sociales et biologiques, pour l’ttablissement de politiques publiques et pour la solution des conflits relits B l’environnement dans le Nord. Cet article fait une revue et une tvaluation de deux sources courantes de donnks sur les dcoltes indigbnes- les dossiers de l’administration et des organismes de surveillance, e