ARCHIVED Environmental Glossary - English-Inuktitut-French Glossary

ᐊᕙᑎᓕᕆᓂᖕᒧᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖃᕐᕕᖓ

ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ ᓯᓚᑦᑐᓴᕐᕕᒃ, ᓄᓇᑦᑕ ᐃᓕᓴᕐᕕᖓ, ᐃᖃᓗᓐᓂ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ

ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ-ᖃᓪᓗᓈᑎᑐᑦ-ᐅᐃᕖᑎᑐᓪ

ᓈᓂᕈᓯᖅᑎᒍᑦ ᐋᖅᑭᒃᓱᖅᓯᒪᔪᓄᑦ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᔭᐅᑦ – ᐊᕙᑎᓕᕆᓂᖕᒧᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖃᕐᕕᖓ

ᖃᕆᑕᐅᔭᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᑭᐊᖅᑭᕝᕖᑦ ᑐᕌᕈᑎᖏᑦ ᐊᑐᐃᓐᓇᕈᖅᑎᑦᑎᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᑐᑭᓯᒋᐊᕈᑎᐅᔪᑦ ᑕᐃᒎᓯᓂᒃ, ᐋᖅᑭᒃᓱᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᕗᑦ ᓈᓂᕈᓯᖏᑦ ᒪᓕᒃᖢᒋᑦ.

Lexique – lettre A Lexique – lettre B Lexique – lettre C Lexique – lettre D Lexique – lettre E Lexique – lettre F Lexique – lettre G Lexique – lettre H Lexique – lettre I Lexique – lettre J Lexique – lettre L Lexique – lettre M Lexique – lettre N Lexique – lettre O Lexique – lettre P Lexique – lettre Q Lexique – lettre R Lexique – lettre S Lexique – lettre T Lexique – lettre U Lexique – lettre V Lexique – lettre W Lexique – lettre Y Lexique – lettre Z

A

Abiotic: ᐊᓂᕐᓂᖃᓐᖏᑦᑐᑦ ᑭᓱᑐᐃᓐᓇᐃᑦ: anirniqanngittut kisutuinnait: Abiotique

Relates to all the non-living things in an environment (such as air, water, rocks, and soil) that affect the living things in the environment.

Acid: ᐆᑕᕐᓇᖅᑐᖅ, ᐆᓐᓇᖅᑐᖅ: uutarnaqtuq, uunnaqtuq: Acide

A substance with a sour taste that produces positive hydrogen ions (H+) which combine with water. Acids can be strong like battery acid or weak like vinegar. PH is a measurement of acidity.

Acid deposition: ᐆᑕᕐᓇᖅᑐᑦ ᓄᐊᕝᕕᒋᔪᓐᓇᖅᑕᖏᑦ: uutarnaqtut nuavvigijunnaqtangit: Dépôt acide

The deposit or laying down of acid in soil or water or on objects. Usually known to fall as acid rain or snow.

Acid rain: ᓯᓚᓗᓪᓘᑦ: silalulluut: Pluie acide

Rain that is acidic as a result of air pollution. The air gets polluted when invisible gases are released into the air. Acid rain (or snow) then falls down on ponds, lakes and plants, polluting the water and land. Car exhaust and industry are the main causes of acid rain.

Adaptation: ᓱᖏᐅᔾᔨᓂᖅ: sungiujjiniq: Adaptation

Any ability of a living plant or animal to change in order to survive. Sometimes these are changes in behavior or physical changes in the body that allow the plant or animal to adjust to changes in the environment. The changes in these plants and animals must be passed on to their young through genetics to be called adaptations.

Air pollution: ᓯᓚᐅᑉ ᓱᕈᕐᓂᖓ: silaup sururninga: Pollution atmosphérique

Chemicals found in the air which are not supposed to be there. These chemicals can cause problems for living things (i.e. , humans, plants, animals) or the land. Most of these harmful chemicals are put into the air by factories, pulp and paper plants, oil/gas companies, chemical industries, cars, skidoos, the burning down of the rain forests, etc. Some air pollution is not caused by man, for example, that which comes from volcanoes or from naturally occurring forest fires. Sometimes you can see air pollution as a grayish or brownish fog but most of the time it cannot be seen.

Alevin: ᐃᖃᓗᒐᒃᓴᕈᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᔪᖅ, ᓇᐴᒃᑲᓛᖅ: iqalugaksaruqpalliajuq, napuukkalaaq: Alevin

A very young fish that has just hatched from the egg. For example, a newly hatched Arctic Char fish that still has the yolk sac attached to it.

Algae: ᐊᒫᖃᓐᖏᑦᑐᑦ, ᐊᖃᔭᐃᑦ: amaaqanngittut, aqajait: Algue

A group of organisms that depend on the sun to live. These are not plants but are in a different taxonomic group. Most algae are tiny and made of only one cell, but some are large and are made of many cells, kelp and seaweeds for example. Algae make up most of the phytoplankton in the lakes and oceans; they produce 70% of all the oxygen on Earth. Most algae are green, but other kinds can be red, yellow, or orange.

Aluminum: ᐊᕿᓪᓗᕈᖅ: aqilluruq: Aluminium

A mineral that is grayish white. Bauxite is the natural rock material (or ore) that contains aluminum. The ore is mined, crushed and the aluminum removed. Aluminum is made into a strong light metal and used for many purposes, such as aircraft, drink cans, and aluminum foil.

Anadromous: ᑎᓱᓲᑦ, ᓯᑐᓲᑦ: tisusuut, situsuut: Anadrome

Fish that are anadromous swim up into freshwater rivers from the saltwater ocean sea to spawn or lay eggs. Salmon are anadromous because they return from the ocean to their rivers of birth to spawn when they are old enough.

Analysis: ᖃᐅᔨᔭᐅᒻᒪᕆᓐᓂᖏᑦ: qaujijaummarinningit: Analyse

A close look at something to find out more about it. An analysis usually involves reading information or statistics and comparing them to other similar information. Analysis can also involve looking closely at the individual parts of something and describing them.

Anterior: ᓂᐊᖁᖅᐸᓯᖓ: niaquqpasinga: Antérieur

Relates to the front or head end of an animal or located closer to the front end. The head is anterior or in front of the shoulders of a caribou. The nose of a caribou is anterior to its ears.

Anthropogenic: ᓴᓇᔭᐅᓂᑯᐃᑦ: sanajaunikuit: Anthropogène

Caused by or produced as a result of human activity. Something caused by people.

Application results: ᐅᒃᓯᕋᕈᑎᓕᐅᓚᐅᕐᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᑭᐅᔭᐅᔾᔪᑎᑦ: tuksirarutiliulaurninginnut kiujaujjutit: Résultats d'application

The results obtained after a special procedure or process has been applied. Applying a fertilizer to plants produces healthy plants. The application of the fertilizer results in improved growth.

Aquaculture: ᐃᒪᕐᒥᐅᑕᕐᓂᑦ ᐱᕈᑦᓯᐊᖃᕐᓂᖅ: imarmiutarnit pirutsiaqarniq: Aquaculture

Raising preferred species of fish and other water animals or plants to sell for money. This usually happens in underwater pens or fenced enclosures in the water so the animal or plant is protected from harm and cannot escape.

Aquatic: ᐃᒪᕐᒥᐅᑦ: imarmiut: Aquatique

Relates to water. Some plants and animals live in water habitats, such as fish living in water. Aquatic relates to both fresh and saltwater. Kelp is an aquatic plant because it can only survive in water.

Arbitration board: ᐃᓱᒪᓕᐅᖅᑏᑦ ᐊᖏᖃᑎᒌᓐᓂᒃᑯᑦ: isumaliuqtiit angiqatigiinnikkut: Conseil arbitral

A group of people who listen to and decide the outcome of a dispute or argument. The group or board can be chosen by the people who are arguing or chosen by a judge or other legal person. The purpose of the board is to settle differences and disputes.

Archeological site: ᐃᑦᓴᕐᓂᓴᖅᑕᓕᒃ: itsarnisaqtalik: Site archéologique

A place that was used by people hundreds or thousands of years ago and where the remains of their existence can still be found. Scientists can study the place and look at the items left behind to learn who the people were and how they lived. Archaeology is the study of past human cultures.

Arctic blue grass: ᑭᕕᐅᑦ ᑐᖑᖅᑐᑦ: kiviut tunguqtuq: Pâturin des champs de l'Arctique

A type of grass with long stems about 3 to 12 inches high. Stems are purplish at the base near the ground. This is a common grass above the tree line on the tundra and along stream banks in the North. Seeds are at the top of stems and are somewhat purplish.

Arctic char: ᐃᖃᓗᒃ: iqaluk: Omble de l'Arctique

A silvery fish about 15 to 18 inches long that is a member of the salmon family. Arctic char have the most northerly distribution of any freshwater fish, and are found in northern Europe, North America and Asia, as well as Iceland and Greenland. They are very good to eat and normally have light coloured meat. Spawning adults have very colourful scales on their bodies.

Arctic Environmental Strategy (AES): ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ ᐊᕙᑎᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᖅᑮᒋᐊᕈᑎᑦ: ukiuqtaqtumi avatilirinirmut aqqiigiarutit: Stratégie environnementale de l'Arctique

A part of Canada's Green Plan started in 1990 that has to do with the North and arctic areas. It is a way of protecting the arctic environment (its renewable and non-renewable resources) and planning for future development. It specifically deals with arctic contaminants, managing waste in the north, improving water quality, doing more research, and planning for economic development and jobs while at the same time protecting arctic land, water and air.

Arctic grayling: ᓱᓗᒃᐸᐅᔭᖅ: sulukpaujaq: Ombre de l'Arctique

A fish that lives in freshwater lakes and rivers in northern Asia, and western and northern Canada. The scales on the bodies of Arctic Grayling are relatively large, the body is about 12 to 15 inches long and there is a larger than normal dorsal fin along the back. These fish are brightly coloured with pink, purple, gray and black.

Arctic haze: ᐳᔪᕐᓗᒃ, ᐃᓯᕐᓗᒃ: pujurluk, isirluk: Brume arctique

Very tiny dust particles in the air making the air look like there is a blue or yellowy fog. The particles are so small they cannot be seen except for the colour they make the air. Most of the particles in the air come from air pollution in northern Europe.

Arctic lampreys: ᒥᓗᒋᐊᑦ: milugiat: Lamproies arctiques

A fish that lives in both freshwater and salt water in the western arctic of Canada, in northern Alaska, and in arctic areas of Asia and Scandinavia. Lampreys are very long fish (about 11 inches) with a round mouth. There is a long dorsal fin along the back that is almost as long as the whole body. There are 7 round gill holes. Their skeletons have soft cartilage, not bone. They sometimes attach themselves to other fish with their round mouth and suck blood.

Areas: ᐊᕕᒃᑐᖅᓯᒪᓂᖏᑕ ᒥᑭᓛᖓᑦ: aviktuqsimaningita mikilaangat: Zones

Relates to special locations, places, or particular spaces. The beach is an area close to the ocean. Some birds like to nest in rocky areas, or places where there are rocks.

Arsenic: ᓴᕕᕋᔭᒃᓴᔭᒦᓐᖔᖅᑐᖅ ᑐᖁᓐᓇᖅᑐᖅ: savirajaksajamiinngaaqtuq tuqunnaqtuq: Arsenic

A very poisonous substance that is found naturally as a mineral. Once used in insecticides (chemicals used to kill insects) but no longer used for this purpose. Sometimes used in some metal alloys (mixtures of different metals), in transistors, lead shot for shotguns, among other things.

Artificial island: ᕿᑭᖅᑕᓕᐊᖑᓯᒪᔪᖅ, ᕿᑭᖅᑕᓕᐊᒐᖅ: qikiqtaliangusimajuq, qikiqtaliagaq: Île artificielle

An island built by people in shallow water and made with gravel and boulders that have been gathered together. The island is used to support a drilling rig.

Assessment: ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕈᑕᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᔭᐃᓂᖅ: qaujisarutaujunik nalunaijainiq: Évaluation

A written decision about the importance, size or value of something. For example, an environmental assessment may describe the value of caribou hunting after studying the caribou, the hunters, the method of hunting, and the effect on the environment.

Atmospheric bomb testing: ᖄᖅᑎᑕᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕐᓂᖅ ᓯᓚᒥ: qaaqtitaujunik qaujisarniq silami: Essai atmosphérique à la bombe

Some countries test their nuclear weapons from time to time. Tests usually occur deep underground but others have been tested in the air high above the Earth. When they explode in the atmosphere, the dangerous radioactivity can travel great distances and cause health problems for people and animals living in other places. Few countries explode nuclear bombs above ground any more because of international agreements and the hazard from nuclear fallout.

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B

Back wash: ᒥᖑᓕᖅᑐᖅ, ᓯᔾᔭᓱᑦᑐᖅ: minguliqtuq, sijjasuttuq: Remous

The backward rolling movement of sea water back down toward the sea after the breaking of a wave on a beach. The wave hits the shore and then rolls or washes back to the sea.

Bacteriology: ᖁᐱᕐᕈᐊᕐᔪᓕᕆᓂᖅ ᐊᖏᓇᖅᑐᒃᑯᑦ: qupirruarjuliriniq anginaqtukkut: Bactériologie

The branch of science that deals with the study of bacteria. Bacteria are tiny one-celled living organisms so small you cannot see them with the naked eye. There are many different kinds of bacteria. They are important in nature because they make dead things decay and break apart; they have many important uses for people, such as in making cheese, wine and beer. Many bacteria are good and help people. Other types of bacteria can cause disease and make people sick.

Bad weather: ᓯᓚᓗᑦᑐᖅ: silaluttuq: Mauvais temps

Bad weather usually means it is cold outside, there are high winds, and it is either raining or snowing. It can be dangerous to be outside in bad weather, especially if you are not wearing proper clothes and cannot find shelter.

Band: ᑲᓈᒍᑎ, ᑲᓈᕐᒥᐅᑕᖓ ᓇᒡᒍᐊᕐᒥᒃ: kanaaguti, kanaarmiutanga nagguarmik: Bande

A narrow strip or a long section of something with the longest sides being opposite each other. Birds sometimes have a narrow band of feathers on their wings that is different in colour than the rest of the feathers. Parkas sometimes have bands of colour at the bottom.

Bank: ᖃᑦᑐᔪᖅ: qattujuq: Berge

A steep slope between a river and the land above, or between a beach and the land above, or between two uneven pieces of land. The bank is the part of the ground that connects with other parts of ground above and below.

Bank side: ᖃᑦᑐᓂᐅᑉ ᐊᑭᓐᓇᖓ: qattuniup akinnanga: Talus

A bank along a river or stream. It is a steep slope between the river or stream and the ground above the water.

Basalt: ᐊᒻᒫᖅ, ᐊᖕᒫᖅ ammaaq, angmaaq: Basalte

Basalt, a hard blackish stone, is a common rock on both the Earth and on the Moon. It flows out of volcanoes as liquid rock, then it cools. In northern regions, it is mostly found in Iceland, Scotland and Greenland. When basalt is crushed, it can be used to pave roads, as a building material and can also be used to make fibreglass pink insulation for keeping houses warm in winter.

Baseline: ᖃᐅᔨᓴᖅᑕᐅᔪᒧᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᖅᑕᐅᖃᓯᐅᑎᒋᐊᓖᑦ: qaujisaqtaujumut qaujisaqtauqasiutigialiit: Base

A line that is measured and surveyed on the ground which serves as a reference line from which other measurements and surveys are made. The baseline is drawn on maps and be used to make other maps (for creating roads and seismic lines). Baseline can also mean a low water mark on a beach or boat.

Beautiful day: ᓯᓚᑦᓯᐊᖅ: silatsiaq: Beau jour

Weather that is described as having mild to warm temperatures outside, a clear sky with few clouds and little wind. It makes you feel really good to be outside on a beautiful day.

Beaver: ᑭᒋᐊᖅ, ᐸᒥᐅᖅᑑᖅ: kigiaq, pamiuqtuuq: Castor

A medium sized mammal with a large flat tail, found near lakes, rivers and ponds. It is trapped for its smooth brown fur, its feet are webbed for swimming. It uses large front teeth to gnaw and bite through trees. Leaves and small branches are eaten; the larger branches are used to make their houses (called lodges) and dams. Dams are built to stop the flow of water and create a pond or small lake. Beaver are found in all provinces, Yukon and western NWT.

Bedrock: ᖃᐃᖅᓱᖅ: qaiqsuq: Roche de fond

The solid rock under the surface soil or loose rock. In some areas the bedrock is exposed to the air because the soil or loose rock has been worn away. At other places it is a great distance below the surface of the ground and is covered by deep soil or gravel.

Behaviour: ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᖅ, ᐱᐅᓯᖅ: iliqqusiq, piusiq: Comportement

How a living thing acts or responds. Anything that a living plant or animal does.

Beneficiary: ᐱᔪᓐᓇᓂᖅᑖᖅᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᖅ, ᐃᑲᔪᖅᓯ: pijunnaniqtaaqtitausimajuq, ikajuqsi: Bénéficiaire

A person that has gained from something that has happened. This person can receive money or things from someone who has died or from a company or from a legal decision. Many northern people who enroll with the Nunavut Land Claim Agreement will become beneficiaries of the agreement.

Benefits: ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑕᐅᔾᔪᑏᑦ: ikajuqtaujjutiit: Indemnités

Something that promotes well-being, such as good nutrition, or is useful in some way, or provides money or services in time of sickness, old age or unemployment. It can also mean a payment or service provided for under plan, such as an insurance plan.

Benthic: ᐃᖅᑲᒥᐅᑕᐃᑦ, ᐃᓗᐊᓂᕐᒥᐅᑕᐃᑦ (ᐃᒪᐅᑉ): iqqamiutait, iluanirmiutait (imaup): Benthique

This means the bottom region or area of a lake.

Bilateral: ᓴᓂᕋᖏᑦ: sanirangit: Bilatéral

Having two sides. Most animals, including people, are bilateral because they have two sides. A boat has two sides and is bilateral.

Bioaccumulation: ᐆᒪᓂᓖᑦ ᓄᐊᒃᐸᓪᓕᐊᕕᐅᔪᑦ ᐃᓚᐅᕈᑎᒃᓴᒥᒃ: uumaniliit nuakpalliaviujut ilaurutiksamik: Bioaccumulation

When plants and animals concentrate toxic chemicals in their bodies over time. When low amounts of the substances are continually absorbed into the body, they build up and can cause deformities, cancer, lesions and diseases that do not kill the organisms immediately.

Biochemical oxygen demand: ᐊᓂᕐᓂᖃᕐᓇᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᐱᔭᕆᐊᖃᕐᓂᖓ ᓄᖑᑎᕆᕙᓪᓕᐊᓂᖓᓄᑦ: anirniqarnaqtumik pijariaqarninga nungutirivallianinganut: Demande biochimique d'oxygène

The amount of oxygen that is required for tiny organisms to live in water rich in organic material, such as sewage. The tiny organisms eat and break down the organic material, but need oxygen to live. Also known as biological oxygen demand.

Biodegradable: ᖁᐱᕐᕈᐊᕐᔪᓐᓄᑦ ᓄᖑᑎᖅᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᑦ: qupirruarjunnut nungutiqtaujunnaqtut: Biodégradable

Something that is made to fall apart and be eaten by tiny organisms when thrown away. Some special types of plastic can be eaten by living things like soil bacteria, helping the environment stay cleaner.

Biodiversity: ᐊᔾᔨᒌᓐᖏᑦᑐᑦ ᐆᒪᓂᓖᑦ: jjigiinngittut uumaniliit: Biodiversité

Relates to a situation when many different kinds of plants and animals normally live in the same environment. An area is high in biodiversity if many different species of plants and animals live there, and low when few species of plants and animals live there. Lancaster Sound north of Baffin Island is a highly biodiverse area because there are many species of birds, fish, mammals, other animals and plants that live in the water or on the land nearby.

Biologist: ᓂᕐᔪᑎᓂᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᖅᑎ: nirjutinit qaujisaqti: Biologiste

A person who studies living things and how they live, including plants and animals.

Biology: ᐆᒪᔪᐃᑦ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᖃᐅᔨᓇᓱᓐᓂᖅ: uumajuit iliqqusinginnik qaujinasunniq: Biologie

The study of living things and how they live, including plants and animals. Botany, ecology, and zoology are different branches of biology.

Biomagnification: ᐃᓚᕙᓪᓕᐊᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᖏᑦ ᐅᐃᒍᓕᕇᒃᑐᑦ: ilavalliaqattarningit uiguliriiktut: Biogrossissement

The buildup of toxic chemicals in the bodies of plants and animals in the food chain. If harmful substances have been put into a river, tiny plants and animals will absorb small amounts of those harmful substances, such as mercury, into their bodies. Fish that eat many of those tiny plants and animals will have a higher concentration in their bodies. If people eat a small amount of the fish, they can get very sick because they will have eaten a high concentration of the toxic chemical.

Biosphere: ᐆᒪᕕᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᑦ: uumaviujunnaqtut: Biosphère

The part of the Earth where most living things are found. The biosphere is found only a few kilometers above and below the surface of the land and sea. All that is needed for life to exist, such as air, water, food is found in the biosphere.

Biota: ᐆᒪᔪᑦ, ᐆᒪᓂᓕᑦ: uumajut, uumanilit: Biote

The living things in our environment or where we live. This includes all the plants and animals, even those so small that we cannot see them.

Biotic: ᐆᒪᓂᖃᖅᑐᑦ, ᐆᒪᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᓕᒫᑦ: uumaniqaqtut, uumajunnaqtulimaat: Biotique

Relates to all the living things in an environment, such as the plants and animals.

Bird, Horn-lark: ᖁᐸᓄᐊᕐᔪᐊᖅ, ᓇᓴᐅᓪᓕᒐᖅ, ᖃᐅᕈᓪᓕᒐᖅ: qupanuarjuaq, nasaulligaq, qaurulligaq: Alouette cornue

A small bird about 6 to 8 inches long with a narrow bill, brown back, black chest and face with a black mark from the bill to eye. They have very small feathers that stick up from the head like tiny horns. Often seen in large groups, they run instead of hop. In arctic regions, it is found around northern Baffin Island and Devon and Prince Patrick Islands south to Yukon. It nests on the ground in an open habitat.

Birds (that are too fat to fly): ᐊᖅᑐᑦ: aqtut: Oiseaux (incapables de voler parce que trop gras)

If birds have eaten too much and gained too much fat, they are unable to lift their bodies into the air to fly. They are easy to kill because they cannot escape by flying away.

Birds (when unable to fly): ᐃᓴᑦ, ᐃᓴᖅ: isat, isaq: Oiseaux (incapables de voler)

Sometimes birds are hurt or sick and cannot fly. Baby birds are unable to fly because their wings are not strong enough and they must still learn how to fly. Birds unable to fly are at risk of being killed by other animals.

Birthrate (natality): ᐃᕐᓂᐅᕐᓃᑦ: irniurniit: Taux de natalité

The number of births in a population of animals in a given period of time. The birthrate for a town might be 10 babies born in one year. Birthrates change from year to year because the number of people in the town might change and a different number of babies might be born. It is also related to the number of possible young a female can produce. Humans usually have one baby at a time. Caribou normally give birth to one or two calves at a time.

Bison: ᐅᒥᒻᒪᒡᔪᒃ (ᐅᒥᒻᒪᐅᔭᖅ): umimmagjuk (umimmaujaq): Bison

Bison (also called buffalo) are Canada's largest land animal and were almost hunted to extinction one hundred years ago for their hides and meat. Now they are generally protected from hunting. Bison are found in a variety of habitats as long as there are plants for them to eat. Wood and Plains Bison are two different types. Large males can weigh as much as 900 to 1,000 pounds (450 kg). Bison have hoofed feet, a large hump on the shoulders covered with long brown hair, and curved horns on the large furry heads. There are some large herds found around Great Slave Lake, NWT.

Blackberry: ᐸᐅᕐᖓᖅ: paurngaq: Mûre

Also known as the huckleberry, this plant is related to blueberries. The large black berries (larger and blacker than ordinary blueberries) can be eaten in the late summer or early fall. Usually grows in dry areas in valleys and mountain regions of the north.

Blackberry stem: ᐸᐅᕐᖓᖁᑦ: paurngaqut: Tige de mûre

The stems of blackberry shrubs can reach 4 feet in height.

Black spruce: ᑯᒪᐅᔭᖅ: kumaujaq: Épinette noire

A 60-foot-tall coniferous or evergreen tree (stays green all year round) that prefers to live in bogs. Lower branches of older trees droop toward the ground. Upper branches group together to form what looks like a crow's nest. Short, four-sided needles are dark green.

Black spruce cone: ᑯᒪᐅᔭᖅ: kumaujaq: Pomme d'épinette noire

The hard, dark red or purplish coloured cones of the black spruce tree are about one inch long and contain the seeds.

Blizzard: ᑕᒻᒪᔭᕐᓇᖅᑐᖅ, ᐱᖅᓯᖅᑐᖅ: tammajarnaqtuq, piqsiqtuq: Blizzard

Bad weather that has low temperatures, falling snow, and strong winds blowing snow around on the ground. Sometimes blizzards are so bad that you cannot see far because of the blowing snow.

Blow-out preventer: ᖄᑦᑕᐃᓕᒪᔾᔪᑦ: qaattailimajjut: Vanne d'éruption

A mechanical tool or device used to prevent the uncontrolled flow of oil or natural gas from an oil or gas drilling well. This tool closes off the hole in the ground during emergencies and prevents a blow-out from occurring. Sometimes the blow-out preventer does not work in time and this causes oil and natural gas to come out of the hole at a high rate of speed. If the oil or gas catches fire, it can be very dangerous for the people working near the site and hard to put out the fire.

Blueberry: ᑭᒍᑕᖏᕐᓇᖅ, ᐅᖁᐃᑦ: kigutangirnaq, uquit: Bleuet

A shrub with many branches that grows close to the ground. The sweet blue coloured berries are about 1/4 of an inch around and can be eaten. There are several different kinds of blueberry, some smaller than others. Blueberry flowers develop in summer and are shaped like tiny bells. Most types of blueberry prefer to live in northern evergreen forests or wet areas like bogs.

Bog: ᐅᕐᔪᒃ: urjuk: Marais

Soft, wet spongy earth, made mostly of rotted and decaying plants. Bogs, marshes and swamps are all different kinds of wetlands and have different kinds of plants growing in them. Bogs tend to be more acidic and grow plants like northern Labrador Tea, blueberries and sphagnum moss (peat moss is decayed, compacted sphagnum moss). Muskeg is another name for bog.

Bog bilberry: ᑭᒍᑕᖏᕐᓇᑉ ᐱᕈᕐᕕᐊ: kigutangirnap pirurvia: Bleuet alpin

Type of blueberry plant that grows about 10 inches high, preferring the wet and acidic conditions found in a bog. Can also grow in drier, rocky places in the mountains of the North. The pinkish flowers show in early summer and the blue-coloured berries can be eaten in the fall. Northern native people used to boil them in grease and store them for winter.

Botany: ᐱᕈᖅᑐᓕᕆᓂᖅ: piruqtuliriniq: Botanique

The study of plants and plant life. Botany deals with the plants themselves, as well as how they are grouped together in taxonomy, such as trees, grasses and flowering plants.

Branch: ᐊᑭᕈᖅ, ᐃᓵᕈᑕᖅ: akiruq, isaarutaq: Branche

Refers to the thinner stems on a shrub or tree that grow out from the thick main stem or trunk.

Bronze: ᑲᓐᓄᔭᐅᔭᖅ: kannujaujaq: Bronze

Bronze is a metal alloy (material made from two or more metals) that is made of mostly copper and tin. Bronze was first made by humans over 6,000 years ago, when it was used to make tools, weapons and cooking pots. Today bronze is often used for artistic sculpture.

Bundle of dry firewood: ᖄᑦᓴᑦ, ᕿᔪᒃᓴᑦ: qaatsat, qijuksat: Fagot de bois sec

Refers to firewood that has been aged and dried so it burns easily. A bundle is a pile of cut wood that one person can carry.

Bunker: ᐅᒥᐊᕐᔪᐊᖅᓯᐅᑦ, ᐅᖅᓱᐊᓗᒃᓴᖅ: umiarjuaqsiut, uqsualuksaq: Soute

Has several meanings. A thick, black, heavy type of fuel oil called bunker oil. Or a place for fuel storage on a ship. Or a place built underground or partly underground which has been strengthened and will protect people from explosions and bombs.

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C

Cadmium: ᓴᕕᕐᓗᒃ: savirluk: Cadmium

A type of metal found naturally in the earth. It is usually found with another metal called zinc. It is mined and used to make batteries, some pesticides to kill insects, some types of paint, and control rods in nuclear reactors. It can be very poisonous to people if we breathe it into our lungs, and can cause cancer, as well as diseases of the liver and kidneys.

Caisson-retained island: ᕿᑭᖅᑕᓕᐊᒐᖅ ᐊᕙᓗᓕᒃ ᓴᕕᕋᔭᒻᒥᒃ: qikiqtaliagaq avalulik savirajammik: Plate-forme flottante

A way to strengthen an artificial island on top of which there is an off-shore drilling rig. Large boxes of wood are built, placed around the island and filled with cement. The boxes sink and help to prevent the gravel and boulders from moving in the water. A caisson is also a type of drilling platform with one very large leg that is used in arctic waters where there is moving ice.

Canada's Green Plan: ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᐊᕙᑎᑦᑎᓐᓂ ᑲᒪᒐᓱᑦᓯᐊᕐᓂᖅ: kanatami avatittinni kamagasutsiarniq: Plan vert canadien

A plan started in 1990 by the federal government to protect the environment, support sustainable development, protect animals and plants, and protect the Arctic (see Arctic Environmental Strategy). Its purpose is to seek ways of using natural resources and allowing economic development while preventing destruction of the natural environment. New legislation and laws are being developed.

Carbon: ᐸᐅᖅ: pauq: Carbone

The most important substance or element to life. It is a part or ingredient of all living and dead plants and animals. Carbon combines with many other substances to make new substances. It is the main part of coal, oil and all fossil fuels.

Carcinogenic: ᑎᒥᒧᑦ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᖅᓱᕈᓐᓃᕈᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᖅ: timimut iliqqusiqsurunniirutaujunnaqtuq: Cancérigène

Cancer-causing. There are a number of carcinogenic substances that we know of. Cigarettes are thought to be carcinogenic, causing lung cancer. Many different chemicals are carcinogenic.

Caribou: ᑐᒃᑐ: tuktu: Caribou

Caribou are hoofed mammals. Both males and females have large antlers on their heads that measure 3 or 4 feet in length. Caribou are hunted for food and their hide and light brown fur is used to make warm clothing. They are found in northern and arctic regions. Large migratory groups called herds move over great distances throughout the year to find plants to eat and give birth to young. Also known as Reindeer. There are several different sub-species of caribou that are found in western provinces, Yukon and NWT, high arctic islands, northern Ontario, Quebec and Labrador.

• Bull: ᐸᓐᓂᒃ: pannik: Mâle: A male caribou about two years old or older. Bulls gather small groups of females together to mate with and try to prevent other males from mating with females. Bulls are also known as bucks.
• Bull, Young: ᐸᓐᓂᒻᒪᕆᐅᓐᖏᑦᑐᖅ: pannimmariunngittuq: Jeune mâle: A young male caribou that is old enough to mate with females but is only about a year and a half old.
• Cow with calf: ᓄᕐᕋᓕᒃ: nurralik: Femelle avec son faon: A female that has given birth to a fawn and is feeding it milk from its breasts or teats. The fawn or calf usually stays with the cow for less than a year.
• Cow without calf or immature female: ᓄᕐᕋᐃᑦᑐᖅ: nurraittuq: Jeune femelle: A female that is not yet old enough to give birth to a baby or one that is old enough but has not yet mated with a male. Males will gather up small groups of females in the fall for mating. Eight months later the baby caribou are born.
• Fawn: ᓄᕐᕋᖅ: nurraq: Caribou, faon: A baby caribou. They are usually born in June to July in Arctic areas. They grow antlers in their first year of life.
• Female: ᐊᕐᓇᓪᓗᒃ: arnalluk: Caribou femelle: Female caribou give birth to the young. Females are also known as cows or does. They are smaller than males but have antlers. Female antlers fall off near the time they give birth to young in June and then begin to regrow in the summer.
• First year/winter: ᓄᕐᕋᕕᓂᖅ: nurraviniq: Faon dans sa première année: The first year of life for a caribou. They are only 5 or 6 months old during their first winter. Some die during this first winter from the cold, disease or are killed by wolves. Baby caribou usually stop sucking their mother's milk in the first winter and start eating plants.
• Male: ᐊᖑᓴᓪᓗᖅ: angusalluq: Caribou mâle: Male caribou are slightly larger than females but both sexes have antlers. Male antlers begin to grow in March and fall off in winter. Males are also known as bucks. In the fall, males mate with females.
• Second year male: ᓄᑲᑐᕋᖅ, ᓄᑲᑐᒐᖅ: nukaturaq, nukatugaq: Caribou mâle de deux ans: A male caribou that is two years old. By the second year the males are usually old enough to mate with females to produce young. They must compete with other older males to mate.
• Third year male: ᐊᖑᓴᓪᓗᖅ: angusalluq: Caribou mâle de trois ans: A male caribou that is three years old.
• Yearling: ᑎᕆᑐᕋᖅ: tirituraq: Faon d'un an: A caribou that is approximately one year old. They are also known as calves (one is called a calf).

Caribou herds: ᑐᒃᑐᐃᑦ ᐃᓛᑰᓕᖓᓂᖏᑦ: tuktuit ilaakkuulinganingit: Troupeaux de caribous

Large groups of caribou, sometimes numbering in the thousands. Herds migrate and move from place to place throughout the year in search of food and to give birth.

• Caribou, Baffin: ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓘᑉ ᑐᒃᑐᖏᑦ: qiqiqtaaluup tuktungit: Caribou de Baffin: Caribou herds found on Baffin Island.
• Caribou, Bathurst: ᕿᖓᐅᓪᓗ ᔮᓗᓇᐃᓗ ᒥᒃᓵᓂᒥᐅᑕᐃᑦ ᑐᒃᑐᑦ: qingaullu jalunaillu miksaanimiutait tuktut: Caribou de Bathurst: Caribou herds found in the north-central region of mainland NWT and northwest of the Beverly herd. Calving occurs on the mainland south of Cambridge Bay.
• Caribou, Beverly: ᑎᕝᔭᓕᐅᑉ ᒥᒃᓵᓂᒥᐅᑕᐃᑦ ᑐᒃᑐᑦ: tivjaliup miksaanimiutait tuktut: Caribou de Beverly: Caribou herds found in the central part of the NWT east and south of the Bathurst herds. Their migration sometimes takes them down into northern Saskatchewan, but the calving grounds are near Baker Lake.
• Caribou, Bluenose: ᑐᒃᑑᔮᖅᑑᑉ ᐃᓅᕕᐅᓪᓗ ᒥᒃᓵᓂᒥᐅᑕᐃᑦ ᑐᒃᑐᑦ: tuktuujaaqtuup inuuviullu miksaanimiutait tuktut: Caribou au nez bleu: Caribou herds found on the mainland in northwestern NWT east of the Mackenzie River. The calving grounds are found northeast of Great Bear Lake not far from Coppermine. These herds are west of the Bathurst herd.
• Caribou, Kamaneriak: ᖃᒪᓂᕐᔪᐊᑉ ᒥᒃᓵᓂᒥᐅᑕᐃᑦ ᑐᒃᑐᑦ: qamanirjuap miksaanimiutait tuktut: Caribou de Kamaneriak: Caribou herds found on the west side of Hudson Bay and north of Manitoba. Sometimes the herds travel into northern Manitoba. The calving grounds are found west of Rankin Inlet.
• Caribou, Melville: ᐃᒡᓗᓕᐅᑉ ᓴᓂᕋᔭᐅᓪᓗ ᒥᓵᓂᒥᐅᑕᐃᑦ ᑐᒃᑐᑦ: igluliup sanirajaullu miksaanimiutait tuktut: Caribou de Melville: Caribou herds found on the Melville Peninsula, NWT. The calving grounds are found north of Repulse Bay.
• Caribou, Porcupine: ᐊᓛᔅᑲᐅᑉ ᔫᑳᓪᓗ ᒥᒃᓵᓂᒥᐅᑕᐃᑦ ᑐᒃᑐᑦ: alaaskaup juukaallu miksaanimiutait tuktut: Caribou porc-épic: Caribou herds found west of the Mackenzie River and into the northern part of the Yukon and the state of Alaska. The calving grounds are found between Prudoe Bay, Alaska and Aklavik, NWT, south of the Beaufort Sea.
• Migrating herd: ᑕᒡᔪᐊᑦ: tagjuat: Troupeau en migration: A group of caribou, usually very large, that moves from one place to another place many miles away. Migrating herds can contain 50,000 to 100,000 caribou.
• Migration: ᑕᒡᔪᐊᖅᑐᑦ: tagjuaqtut: Migration: When caribou move from one place to another place in search of food, or to mate or give birth to young. Usually migration occurs two times a year (in spring and fall). Large herds of caribou can travel hundreds of miles during their migration. The animals form long lines and follow each other.

Caribou, Miscellaneous: ᑐᒃᑐᐃᑦ ᒥᒃᓵᓅᖓᔪᑦ: tuktuit miksaanuungajut: Caribous divers

• New antlers: ᓇᒡᔪᐃᑦ ᐊᒥᕋᖃᓕᖅᑐᑦ: nagjuit amiraqaliqtut: Nouveaux bois: Males grow antlers from small knobs of bone on the head each March. Females grow antlers in the summer. New antlers are itchy and painful if hit against an object. All new antlers are covered with velvet, a soft sensitive covering of furry skin that provides blood and nourishment to the growing bone. The velvet dries up later when the antlers are large and is rubbed off by scratching the antlers against objects and the ground.
• Rutting: ᖃᖓᓚᖅᑐᑦ: qangalaqtut: Rut: When the males mate with the females. Rutting season for caribou is the fall. Males rub their hard bare antlers on plants and the ground to polish them. They become very agressive, fighting with other males. Males eat little during the rut.

Carnivorous: ᓂᕿᑐᓲᑦ: niqitusuut: Carnivore

Animals that normally eat other animals to survive. Wolves and killer whales are examples of carnivores. They kill, and they eat meat to live.

Carried by tide or currents: ᐊᒃᓯᖅᐳᖅ, ᐃᖏᕐᕋᓂᖅᑕᖅ: aksiqpuq, ingirraniqtaq: Emporté par la marée ou le courant

When something is floating in the water and is carried with the tides or currents that move water in a river, lake or ocean. Tides can bring something floating in the water closer to land or move it out toward the ocean, depending on which way the tide is moving. A piece of wood can be carried with moving tides or currents great distances in the water.

Catadromous: ᒪᔪᓲᑦ, ᒪᔪᖅᑎᑦ: majusuut, majuqtit: Catadrome

Fish that are catadromous swim down freshwater rivers to the saltwater ocean to spawn or lay eggs. Some kinds of eels do this to reproduce young.

Chemical: ᐃᓚᐅᕈᑎᒃᓴᖅ: ilaurutiksaq: Chimique

A substance that is made by humans or found naturally. It can be described as having one or more ingredients called elements. Chemicals can be mixed together to make more complicated substances called chemical compounds. There are thousands of different chemicals. It can be made by different processes or ways in a laboratory, using raw materials such as crude oil, rocks, or plants. Various materials can be used to make a chemical. Phosphates, plastics, drugs, paints and pesticides are all examples of chemicals. Most chemicals are naturally occuring or are made from natural materials. (Synthetic chemicals are made by humans.)

Chlordane: ᖁᐱᕐᕈᐃᔭᐅᑦ: qupirruijaut: Chlordane

A chemical made by humans to kill insects. It is an insecticide that was used in the 1960s and 1970s to kill cockroaches in peoples' homes, but it is not used very much any more. It is a thick, orange-coloured substance made of a hydrocarbon and chlorine. Exposure to it over a long period of time can cause damage to the liver.

Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC): ᓱᕈᕈᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᒐᓚᐅᔭᕐᒧᑦ: sururutaujunnaqtut igalaujarmut: Chlorofluorocarbone

CFCs are gases usually used in refrigerators, some types of insulation, and in some food packages. They were once commonly used in aerosol cans, but this was stopped a few years ago. When released into the air, CFCs drift very high up where the chemical chlorine is released. Chlorine destroys the ozone that protects life on Earth from harmful ultra-violet radiation coming from the sun.

Cleaning hide: ᓴᓕᒍᕐᓂᖅ: saligurniq: Nettoyage de peau

Hides and skins removed from dead animals such as bear and fox must first have the fat and meat removed from the inside of the hide. This is usually done with scrapers and sharp knives.

Clearing up, after fog: ᓂᑦᑕᓕᖅᑐᖅ, ᑕᒃᑐᐃᔭᖅᑐᖅ: nittaliqtuq, taktuijaqtuq: S'éclaircir, après le brouillard

Fog happens when clouds are close to the ground. It disappears when the sun starts to shine.

Clear sky: ᓂᑦᑕᕿᒃᑐᖅ, ᓯᓚᖅᑭᖅᑐᖅ: nittaqiktuq, silaqqiqtuq: Ciel clair

When there are few (if any) clouds in the sky. Most of the sky appears blue during the day and at night the stars are easily seen.

Cloudberry, baked apples: ᐊᖅᐱᒃ: aqpik: Plaquebière

Cloudberries are at reddish in colour in spring, then turn yellow. They taste like baked apples and are high in Vitamin C. Inuit people eat them fresh or freeze them to eat over the winter.

Cloudberry stem (leaf): ᐊᖅᐱᓐᓇᖁᑦ, ᐊᖅᐱᖁᑏᑦ, ᓇᑲᐃᑦ: aqpinnaqut, aqpiqutiit, nakait: Tige de faux mûrier (feuille)

The cloudberry stem stands about 7 inches tall and does not branch into smaller stems. A single white flower is at the top of each stem and there are three large almost rounded leaves on each stem. Each leaf is leathery and has rough edges.

Clouds: ᓄᕗᔭᑦ: nuvujat: Nuages

Clouds are formed when tiny droplets of water or ice crystals are held in the air. There are many different kinds of clouds. The darker the cloud, the more water droplets it contains.

Cloudy: ᓄᕗᔭᔪᖅ: nuvujajuq: Nuageux

When the sky has many clouds in it. It is cloudy when you cannot see much blue sky.

Cluster of icicles (during thawing): ᓂᓚᐅᔭᖅ: nilaujaq: Amas de glaçons/pendant la débâcle

Icicles form when the spring sun starts to melt snow and the water drips down. If the air temperature is still cold enough the melted water will soon freeze again, forming long sticks of clear ice. Several icicles will form close together on roofs of buildings where the sun shines. Spring breakup is when a lot of snow starts to melt and many icicles can be seen.

Coal: ᐊᐅᒫᓗᒃ, ᐊᕐᔭᒃᓴᖅ: aumaaluk, arjaksaq: Houille

A black or brownish black rock-like mineral used sometimes as fuel to heat houses and operate some kinds of engines. Coal is made mostly of carbon and was formed millions of years ago by dead plants. Heat and pressure inside the Earth changed the plant material into coal. Hard coal is better than soft coal because it burns longer and produces less air pollution. Coal is sometimes found just below the surface or deep underground.

Coastal: ᓯᔾᔭᖅᐸᓯᒃ: sijjaqpasik: Côtier

Relates to the land that touches the sea. A coastal area is found on the edges of the land near the sea. An island has coast all around it.

Cold: ᓂᓪᓕᓇᕐᓂᖅ, ᐃᒃᑮᓇᖅᑐᖅ: nillinarniq, ikkiinaqtuq: Froid

When there is no heat to keep you warm or you feel uncomfortable outside without a coat or parka. Low temperatures mean it is cold and you need to put on extra clothes.

Commercial: ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᐅᕋᓱᓐᓂᕐᒧᑦ: kiinaujaliurasunnirmut: Commercial

Relates to the sale of something for money. A commercial fishery is where many fish are caught, and then sold for money. Commercial hunting occurs when animals are hunted and the meat is sold for money.

Community environmental education project: ᓄᓇᓕᓐᓂ ᐊᕙᑎᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᒐᑦᓴᑦ: nunalinni avatilirinirmut ilinniagatsat: Projet communautaire d'éducation environnementale

Projects which teach things about the environment and involve many people in a community. Programs explain the relationships that exist in the environment. For example, a community recycling project encourages many people to participate in reusing or recycling things they usually throw away in order to reduce the amount of garbage produced.

Configuration: ᖃᓄᐃᓕᖓᓂᖓ, ᐋᖅᑭᒃᓯᒪᓂᖓ: qanuilinganinga, aaqqiksimaninga: Configuration

Relates to the way the different parts of something fit together and are shaped.

Conservation: ᐊᑐᑦᓯᐊᕐᓂᖅ: atutsiarniq: Conservation

Using less of something. For example, you can reduce the amount of energy needed to heat a house by adding insulation to the walls and ceiling, and adding weatherstripping around doors and windows. Conservation of wildlife includes hunting fewer animals and catching fewer fish. Conservation helps to slow down the use of resources so that they last longer.

Conservation education: ᐊᑐᑦᓯᐊᕆᐊᖃᕐᓂᕐᒥᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᑦᓯᓂᖅ: atutsiariaqarnirmit ilinniaqtitsiniq: Formation en conservation

Education programs which are intended to show people ways to conserve or use less of something. For example, courses or books about energy conservation might show you how to keep or conserve heat inside a house. Other education programs deal with wildlife and other natural resources.

Contaminant: ᓱᕈᕐᓇᖅᑐᑦ: sururnaqtut: Contaminant/Polluants

A substance that makes something else less good than it was before. Oil spilled into a river is a contaminant because it has spoiled the river and may kill many of the plants and animals. We would not be able to drink the water.

Contaminant research: ᓱᕈᕈᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᓂᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕐᓂᖅ: sururutaujunnaqtunit qaujisarniq: Recherche sur les polluants

The study of substances that contaminate and spoil food, air, water or the land. Discovering how it happens, the amount needed to spoil something, and what the result is when something becomes contaminated.

Contaminate: ᓱᕈᑦᑎᕆᓂᖅ: suruttiriniq: Contaminer

To foul or spoil something and make it less pure than it was before. Something in food, water or anything else that makes it unusable and unsafe.

Contraction: ᒥᑭᓪᓕᕙᓪᓕᐊᓂᖅ: mikillivallianiq: Contraction

The action of shortening something so it is smaller. When a metal pipe is cold, it is smaller in length and width than when it is hot, because it contracts in cold temperatures.

Copper: ᑲᓐᓄᔭᖅ: kannujaq: Cuivre

A soft but tough, reddish metal that is found underground. It conducts electricity very well and is used for making electrical wiring. It is also one of the ingredients in bronze. Copper is sometimes used to make coins, such as pennies.

Crab grass: ᐃᕕᒡᔪᐃᑦ, ᐃᕖᑦ: ivigjuit, iviit: Digitaria

A general name for a number of different kinds of short, coarse grasses that grow rapidly. They are considered pests because they can choke off the growth of other more desirable plants.

Crane, Sandhill: ᑕᑎᒡᒐᖅ, ᑕᑎᒡᒐᕐᔪᐊᖅ: tatiggaq, tatiggarjuaq: Grue canadienne

A large bird about 34 to 48 inches long with a long neck, long legs and a long straight bill. When flying, a crane extends its neck straight out in front. Cranes are brown with reddish foreheads, and black feathers at the tips of the wings. Their habitat is marshes and wet areas all over the Arctic and in central and northern parts of the western provinces. In the Arctic, they live in broad flat valleys and build nests lined with grass in shallow water, on the ground or small hills.

Creeping plant: ᐊᑐᖓᐅᔭᕐᔪᐊᖅ, ᐊᑐᖓᐅᔭᖅ: atungaujarjuaq, atungaujaq: Plante grimpante

A plant that grows stems out along the ground from a main plant. These stems can grow roots into the ground along their length. New plants develop this way.

Crow: ᑐᓗᒐᖅ: tulugaq: Corneille

Crows are black birds about 17 to 20 inches long. They are smaller than the raven, and the tail feathers are flat at the ends, as if they had been cut with scissors. They are scavengers. They make nests of sticks and line them with grass, either in trees or on the ground. Crows are found mostly in the southern and central parts of Canada and in the southern NWT.

Crunching sound of snow under foot: ᕿᑭᕐᕌᓇᖅᑐᖅ: qikirraanaqtuq: Crissement de la neige sous le pas

Snow that is hollow and somewhat hardened can be used to build igloos.

Curlew, Eskimo: ᓵᕐᕋᕐᔪᐊᖅ, ᑭᐊᓯᒑᑦᑎᐊᖅ, ᓵᕐᕋᖅ: saarrarjuaq, kiasigaattiaq, saarraq: Courlis esquimau

A bird that is very endangered and almost extinct, it is a type of sandpiper about 12 to 14 inches long with a short bill that curves down, a small body and very long legs. Little is known about this brownish bird with no special markings but it is thought to nest on the ground. It is a protected species, meaning there is a law that says none can be killed by people.

Cycle: ᐱᓕᖅᑭᑦᑕᕐᓂᖅ: piliqqittarniq: Cycle

A period of time during which a series of events or things happen and are completed. The series then starts at the beginning and occurs again and again. For example, every day the sun rises in the east. It moves through the sky and sets in the west. This is a cycle because it repeats itself again and again.

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D

Damp: ᕿᐅᒃᑲᖓᔪᖅ: qiukkangajuq: Humide

When things feel wet because there is some water on or in them. Clothes that are not dry are damp because they have some water in them.

Dampness: ᐊᐃᓪᓕᑐᖅ: aillituq: Humidité

A general feeling of being wet. You can feel the dampness in wet clothes because they still have some water in them.

Dampness on ground: ᐊᐃᓚᖅ, ᑲᓂᖅᑐᖅ: ailaq, kaniqtuq: Humidité au sol

Relates to the ground feeling wet enough that you would not want to sit down on it. The ground can hold water near the surface and you can see and feel it.

Data: ᑎᑎᕋᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᖅᑕᐅᓂᑯᐃᑦ: titiraqsimajut qaujisaqtaunikuit: Données

Information in the form of numbers and facts collected together and usually printed on paper or seen on a computer screen. Data is numerical information about something and used to discuss issues and draw conclusions. Data must be collected from research activities and go through analysis before we can give them any meaning. The information is often used for making decisions.

Dawn: ᖃᐅᓕᕐᓂᖅ: qaulirniq: Aube

The time of day when the sun is just rising above the horizon in the east. As the sun rises, the amount of light increases but it is still a bit dark outside. Dawn occurs in the early morning hours.

Day, Beautiful: ᓯᓚᑦᓯᐊᖅ: silatsiaq: Beau jour

Weather that is described as having mild to warm temperatures outside, a clear sky with few clouds and little wind. It makes you feel really good to be outside on a beautiful day.

Day, Nice: ᓯᓚᖅᑭᒃᑐᖅ: silaqqiktuq: Belle journée

Weather that is described as having mild to warm temperatures outside, a sky with few clouds and little wind. It is enjoyable to be outside on a nice day.

DDE: ᑐᖁᓴᐅᑦ, ᖁᐱᕐᕈᓄᑦ: tuqusaut qupirrunut: DDE

A chemical that comes from a pesticide called DDT. DDT was used to kill insects that fed on farmers' crops in the 1950s to 1960s until it was found to be harmful to other forms of life. DDE is a poison that builds up in the food chain. That means it becomes more concentrated in bigger animals. DDE causes the eggshells of the peregrin falcon and other birds of prey to break easily. It has spread all around the world and, even though it has not been used for a long time, it is still present in the environment.

Decomposing bacteria: ᐊᕕᒃᑎᕆᔪᑦ, ᖁᐱᕐᕈᐊᕐᔪᐃᑦ: aviktirijut qupirruarjuit: Bactérie de décomposition

The bacteria that eat and break down organic substances. Organic substances are dead plants and animals, and usually when they break down you can smell bad odours. The smells come from the bacteria and mean that the bacteria are eating and digesting the organic substances. Meat that has gone bad is decomposing because the bacteria are eating it.

Den: ᓯᑎ, ᑎᓯ: siti, tisi: Tanière

A hole that an animal digs (or finds) near the surface of the ground in which it sleeps and raises young. A polar bear will dig a den in the snow to give birth to its young. The opening of the hole is wide enough for the animal to get in and out easily.

Deposition: ᓱᕋᒃᐸᓪᓕᐊᔪᖅ: surakpalliajuq: Dépôt

When something is laid down or placed in or on an object. Snow falling on a roof is an example of deposition.

Derived from: ᓴᖅᑭᕝᕕᖓ: saqqivvinga: Dérivé de

To come from. The coffee that we drink is derived from coffee beans that are ground up and mixed with boiling water.

Diamond: ᐅᔭᖅᑲᓂ ᑎᓯᓂᖅᐹᖅ: ujaqqani tisiniqpaaq: Diamant

Diamonds are a precious gemstone used often in making jewelry and in industry. It is a form of carbon that has been created by intense pressures and forces inside the Earth. This pressure creates the hardest material known to humans. Jewelry diamonds are of the highest quality. Other diamonds are used in industry for cutting other materials such as rock. Diamonds are mined from the ground. They are usually found inside other types of rocks from which the diamonds must be removed.

Diamond drill: ᓯᑎᓂᖅᐹᒥᑦ ᓴᓇᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐃᑰᑕᖅ: sitiniqpaamit sanasimajuq ikuutaq: Carottier au diamant

The diamond drill is a piece of equipment used mostly to drill through the hardest rocks underground using a drill bit with diamonds on it. The diamonds can cut through hard rock better than a plain metal drill bit (usually made of steel).

Dioxin: ᑐᖁᓐᓇᖅᑐᖅ: tuqunnaqtuq: Dioxine

A group of very poisonous chemicals. The most dangerous type of dioxin is the pesticide called 2,4,5-T because it is the most toxic or poisonous chemical ever made by humans. A very tiny amount of it can kill thousands of people. Other types of dioxin are not as poisonous. Usually they are found in incinerator smoke, car exhaust. They are released into the air or rivers from industries like paper mills. Dioxins are harmful to most forms of life.

Dorsal: ᖁᓖᖓ: quliinga: Dorsal

Along the back of an animal. The antlers of a caribou are found on the dorsal side of the head. The large dorsal fin of a fish is found along the back.

Draught, Little: ᐊᓄᕆᓪᓗᒃᑐᖅ: anurilluktuq: Léger courant d'air

A movement of cold air inside a building usually caused by a little bit of air getting in through a crack or around a door or window. (Also spelled draft.)

Dredge: ᐃᖅᑲᖓᓂᑦ ᒪᓂᖅᑲᖅᓴᐃᓂᖅ: iqqanganit maniqqaqsainiq: Dragueur

A digging machine found on a floating barge that is used to dig underwater. The material that is dug up is put into a container or pipeline. Some dredges use scoops or shovels or a pump to remove the material from under the water. Dredges are used in construction projects like bridges or buildings over water.

Dried twig: ᐸᓪᓕᖅ, ᐃᑭᓴᐅᑎᑦ, ᑎᔾᔭᕐᓗᐃᑦ: palliq, ikisautit, tijjarluit: Brindille sèche

A small stem or branch from a woody plant (a plant with a hard covering of bark on the outside) that has died. The twig becomes very dry and snaps off easily. Dried twigs burn well and are good to use to start a fire.

Drill bit: ᐃᑰᑕᐅᑉ ᓄᕗᐊ: ikuutaup nuvua: Outil de forage

The part of a drill that actually cuts through solid rock. Drills are tools used to make holes in rocks by wearing away the rock surface. The bit is forced to move in circles against the rock. Some drill bits have diamonds on them and are used to cut through the hardest rocks. Others are made of metal with sharp edges on them to wear away the rock.

Drilling: ᑲᐃᕗᕐᓂᖅ: kaivurniq: Forage

The use of mechanical tools to make a hole in the earth or through rocks and other hard materials. The process of drilling wears away the material, creating a hole. When drilling for oil or natural gas, the hole must go very deep underground through layers of hard rock. Sometimes this takes many months to complete.

Drilling mud: ᒪᕐᕋᖅ ᑲᐃᕗᖅᑐᓄᑦ ᐳᓪᓚᐃᔭᐅᑦ: marraq kaivuqtunut pullaijaut: Boue de forage

A mixture of clay, water and certain types of chemicals that is always being forced down into an oil or natural gas well during the drilling process. This fluid flushes the small pieces of rocks being worn away by the drill bit up to the surface and also cools the hot drill bit as it grinds through the rock. The drilling mud is also important in preventing oil or natural gas from coming out of the hole or well too quickly from deep inside the earth.

Drilling rig: ᑲᐃᕗᕐᕕᒃ: kaivurvik: Derrick

A drilling rig is a large piece of machinery used to drill a hole in the ground. Rigs come in a variety of shapes and sizes depending on the size of the hole needed. Very large rigs are used to drill very deep holes or wells. Rigs are made of several units and parts, each part having a special use. The engine of a drilling rig provides the power to turn the drill bit that makes the hole. Drilling rigs can be used to drill for water underground or to find oil or natural gas deep inside the Earth.

Drilling salt: ᑲᐃᕘᒧᑦ ᐅᖅᓱᖅᑎᕈᑦ (ᑕᕆᐅᖑᓪᓗᓂ): kaivuumut uqsuqtirut (tariungulluni): Sel de forage

A special salt that is added to drilling mud. It helps to control water loss in the mud.

Drill pipe: ᓱᓪᓗᓖᑦ ᑲᐃᕗᕈᑎᑦ: sulluliit kaivurutit: Tige de forage

Long pieces of metal pipe that are used to go progressively deeper into the ground during an oil or natural gas drilling operation. The part of the drill pipe that is deepest in the hole is where the drill bit is attached. Individual pieces of pipe are screwed together at the surface and lowered into the ground to form longer and longer lengths. The entire length of drill pipe connected together can be hundreds of meters long. If oil or natural gas is found underground, it flows up through the drill pipe to the surface. Also known as drill string.

Drill ship: ᑲᐃᕗᕐᕕᒃ ᐅᒥᐊᕐᔪᐊᖅ: kaivurvik umiarjuaq: Navire de forage

A specially designed ship that has a drilling rig on board which is able to drill down into the Earth through very deep water. When drilling is not taking place, the ships can move around from place to place easily. However, a drill ship is less stable than ordinary drilling rigs found on land because it can tip over in the water.

Dry tree: ᐸᓐᓇᖅ: pannaq: Arbre mort

Usually refers to a dead tree. After death, the tissues inside the bark dry up. A dry tree makes good firewood.

Dry willows: ᐃᒃᓱᑎᑦ: iksutit: Osier

Willow plants that have dried. The stems can be collected and used for weaving baskets.

Duck: ᒥᑎᖅ: mitiq: Canard

Small to medium-sized birds with flat bills that are rounded at the tip, most often found around water. Their legs are usually set wide apart, causing the birds to waddle from side to side when they walk on land. Their feet are webbed so they can paddle in the water. Hunters kill them for food.

• Dunlin: ᓯᔾᔭᕆᐊᖅ: sijjariaq: Bécasseau variable: A small bird about 7 to 9 inches long with a long bill that curves down near its tip. Dunlin are usually browny grey with long greenish-black legs. Dunlin breed and lay eggs in northern Canada, especially the northern Mackenzie River area, western areas of Hudson Bay, and southwestern Baffin Island areas. They nest on the ground in wet tundra areas or coastal marshes.
• Eider: ᒥᑎᕕᐊᕐᔪᒃ: mitiviarjuk: Canard eider: A type of marine duck found all over arctic coastlines and islands. There are several different species of eider duck, including the King and Common. Some are smaller than others. The soft feathers close to the skin are called down and are collected from nests and used to make clothing and bedding. Common Eider breed and lay eggs all over the arctic coastal areas.
• Eider, Common: ᒥᑎᕕᐊᕐᔪᒃ, ᐊᒪᐅᓕᔾᔪᐊᖅ, ᒥᑎᖅ, ᐊᒪᐅᓕᒃ: mitiviarjuk, amaulijjuaq, mitiq, amaulik: Eider commun: A duck about 20 to 26 inches long often found near the ocean. They nest with many other birds of the same kind in large groups called colonies. They make nests of plant leaves, usually near rocky areas. The males and females are very different looking. In males, the heads are black on top and the body is mostly white with black wings, stomach and tail. Females are a dull brown.
• Eider, King: ᕿᖓᓕᒃ, ᒥᑎᖅ, ᐊᖑᑎᕕᐊᖅ: qingalik, mitiq, angutiviaq: Eider roi: A duck about 20 to 24 inches long, often found near the ocean as well as freshwater areas of the Arctic. The male has a large yellow part of the bill that covers the front area of the face. The back of the head is light blue, most of the body is dark and the chest is white. The female is dull brown. They nest alone, not in groups, and are found all across Arctic Canada further north than the Common Eider.
• Harlequin: ᑐᓚᔪᓄᖅ: tulajunuq: Canard arlequin: A type of duck about 15 to 18 inches long that is found in northern Quebec and southern Baffin Island as well as Yukon, B.C., and western NWT. They live in coastal areas or around rivers and like to nest on rocky shores. The males have a dark blue head and neck. When swimming, it moves its head up and down.
• Mallard: ᕿᖓᓛᖅ: qingalaaq: Canard colvert: A type of duck about 19 to 25 inches long that is found mostly in western provinces, NWT and Yukon. The males have bright green heads, a white band of feathers around the neck and a brown chest. Both males and females have a purple band on the wing (that you can see when the wing is stretched out) and have orange-coloured feet. The feathers of females are dull brown. Mallards nest on the ground near water, in nests made of grasses lined with soft down feathers.
• Oldsquaw: ᐊᒡᒋᖅ, ᐊᒡᒋᐊᕐᔪᒃ: aggiq, aggiarjuk: Canard kakawi: A type of duck about 18 to 24 inches long. The males and females do not look the same, and both change colour throughout the year. In summer, the males have brown heads with a large white patch around the eye, and the body is brown. The female in summer is dull brown. The tail is longer than most ducks. Their habitat is freshwater lakes and ponds and coastal areas. Breeding and egg laying occurs in northern NWT and arctic islands, around Hudson Bay coasts and in northern Quebec.
• Pin tail: ᖁᒻᒧᐊᔫᖅ: qummuajuuq: Canard pilet: A type of duck about 26 to 30 inches long with a pointed tail. Its legs are greyish blue and the males are more brightly coloured than the females, with a brown head, white throat and chest and black and grey wings. They are found all over northern and western Canada but are not found among the arctic islands. They nest on the ground near water.
• Pin-tail, Northern: ᖃᓄᑑᒃ, ᖁᒻᒧᐊᔫᖅ: qanutuuk, qummuajuuq: Canard pilet: A type of duck about 26 to 30 inches long with a pointed tail. Their legs are greyish blue and the males are more brightly coloured than the females, with a brown head, white throat and chest and black and grey wings. They are found all over northern and western Canada but are not found among the arctic islands. They nest on the ground near water. See also Duck.

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E

Eagle, Bald: ᓇᒃᑐᕋᓕᒃ, ᑲᔪᖅᑐᖅ: nakturalik, kajuqtuq: Aigle à tête blanche

A piscivorous bird (eat mostly fish) with a yellow bill that has a sharp hook on the tip and strong feet with sharp, curved talons or claws for catching and holding animals they have caught. Bald eagles are dark brown with white head, neck and tail feathers. They are about 30 to 37 inches long, the females larger than the males. Their yellow legs only have some feathers on them. They breed and lay eggs all over central Canada, the Yukon and western NWT. Pesticides have reduced the numbers of bald eagles living today because they are at the top of their food chain.

Eagle, Golden: ᓇᒃᑐᕋᓕᒃ: nakturalik: Aigle royal

A carnivorous bird (eat mostly animals) with a yellow bill that has a sharp hook on the tip, and strong feet with sharp curved talons or claws for catching and holding animals they have caught. Golden eagles are about 30 to 40 inches long and are brown with a light yellow colour at the back of the head and neck. Their yellow legs are fully covered with feathers. In Canada, they breed in the Yukon, the Mackenzie area of NWT, throughout the prairie provinces, and sometimes in eastern Canada. Pesticides have reduced the numbers of golden eagles living today because they are at the top of their food chain.

Earthquake: ᐅᔪᑦᓯᓚᒃᑐᖅ, ᓴᔪᑉᐱᓚᒃᑐᖅ: ujutsilaktuq, sajuppilaktuq: Tremblement de terre

A sudden violent shaking of the ground caused by a break in the rocks deep inside the Earth. They occur all the time but most are weak and can't be felt. Earthquakes are common along the coastlines of the Pacific Ocean and in other certain parts of the Earth.

East: ᑭᑖ, ᑭᑎ, ᑲᓇᓐᓇᖅᐸᓯᒃ: kitaa, kiti, kanannaqpasik: Est

The direction and place where the sun rises in the morning sky. The point in the sky where you first see the sun in the morning.

Ecologist: ᐆᒪᓂᖃᖅᑐᓂᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᖅᑎ: uumaniqaqtunit qaujisaqti: Écologiste

A person who studies nature and the relationships between living things and the places that they live. For example, an arctic ecologist would study the plants and animals that live in the Arctic and their relationship with the land, water and air.

Ecology: ᐆᒪᔪᑦ ᓇᔪᒐᖏᑕ ᓯᓚᑎᖏᑕᓗ ᖃᓄᐃᑦᑑᓂᖏᑦ: uumajut najugangita silatingitalu qanuittuuningit: Écologie

The study of living things and the relationships and interactions between them and their environment.

Ecosystem: ᐆᒪᓂᖃᖅᑐᑦ ᓇᔪᒐᕐᒥᓂᑦ ᐊᑦᑐᐊᖃᑎᒌᓐᓂᖓᑦ: uumaniqaqtut najugaminit attuaqatigiinningat: Écosystème

The living (plants and animals) and non-living (land, air and water) parts of the Earth and the relationships they have with each other. A community of plants, animals and non-living things that live in the same place.

Eider: ᒥᑎᕕᐊᕐᔪᒃ: mitiviarjuk: Canard eider

See Duck.

Eligibility criteria: ᐃᓕᑕᕆᔭᐅᔪᓐᓇᕈᑏᑦ: ilitarijaujunnarutiit: Critères d'éligibilité

A set of rules or level of performance that must be followed or reached before being accepted to or for something. A person, process or plan must pass a test to see if the required rules and level of performance have been met, or to see if they are qualified.

Emergency measures: ᐅᐸᓗᖓᐃᔭᐅᑎᑦ: upalungaijautit: Mesures d'urgence

A way of reacting to an emergency situation. Planning occurs beforehand so people know how to respond in an emergency. Different teams of people are given instructions and training so they can help do specific things. Some might take care of injured people, others may be responsible to put out fires or be in charge of transportation or communication. Emergency measures are intended to reduce and prevent pain and suffering during an emergency.

Emigration: ᐊᐅᓪᓚᑕᕐᓂᖏ: aullatarningit: Émigration

The action of leaving one place to go and live in another place. People leaving Canada to live in another country are emigrating to the new country.

Endangered species: ᓄᖑᑐᐃᓐᓇᕆᐊᓕᑦ: nungutuinnarialit: Espèces en voie d'extinction

When the number of any one kind of plant or animal falls very low, or if a plant or animal is only found in a few places on Earth, it is in danger of disappearing forever. The main threat to these plants and animals is the destruction of their homes or habitats. Hunting threatens the survival of some animals, while pollution of rivers and seas threatens others. Some plant's and animal's numbers are so low they are in danger of becoming extinct in the near future. Laws protect endangered species from harm.

Energy: ᐊᐅᓚᔪᓐᓇᐅᑎᑦ: aulajunnautit: Énergie

Energy is needed for all things to be active. It is commonly thought of as the ability to do work, for example to produce movement, heat or some sort of chemical change. Energy from the sun is needed by all living things on Earth, especially plants. Sources of energy used often by humans include: oil and natural gas, wind, wood, and solar energy (from the sun). There are many different kinds of energy, some renewable and some non-renewable.

• Atomic: ᖄᖅᑕᔫᒧᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᔪᓐᓇᐅᑦ: qaaqtajuumut aulajunnaut: Énergie atomique: Atoms are the smallest part of any matter. They cannot be seen with the naked eye. When atoms are broken apart (called fission), large amounts of energy are released. Atomic energy is produced inside a special building called a nuclear reactor and the reactor then creates electricity. We use the electricity for our light bulbs and electrical appliances.
• Coal: ᐊᕐᔭᔅᓴᒧᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᔪᓐᓇᐅᑦ, ᐊᐅᒫᓗᓐᓄᑦ: arjassamut aulajunnaut, aumaalunnut: Houille (énergie): Coal is burned inside a special building called an electrical generating station. The heat from the burning coal causes water in a large container to boil. The steam from the boiling water turns large machines called turbines around, creating electricity which we use for light and powering appliances. Coal is non-renewable energy.
• Diesel: ᐅᖅᓱᐊᓗᑐᐃᓐᓇᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᔪᓐᓇᐅᑦ: uqsualutuinnarmut aulajunnaut: Diesel (énergie): Diesel energy comes from the burning of diesel fuel (made from crude oil) inside a special engine that starts the fuel burning by heat from compressed air rather than a spark. The engine can power a car or truck or make electricity (diesel-electric is used on drilling ships). Because diesel fuel comes from crude oil, it is non-renewable energy.
• Hydro-electric: ᐃᒪᐅᑉ ᓱᑲᓐᓂᖓᓄᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᔪᓐᓇᐅᑦ: imaup sukanninganut aulajunnaut: Énergie hydro-électrique: Hydro-electric energy is produced by falling water that pushes through large machines called turbines. Water is held behind a high dam, which is a man-made blockage or wall, and allowed to fall through special holes in the dam. The pushing of the water against the turbines generates electrical energy. This electricity reaches our homes through wires. Hydro-electric power is renewable energy.
• Steam: ᑎᖅᑎᑦᑑᑉ ᐳᔪᐊᓄᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᔪᓐᓇᐅᑦ: tiqtittuup pujuanut aulajunnaut: Vapeur énergie): Steam is the hot water vapour formed by boiling water. When it is put into small spaces such as pipes, it can power and drive machinery. There are many ways of boiling water and the source may be burning coal, natural gas, atomic energy or wood.

Enforcement: ᒪᓕᒐᕐᓂᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᑎᑦᓯᓂᖅ: maligarnit atuqtitsiniq: Mise en vigueur

To make people follow rules and laws by threatening punishment or giving out warnings, handing out tickets, or arresting them.

Enhancement: ᐱᐅᓯᒋᐊᕈᑕᐅᔪᖅ: piusigiarutaujuq: Amélioration

To make something better than it was before by taking specific action.

Enrollment procedures: ᐃᓚᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅᓯᑎᑕᐅᓂᖅ: ilaujunnaqsititauniq: Procédures d'enregistrement

Refers to the process of enrolling to become a beneficiary of the Nunavut Land Claim Agreement with the Federal Government of Canada and the Government of the NWT.

Entomology: ᖁᐱᕐᕈᓕᕆᓂᖅ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᔪᓂᒃ: qupirruliriniq takuksaujunik: Entomologie

The study of insects and the lives of insects.

Environment: ᐊᕙᑎᕗᑦ: avativut: Environnement

The surroundings in which you live from your environment. This includes your home, school, town and all the people, plants and animals that live there with you. Air, soil and water are included with all the living and nonliving parts. A healthy environment is balanced and has the proper numbers and types of living and non-living parts. It is able to repair and heal itself. An unhealthy environment is out of balance, the living and non-living parts are not relating properly and it is unable to repair and heal itself.

Environmental Action Program: ᐊᕙᑎᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᖃᓄᖅᑐᕈᑎᓄᑦ ᐱᒋᐊᕈᑏᑦ: avatilirinirmut qanuqturutinut pigiarutiit: Programme d'action environnementale

Programs and activities that involve people in helping the environment. For example, a special wildlife management program to protect caribou populations from overhunting.

Environmental Awareness Programs: ᐊᕙᑎᑦᑎᓐᓂ ᐅᔾᔨᖅᓱᒋᐊᖅᑎᑦᓯᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᓴᖅᑭᔭᖅᑎᑦᓯᓂᖅ: avatittinni ujjiqsugiaqtitsinirmik saqqijaqtitsiniq: Programmes de sensibilisation environnementale

Education programs that tell people about issues related to the environment, the economic uses of natural resources, and the results. The information helps people understand why it is important to care about the land, animals and plants, air, water and soil, and how they can get involved in helping to care for the environment.

Environmental impact: ᐊᕙᑎᑦᑎᓐᓂ ᐊᒃᑐᐃᓂᖃᕐᓂᖅ: avatittinnik akutuiniqarniq: Impact sur l'environnement

A written report that tells what the positive and negative results would be to the environment if a particular action was taken. The information is based on studies that have taken place. For example, impact statements are used to help town councils make decisions about allowing mining activities in their area based on potential harm to the environment. Impact statements are required by law in many countries.

Environmental monitoring: ᐊᕙᑎᒥ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕐᓂᖅ: avatimi qaujisarniq: Monitoring/Contrôle de l'environnement

Testing of the animals, air, soil, water, and other things in the environment that happens on a regular basis to see if the environment is being damaged by a specific activity such as oil exploration. Special scientific equipment is used.

Environmental protection: ᓴᐳᔾᔨᓂᖅ ᐊᕙᑎᑦᑎᓐᓂᑦ: sapujjiniq avatittinnit: Protection de l'environnement

Steps taken to prevent damage to the environment. For example, to protect whales and other marine mammals, there are laws to prevent people from putting things into the ocean that would harm the animals and shouldn't be there.

Environmental Protection Act: ᐊᕙᑎᑦᑎᓐᓂᑦ ᓴᐳᔾᔨᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᒪᓕᒐᖅ: avatittinnit sapujjinirmut maligaq: Loi sur la protection de l'environnement

The Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) is a federal law that protects the air, oceans, soil, animals, water, human health and all the environment in Canada from harm from industry and human activity. For example, it prevents things such as chemicals and other substances from being released into the air where they do not belong. It works with other federal laws, such as the Fisheries Act, to prevent damage and yet allow the use of natural resources. Companies or individuals that break the law are taken to court by the government and can be fined or sent to prison.

Estuarine: ᐱᐊᒃᑐᖅ: piaktuq: Dans les estuaires

Related to the mouth of a river where the river meets the ocean. This is where the ocean tide rises and falls and where fresh and sea water mix together.

Evergreen, Spruce: ᕿᓯᖅᑑᑦ: qisiqtuut: Arbre à feuilles persistantes, épinette

Evergreens are also called conifers. Their leaves are needles which stay green all year round. Each short, sharp needle is separate from other needles along the stems. Spruce trees are a type of evergreen.

Evolution: ᐊᓯᔾᔨᐸᓪᓕᐊᓂᖅ: asijjipallianiq: Évolution

A scientific theory or way of explaining how changes occur in living things over time. Life is thought to change or evolve from simpler life forms that lived before us and became more complex over time. Humans are thought to have evolved from primitive apes over millions of years. Evolution is not accepted by everyone as a way of explaining these changes, but is generally accepted by scientists.

Expansion: ᓴᐃᓕᒋᐊᕐᓂᖅ, ᐊᖏᓪᓕᕚᓪᓕᕐᓂᖅ: sailigiarniq, angillivaallirniq: Expansion

The action of making something bigger. When a metal pipe is hot, it is bigger in length and width than when it is cold because it expands in hot temperatures. Water expands or gets bigger in size when it freezes and takes up more space.

Exports: ᓄᓇᐅᑉ ᐊᓯᐊᓄᑦ ᓂᐅᕐᕈᑎᖃᕐᓂᖅ, ᓄᓇᐅᑉ ᐊᓯᐊᓄᑦ ᐊᐅᓪᓚᑎᑦᓯᓂᖅ: nunaup asianut niurrutiqarniq, nunaup asianut aullatitsiniq: Marchandises exportées

When something is sold to another country and is taken there. Exports are things that are grown or made in one country and sold to another country. Canada exports wheat, animal fur and many other things to other countries and receives money in return.

Exposure (dietary): ᓂᕆᔭᕐᓗᓐᓂᖅ, ᐄᔭᕐᓗᓐᓂᖅ: nirijarlunniq, iijarlunniq: Exposition (alimentation)

When you have eaten something, you have exposed your body to what was in the food. Your body absorbs what was in the food. For example, if you ate fish that were poisoned with mercury, then your body absorbs the mercury from the fish. Exposure to certain substances can be good or bad. Exposure to the right amount of Vitamin C through food is good for your body.

Expropriation: ᐊᑭᓕᒻᒥᒃ ᐊᖅᓵᖅᑕᐅᓂᖅ, ᑎᒍᐃᔭᐅᓂᖅ: akilimmik aqsaaqtauniq, tiguijauniq: Expropriation

The legal taking and seizure of private property by a government. Owners are usually given money for the full value of the property, or similar property is given to them in exchange. Sometimes they are given only part of the money or no money at all.

Extinction: ᓄᖑᓯᒪᓕᖅᑐᑦ: nungusimaliqtut: Extinction

Extinction happens when an entire species of plant or animal disappears and are no longer present in the world. All of the plants and animals of that particular type die. Several species of plants and animals still become extinct each year because of natural causes or because humans somehow kill all of them or destroy their homes and habitat. There are no dinosaurs living today because all species of dinoaurs became extinct.

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Falcon, Gyr: ᑭᒡᒐᕕᒃ, ᑭᒡᒐᕕᐊᕐᔪᒃ: kiggavik, kiggaviarjuk: Faucon gerfaut

All falcons have a bill that has a sharp second point next to the tip, almost like a tooth. Gyrfalcons are carnivorous and eat small animals like mice. They are about 20 to 25 inches long, are brown with streaks and spots, but some are almost white. They breed and lay eggs in many areas of the Arctic, Yukon and northern Quebec. Usually they nest on high rocky cliffs away from danger.

Falcon, Peregrine: ᑭᒡᒐᕕᐊᕐᔪᒃ, ᕿᓐᓄᐊᔪᐊᖅ, ᑭᒡᒐᕕᐊᕋᖅ: kiggaviarjuk, qinnuajuaq, kiggaviaraq: Faucon pèlerin

All falcons have a bill that has a sharp point next to the tip, almost like a tooth. Peregrine falcons are carnivorous and eat other smaller birds. They are one of the fastest birds on Earth and hunt birds by hitting them in the air, killing them. They breed and lay eggs in arctic and northern areas of Canada. They do not usually have a nest, but lay eggs on rocky cliffs. Peregrine falcons are about 15 to 21 inches long and are dark on the top of their bodies and lighter on the underside. The head is dark and there is a dark mark extending below the eye. Pesticides have caused their numbers to decrease and they are protected by law. There are special places where people raise them to release back to the wild in order to increase their numbers.

Fallout: ᑲᑕᒐᖅᑐᑦ ᓱᕈᕐᓇᖅᑐᐃᑦ: katagaqtut sururnaqtuit: Tomber dehors

Fallout is the cloud of radioactive particles that is thrown out by an explosion of a nuclear bomb or an accident at a nuclear power station. Radioactive particles settle on dust, snow or in rain and fall back to Earth as fallout. Fallout can be local or it can travel in the wind and clouds before it is brought down sometimes thousands of miles from the source.

Fernweed: ᑏᓐᖑᐊᑦ: tiinnguat: Fougère sauvage

Also called Sudeten Lousewort, this plant's roots and stems are eaten by Inuit people. It can grow 2-15 inches tall and has single stems with lacy, curled leaves that look like fern leaves. Flowers are pink to purple. Fernweed grows in moist soil on the tundra.

Fertilization: ᑎᓪᓕᖅᑖᕈᖅᑐᖅ: tilliqtaaruqtuq: Fertilisation

The process of joining male and female parts together to create new life. Some plants require fertilization to produce seeds. The seeds grow into new plants. In animals, fertilization happens when an egg from the female and a sperm from the male join together to produce an embryo. The embryo develops into a baby and is born or hatched.

Fisheries: ᐃᒪᕐᒥᐅᑕᓕᕆᓂᖅ: imarmiutaliriniq: Pêcheries

A fishery is an industry based on commercial fishing. It involves the organizations and equipment used in taking large numbers of fish from a river, lake or ocean and then selling the fish for money. The methods they use to catch the fish and the places where fish are found are also related.

Fisheries Act: ᐃᒪᕐᒥᐅᑕᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦᒪᓕᒐᖅ: imarmiutalirinirmut maligaq: Loi sur les pêches

A set of federal laws that protects the development of fisheries. These laws and rules stop people from taking too many fish (and other animals such as shrimp and lobster) at one time, from putting harmful things in waters where fish live, and from putting structures across rivers that stop the flow of water. They tell people and companies how and when they can fish. This legislation tries to make sure that there is enough fish for a long time for everyone to use.

Fisheries Management: ᐃᒪᕐᒥᐅᑕᓕᕆᔨᑦ: imarmiutalirijit: Gestion des pêches

The steps that are taken to make sure that fish and their habitat are protected from harm while at the same time allowing fishing for food or sale. Good management makes sure that not too many fish are taken from the water at one time and that the habitat is protected from harm.

Fish weir: ᓴᐳᑎᑦ: saputit: Avaloire

A special structure, such as a dam, built across a river or stream which has an opening in it that allows water to flow and fish to swim over the top of it. The fish are able to swim upstream and downstream in the river without being stopped by the structure. The fish are therefore able to travel to places to spawn and lay eggs.

Flock: ᑲᑎᕆᓃᑦ: katiriniit: Volée

A group of birds all together in one place at one time. The flock can be all one kind or different kinds of birds. Flocks can be small, with only a few birds, or large, with thousands of birds. Birds, geese for example, are usually in flocks during migration.

Flowers: ᐱᕈᖅᓯᐊᑦ, ᓄᓇᕋᐃᑦ: piruqsiat, nunarait: Fleurs

The colourful and fragrant parts on some plants that contain the reproductive organs. Flowers appear before the fruit and seeds develop. Most flowers have petals. Blossom is another name for flower.

Flurries: ᖃᓐᓂᒐᓚᒃᑐᖅ: qannigalaktuq: Rafales

Snow falling for short periods of time and then stopping. A little bit of snow stays on the ground. Sometimes you cannot see very far during a flurry because the snow blinds you briefly.

Fluvial: ᑰᒃᑐᑦ: kuuktut: Fluvial

Fluvial means that something is found in or is produced by a river. A river delta is a fluvial deposit of sand, gravel and other material. The sand is carried by the river water and then deposited when the speed of the river water slows down, usually when it enters a large lake or the ocean.

Fog: ᑕᒃᑐ: taktu: Brouillard

Cloud near the ground. Warm sunlight makes fog go away.

Foggy: ᑕᒃᓯᖅᑐᖅ: taksiqtuq: Brumeux

A general condition of fog. It is foggy when the cloud is on or near the ground.

Food chain: ᓂᕿᒃᓴᐃᑦ ᐅᐃᒍᓕᕇᒃᑐᑦ: niqiksait uiguliriiktut: Chaîne alimentaire

All animals belong to food chains. A simple food chain starts with the sun. Plants depend on the sun to live, and animals such as arctic hare eat and depend on plants. If one part of the food chain is disturbed, it becomes unbalanced and the food chain no longer works properly. For example, if all arctic hare die, then arctic fox would starve to death.

Forest: ᓇᐹᖅᑐᖃᕐᓂᖅ: napaaqtuqarniq: Forêt

A large piece of land where mostly trees grow. Forests can take hundreds of years to grow and contain many other kinds of plants that grow underneath the trees. The logging industry cuts down trees in a forest to make wood. Forests are important habitat for many animals.

Formulin (formaldehyde): ᑐᖁᓐᓇᖅᑐᖅ ᓱᕋᔾᔭᐃᒃᑯᑦ: tuqunnaqtuq surajjaikkut: Urée formaldéhyde

A solution of formaldehyde in water. Formaldehyde is a colourless gas that has a strong smell. It is used in its liquid form as a preservative to keep animal tissue from rotting. The tissue or animal part is placed in the formaldehyde in a glass jar which is kept closed.

Fossil fuels: ᐆᒪᔪᒥᓂᕐᓂᑦ ᐅᖅᓱᐊᓗᒃᓴᑦ: uumajuminirnit uqsualuksat: Combustible fossile

Fossil fuels are fuels that contain carbon. They were formed from living plants and animals that lived millions of years ago. Coal, natural gas and petroleum are fossil fuels. Fossils of plants are often found in coal.

Fox: ᑎᕆᒐᓐᓂᐊᖅ: tiriganniaq: Renard

Foxes are meat-eating mammals that are related to wolves but are the size of a small dog. Sometimes trapped by people for their thick fur, they eat lemmings, hare, and other small mammals and birds. Males and females look the same. They dig dens (also called burrows) underground to sleep and give birth to young.

• Fox, blue: ᕿᐊᖓᖅᑐᖅ: qiangaqtuq: Renard bleu: Blue fox are also known as arctic fox. Their fur is usally white in winter but changes to brown in summer. Their eyes are yellow and their ears are small. Lemmings and arctic hare, fish and other small animals are eaten. They are found in northern areas and high arctic islands throughout the year.
• Fox, red: ᑲᔪᐃᑦ: kajuit: Renard commun: Red Fox are slightly larger than the blue or arctic fox. They have reddish brown fur over their bodies, a white tip on the tail and some white on the face. They are not normally found on high arctic islands. They eat a variety of small animals, including birds, mice and insects and eat plants such as grass, berries and fruits.
• Fox trap: ᒥᑭᒋᐊᖅ, ᐳᓪᓚᑎ: mikigiaq, pullati: Piège à renards: The old style leg-hold traps used to catch foxes.

Foxberry, bearberry, crowberry: ᑲᓪᓚᒃ: kallak: Busserole, raisin d'ours, camarine noire

Three different kinds of plants that are evergreen (leaves stay green all year) and grow low against the ground. Dark or reddish berries are eaten by animals, especially bears. People can eat the berries but they are not sweet. Most of these plants prefer to grow in wet places like bogs.

Fresh water: ᐃᒪᑦᑎᐊᕙᒃ, ᐃᒪᑦᓯᐊᖅ, ᐃᒥᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅ: imattiavak, imatsiaq, imituinnaq: Eau douce

Water found in lakes, rivers and streams that has little salt in it or less salt than sea water.

Frost: ᖃᑯᕐᓇᖅ, ᐸᑐᒃ: qakurnaq, patuk: Gel

A condition that happens when the air temperature decreases and tiny droplets of water in the air condense on objects (or form larger droplets too heavy to stay in the air). These droplets of water freeze on the objects, forming a hard covering of ice. The frost that forms on a car windshield has to be scraped off in the morning.

Frosted ground: ᐸᑐᒃᓯᒪᔪᖅ, ᖃᑯᕐᓇᖅᑐᖅ: patuksimajuq, qakurnaqtuq: Sol gelé

When the ground looks white and is covered with a light covering of thin, brittle ice. This happens when frost forms on the ground. Frost will stay on the ground as long as the air temperature is cold enough to keep it frozen.

Fruit: ᓰᕐᓇᖅᑐᑦ, ᒪᒪᖅᑐᑦ: siirnaqtut, mamaqtut: Fruit

The berry or soft, fleshy growth that contains the seeds of flowering plants. Some fruit is eaten by people and animals. Apples, blueberries and tomatoes are fruits, and there are many other kinds.

Fry: ᐃᖃᓗᒐᖅ: iqalugaq: Fretin

A young fish that has used up the yolk sac that was attached when it emerged from the egg and actively started to find food on its own. The stage in a fish's life after the alevin but before it becomes an adult or mature fish.

Fulmar, Northern: ᖃᖁᓪᓗᒃ: qaqulluk: Fulmar boréal

Fulmars are marine birds found all over the Arctic, especially the eastern Arctic. Their habitat is normally open ocean, but they lay eggs on rocky cliffs overlooking the sea. The northern fulmar is about 18 to 20 inches long and looks like a gull except that its bill is much thicker and has a hook at the end. When flying, they move their wings fast and then stop to glide.

Furbearers: ᒥᖅᑯᓖᑦ: miqquliit: Animaux à fourrure

Animals that are hunted or trapped only for their fur. All furbearers are mammals. Arctic fox are often trapped for their fur, wich is then sold to make money.

Fur dealers: ᐊᒥᕐᓂᑦ ᓂᐅᕕᓲᑦ: amirnit niuvisuut: Commerçants de fourrure

The people who buy furs from trappers and then sell the furs to large companies.

Fur Marketing Service: ᐊᓯᕐᓂᑦ ᓂᐅᕐᕈᑎᖃᕋᓱᑦᑐᓂᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑏᑦ: amirnit niurrutiqarasuttunit ikajuqtiit: Service de commercialisation des fourrures

A company that advertises and promotes the fur industry in Canada and in other countries. The company finds buyers for the furs all around the world, letting them know about the furs for sale and how to buy them.

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Gale, Blowing: ᐊᓄᕌᓗᐊᖅᑐᖅ, ᐊᖅᑯᓇᖅᑐᖅ: anuraaluaqtuq, aqqunaqtuq: Bourrasque

A wind with a speed of more than 62 km per hour.

Game Export Act: ᓂᐅᕐᕈᑎᖃᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᒪᓕᒐᖅ: niurrutiqarnirmut maligaq: Loi sur l'exportation du gibier

A Canadian federal law preventing the possession and transportation of animal carcasses, in whole or in part (including the skin), to other provinces and territories from where the animal was killed without a legal permit. It covers any wild animal, domestically raised fur-bearing animal, wild fowl or wild bird. Officers of the law can seize any shipments lacking proper permits and arrest people involved.

Gas: ᐳᓪᓚᐅᔭᖅ ᐅᖅᓱᐊᓗᒃ, ᐃᑭᔭᖅ: pullaujaq uqsualuk, ikijaq: Gaz

A substance which is not a liquid or a solid. Water in its gas form is called water vapour or steam, when the tiny molecules of water are spread out and take up a large space. Carbon dioxide gas is what bubbles up in soft drinks. Air is made of several kinds of gases (mostly nitrogen gas, oxygen gas and argon gas). There are many different types of gases. We can breathe gases into our lungs.

• Compressed gas: ᐳᓪᓚᓴᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐅᖅᓱᐊᓗᒃ: pullasaqtausimajuq qusualuk: Gaz de pétrole liquéfié: Gas that has been compressed or pressurized (the molecules have been pushed together) and held inside a pipeline or special storage container.
• Dry gas: ᐳᓪᓚᖃᕐᓂᖅᓴᖅ ᐅᖅᓱᐊᓗᒃ: pullaqarniqsaq uqsualuk: Gaz sec: Natural gas with a reduced water content. When it comes out of the ground, it has few liquid hydrocarbons.
• Liquified natural gas (LNG): ᓂᓪᓕᓇᖅᑐᒦᒋᐊᓕᒃᐳᓪᓚᖅ ᐅᖅᓱᐊᓗᒃ: nillinaqtumiigialik uqsualuk: Gaz liquéfié naturel (GLN): Natural gas which is a gas under normal temperature and pressure, but changed into a liquid by an increase in pressure or a lowering of its temperature. When gas molecules are pushed together, they form a liquid.
• Natural gas: ᐳᓪᓚᖅ ᐅᖅᓱᐊᓗᒃ: pullaq uqsualuk: Gaz naturel: A fossil fuel that is made of mostly methane gas occurring in natural underground deposits deep inside the Earth. Crude oil and natural gas are usually found near each other. Natural gas is transported from where it is found to where it is used through natural gas pipelines or changed into a liquid. The production of natural gas has the same environmental impacts as oil production. Natural gas is used to make hundreds of different chemicals (petrochemicals) and products such as paints and plastics.
• Sour gas: ᐳᓪᓚᓐᓂᑦᑐᖅ ᐅᖅᓱᐊᓗᒃ (ᑎᐱᓕᒃ): pullannittuq uqsualuk (tipilik): Gaz acide: Natural gas that contains hydrogen sulphide or other sulphur compounds (sulphur smells like rotten eggs). It requires treatment before it can be used because the sulphur must be removed first. Sour gas is extremely poisonous and the people working on drilling rigs must have special protective masks, breathing equipment and training in case sour gas escapes suddenly from the well.
• Sweet gas: ᐳᓪᓚᓐᓂᓐᖏᑦᑐᖅ ᐅᖅᓱᐊᓗᒃ: pullanninngittuq uqsualuk: Gaz non corrosif: Natural gas that contains such small amounts of sulphur compounds that it may be used without removing the sulphur.
• Wet gas: ᐳᓪᓚᖃᓐᖏᓂᖅᓴᖅ ᐅᖅᓱᐊᓗᒃ: pullaqannginiqsaq uqsualuk: Gaz naturel humide: Natural gas that contains hydrocarbons that become liquid when it comes out of the ground.

Genetics: ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅᓱᕈᑎᓂᒃ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕐᓂᖅ: sivulliqsurutinik qaujisarniq: Génétique

The study of how characteristics or conditions are passed on from parents to offspring in both plants and animals. Genetics studies how and why children may look like one or both of their parents, or how certain heredity diseases can be passed on from parent to child.

Genus: ᐆᒪᔪᐃᑦ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᖃᑎᒌᒃᑐᑦ ᑕᒃᑯᖃᑎᒌᒐᑎᒃ: uumajuit iliqqusiqatigiiktut takkuqatigiigatik: Espèce

A way of describing and naming a group of plants or animals that are similar to each other but not the same. A unit of taxonomy, the genus name comes before the species name. All types of wolves and a few other wolf-like animals have the same genus name, Canis.

Geochemical: ᓄᓇᐅᑉ ᖄᖓᑕ ᖃᓄᐃᑉᐸᓪᓕᐊᓂᖓ: nunaup qaangata qanuippallianinga: Géochimique

Related to the chemicals that make up rocks, minerals, soils, water and the air. "Geo" means Earth. Geochemistry is the study of chemical properties of and chemical changes in rocks and other parts of the Earth.

Geological: ᓄᓇᒥᒃ ᖃᐅᔨᓇᓱᐊᕐᓂᖅ, ᓄᓇᓕᕆᓂᖅ: nunamik qaujinasuarniq, nunaliriniq: Géologique

Related to the rocks, minerals and structure of the Earth.

Geologist: ᐅᔭᕋᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎ: ujaranniaqti: Géologue

A person who studies rocks, minerals and the structure of the Earth.

Goat: ᓄᕐᕋᐅᔭᖅ: nurraujaq: Chèvre

A medium-sized hoofed mammal that has horns on the head that usually point up. There are many different kinds. Goats are related to sheep, bison, and muskox. Wild goats called mountain goats live in the mountains of B.C., Alberta, Yukon and western mountain areas of NWT near Alberta. They can usually be hunted only at particular times of the year. Mountain goats are white with thin black horns.

Gold: ᑲᓐᓄᖃ: kannuqa: Or

Gold is a mineral mined from the ground. It is a soft yellow coloured metal, easy to work with and used to make many things, including jewelry, fillings for teeth and electrical circuits. It is not found in large amounts and is therefore very expensive.

Goose, Bean: ᓂᕐᓕᓐᓇᖅ: nirlinnaq: Oie des moissons

Geese are water birds that are bigger than ducks. Males and females look alike. The bean goose is also called Ross's goose. They are the smallest mainly white coloured goose, measuring only 21 to 23 inches long. The legs and feet are pink. Small bumps are found on the bill near the face of some individuals. Their habitat for most of the year is tundra and wet areas in the northern part of Canada, but they spend the winters in the southern United States. Eggs are laid in nests on the ground where many other nests of birds of the same kind are found.

Goose, Brant: ᓂᕐᓕᖅ: nirliq: Bernache cravant

Geese are water birds that are bigger than ducks and both males and females look alike. The brant goose is 23 to 30 inches long with the whole head, neck and chest black except for a small patch of white on the side of the neck. The rest of the bird is brown and white. The legs and feet are black. They breed and lay eggs in nests found along arctic shorelines and throughout the arctic islands. Large groups of them can be seen feeding on water plants along ocean beaches.

Goose, Canada: ᓂᕐᓕᖅ, ᐅᓗᐊᒍᓪᓕᖅ, ᑎᒻᒥᐊᖅ: nirliq, uluagulliq, timmiaq: Bernache canadienne

Geese are water birds that are bigger than ducks and both males and females look alike. Canada geese are very common birds found all over Canada, including southern Baffin Island but not in the arctic islands. They can be 22 to 40 inches long, have mostly dark colouring, a long, black neck and black head with white cheek patches. The legs and feet are black. When flying in large groups, they form a "V" shape in the sky.

Goose, Snow: ᑲᖑᖅ: kanguq: Oie des neiges

Geese are water birds that are bigger than ducks and both males and females look alike. Snow geese are mostly white birds with black tips on the wings and have pink feet. They are about 25 to 30 inches long and are like the bean or Ross's goose except that the sides of the bill are black. There are different colour phases of this goose. Sometimes they are all white, others are blue-grey. Younger ones are different still. They breed and lay eggs in the High Arctic, northern coast of NWT, around Hudson Bay and Baffin Island.

Goose, Snow (blue phase): ᑲᖑᐊᕌᓗᒃ, ᖃᕕᖅ, ᑲᒐᕐᔪᒃ: kanguaraaluk, qaviq, kagarjuk: Oie des neiges (phase bleue)

A snow goose that is blue-grey instead of white.

Goose, White fronted: ᓂᕐᓕᕕᒃ: nirlivik: Oie à front blanc

Geese are water birds that are bigger than ducks. Males and females look alike. White-fronted geese are about 26 to 30 inches long and the head, neck, back, tail and wings are greyish brown. A patch of white is found on the head where the bill is located. The legs and feet are orange. Nests are found with many others in northern Yukon and NWT, west of Hudson Bay.

Grass: ᐃᕕᒃ, ᐃᕕᒃᓱᒐᐃᑦ: ivik, iviksugait: Herbe

Any number of plants with long jointed stems and leaves. Most have tiny flowers and seeds that hang from the top of stems. Wild grasses grow in drier soils. Some grasses can be gathered and dried to weave baskets.

Greenland shark: ᐃᖃᓗᔾᔪᐊᖅ: iqalujjuaq: Requin du Groenland

A dark-coloured shark about 7 to 12 feet long found in cold North Atlantic water, sometimes around Baffin Bay, Davis Strait and Labrador. Can be caught during spring, winter and fall in shallow coastal areas.

Green tree: ᐅᖅᐱᒃ, ᐅᒃᐱᒃ, ᓇᐹᖅᑐᖅ ᐆᒻᒪᖅ: uqpik, ukpik, napaaqtuq uummaq: Arbre vert

Green trees are alive and still contain water. The wood underneath the bark is soft and green. Green trees do not make good fire wood because there is too much water in the wood. After the cut wood has aged and dried, it can be used for firewood.

Grid system: ᓇᓗᓇᐃᖅᓯᓯᒪᔾᔪᑎᑦ ᓄᓇᒥᒃ: nalunaiqsisimajjutit nunamik: Système de quadrillage

A system of lines that are all placed at the same distance from each other and then have other lines crossing them. These lines that cross are also all placed at the same distance from each other. A grid system looks like many boxes of the same size placed inside one big box.

Ground: ᒪᓂᕋᖅ, ᓄᓇ: maniraq, nuna: Sol

The land. Relates to the rocks, soil and sand on the surface or below the surface of the ground.

Ground covered with soft snow: ᒪᐅᔭᓕᖅᑐᖅ: maujaliqtuq: Sol recouvert de neige molle

When the surface of the ground is covered with soft new snow. There is a lot of air between the snow flakes and this makes it soft to touch. A person walking outside sinks into new soft snow and footprints are easily left.

Groundhog: ᓯᒃᓯᒡᔪᐊᖅ: siksigjuaq: Marmotte d'Amérique

The groundhog is also called the woodchuck or marmot. It is a small, herbivorous rodent that lives on rolling land near forests and farms in central Canada. They are also found in southern Yukon and NWT. Their short fat bodies weigh about 14 pounds. They have small flat heads and feet with claws for digging in the ground. Large front teeth are used for cutting and chewing plants. They hibernate in their underground burrows during winter, which means they stop eating, fall asleep and their body temperature gets lower.

Growth rate: ᖃᑦᓯᕈᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᓂᖏᑦ: qatsiruqpallianingit: Taux de croissance

The amount a living plant or animal has grown in a period of time. A child might grow 4 inches taller in one year. The growth rate would be stated as 4 inches in one year.

Guillemot: ᐱᑦᓯᐅᓛᖅ: pitsiulaaq: Guillemot

A marine bird that usually only comes on shore to breed and lay eggs. They are excellent swimmers and divers in the water. Most kinds of guillemot are black and white, their bodies are fat and their legs are far back on the body. They do not walk easily on land.

Guillemot, Black: ᐱᑦᓯᐅᓛᖅ: pitsiulaaq: Guillemot noir

A kind of guillemot bird that is about 12 to 14 inches long. Their bodies are completely black, including their bills, but there is a large white patch on the wings and their feet are orange. They lay eggs on rocky cliffs overlooking the ocean. They are found on coasts all over the central to eastern Arctic, northern Quebec, St. Lawrence River and the East Coast.

Gull, Herring: ᓇᐅᔭ: nauja: Goéland argenté

A large gull about 23 to 26 inches long that is found in many places, including the lower west side of Baffin Island and northern NWT and Yukon. It is commonly called a "sea-gull." Young birds usually have brown and beige stripes on them and when they become adults they turn white with grey wings and a black, spotted tail.

Gull, Ivory: ᓇᐅᔭᖅᐸᒃ, ᓇᐅᔭᕙᒃ: naujaqpak, naujavak: Mouette blanche

A gull that is smaller than the herring gull. It breeds and lays eggs only in a few place in the High Arctic near the ocean. Cliffs are usually where the nest is made and eggs are laid. It is the only gull that is all white with black legs.

Gull, Sabine's: ᐃᕿᕆᐊᕆᐊᕐᔪᒃ, ᐃᕿᒡᒐᒋᐊᕐᔪᒃ: iqiriariarjuk, iqiggagiarjuk: Mouette de Sabine

A gull that is smaller than the herring gull. It has a forked tail, making it easy to identify from other gulls. They are dark with a small bit of white on the wings and neck. The head is dark grey. They breed and lay eggs on some High Arctic coasts and islands near water, in a nest on the tundra.

Gull, Sea: ᓇᐅᔭ, ᑲᐅᒪᐅᑦ: nauja, kaumaut: Goéland

A common name given to all gulls. It has no official meaning but is a name for any kind of gull.

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Habitat: ᓇᔪᖅᑕᐅᔪᖅ ᐆᒪᔪᓄᑦ: najuqtaujuq uumajunut: Habitat

The kind of place where a plant or animal normally lives, eats, grows and reproduces. The polar bear naturally lives in a cold, northern habitat. There are many different kinds of habitats found all over the world. The habitat also includes all the non-living things normally found in that place, like the soil, water, air and rocks.

Hagfish: ᖁᐱᕐᕈᖅ: qupirruq: Myxine

A common fish in northern Atlantic waters. In the Canadian Arctic, found west of Greenland, around Labrador coasts and along the eastern coast. Its long, thin, brown body about a foot long are slippery. The round mouth is used for sucking the meat of dead animals (hagfish are scavengers) on the ocean floor or fish in nets. One gill hole appears on each side of the long head.

Hail: ᓇᑕᖅᑯᓛᑦ: nataqqulaat: Grêle

Small lumps of ice falling to the ground from clouds. The clouds and surrounding air are cold enough to freeze rain into hail. The lumps of ice are usually small (like tiny rocks on a beach) but can also be very large. Large hail can damage things like cars, windows, or buildings.

Half-life: ᐃᓄᖅᓴᖅᑐᖅ: inuqsaqtuq: Demi-vie

The period of time required for a radioactive substance to lose half its radioactivity and change into a safer substance. Radioactive substances are unstable and want to change into more stable substances, so they release radioactive particles over time. Some radioactive substances have half-lives of a second or less, while others have so much radioactivity they take millions of years to break down into more stable substances.

Halo of sun or moon: ᐊᓪᓗᐊᑎᐅᑎᖓ: alluatiutinga: Halo du soleil ou de la lune

When tiny bits of frozen ice crystals in the air bend the light coming from the sun or reflected by the moon, making it look like there are circles or parts of circles around the sun or moon. These circles can be white or look like tiny rainbows. Halos around the sun are also called "sun dogs."

Harvest: ᑲᑎᖅᓱᐃᓂᖅ, ᐱᔭᐅᔪᑦ: katiqsuiniq, pijaujut: Récolte

To gather a large number of natural resources at one time. Harvesting fish means to catch fish in a net, with fishing rods or other methods. Harvesting seals means to hunt and collect many seals at one time. Their meat and hides are then used by many people.

Harvest method: ᓂᕐᔪᑏᑦ ᐱᔭᐅᕙᓪᓕᐊᔭᐅᔾᔪᓯᖏᑦ: nirjutiit pijauvalliajaujjusingit: Méthode de récolte

The particular way or process used when a natural resource is obtained. It includes ways like hunting, trapping, fishing, netting, egging, picking, collecting, gathering, spearing, killing and capturing.

Hatch: ᒪᓐᓂᐅᔪᓐᓃᖅᑐᑦ: manniujuniiqtut: Éclosion

When a young animal comes out of an egg. Birds, fish and some other animals hatch from an egg. Hatching occurs when the baby is old enough to live outside of the egg and grow up.

Hawk, Rough-legged: ᕿᓪᓕᖅ, ᑳᔫᖅ: qirliq, kaajuuq: Buse pattue

A carnivorous bird that hunts small animals. Hawks have sharp claws on their feet and a hooked bill. Rough-legged hawks are about 19 to 24 inches long, have feathers completely covering their legs and feet, are brown and beige. The breed and lay eggs all over northern Canada and some arctic islands. Built of sticks and grasses, their nests are found in trees, on cliffs or river banks.

Heat: ᐆᓇᕐᓂᖅ: uunarniq: Chaleur

A form of energy that causes the temperature of air, water or an object to increase. Heat can be felt coming from a burning fire because the air around the fire increases in temperature. There is more heat the closer you are to the fire. Heat makes things hot.

Heather: ᕿᔪᒃᑖᑦ, ᐃᒃᑯᑎᑦ: qijuktaat, ikkutit: Bruyère

A group of plants that are evergreen (leaves stay green all year) and grow low against the ground. The needle-like leaves are tiny, and it has small bell-shaped lightly coloured flowers. It grows to about a foot high in dry, rocky places. Inuit people use the stems and leaves for fuel in the summer.

Herbivorous: ᐱᕈᖅᑐᑐᓲᑦ, ᓄᓇᑑᒪᔪᑦ: piruqtutusuut, nunatuumajut: Herbivore

Animals that normally eat plants to survive. They eat mostly grasses, leaves, seeds and woody stems to live. Arctic hare, lemmings and voles are examples of herbivores.

Herd: ᑲᑎᕆᓃᑦ: katiriniit: Troupeau

A group of animals all of one kind. Herds can be kept together under human control behind fences, or wild animals can form their own groups that run around freely. Caribou are usually found in herds. Herds can have a few animals or many animals in them.

Heredity: ᓯᕗᓕᖅᓱᖅᑐᖅ: sivuliqsuqtuq: Hérédité

The process of passing on particular characteristics to offspring. The colour of hair and eyes and what a person looks like are passed on from parent to child. It also includes the tendency of a person to develop certain diseases and health conditions, heart problems, for example, that their parents also had.

Herring: ᑳᒃᑕᖅ, ᑲᐱᓯᓕᒃ, ᑲᕕᓯᓛᖅ: kaaktaq, kapisilik, kavisilaaq: Harengs

A type of silvery coloured fish that is small- to medium-sized, and found all over the world of the many different kinds, some live in fresh water but other types live in the ocean. They can be eaten.

Humane trapping lobbies: ᑐᖂᑦᓯᑲᐅᑎᒋᓲᓂᒃ ᒥᑭᒋᐊᖃᖁᔨᔪᑦ ᐊᔭᐅᕆᔨᖏᑦ: tuquutsikautigisuunik mikigiaqaqujijut ajaurijingit: Groupe de pression contre la chasse au piège

Groups of people who try to convince politicians and trappers to change the laws and ways of trapping. The groups are against the suffering of animals that are caught in traps and want to make sure that all trapping is humane. They don't want to stop trapping, but want to stop the use of leg-hold traps and other types of traps that do not kill an animal right away when it is first caught.

Hydrocarbon (petroleum): ᐅᖅᓱᐊᓗᒃᓴᖅ: uqsualuksaq: Hydrocarbure (pétrole)

An organic substance made of hydrogen and carbon, called petroleum. Organic means that it was produced from living or once-living plants and animals. Both crude oil and natural gas are hydrocarbons. They are used as fuels and are non-renewable kinds of energy.

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Ice-crystals: ᐸᑐᒃᑐᖅ: patuktuq: Cristaux de glace

When small water droplets freeze into ice, they form tiny, thin, hard pieces that have sharp angles and flat surfaces. Most are very small and hard to see. Ice crystals are clear and let light pass through them.

Ice pad: ᓄᓚᑕᖅ ᓯᑯ ᓄᓇᑕᓕᐊᕆᓯᒪᔪᖅ: nulataq siku nunataliarisimajuq: Bloc de glace

An area of ice about 75 feet wide by 150 feet long around an oil or natural gas well located over water or land. The ice pad serves as a foundation and supports the weight of the drilling rig. Ice pads can be made by people who want to drill in a certain location.

Ice pad, Naturally occurring: ᐱᖁᖓᓂᖅ: piqunganiq: Bloc de glace de formation naturelle

An area of ice found in nature that is on top of land or water. Drilling rigs are sometimes put up on top of them because the ice serves to support the weight of the heavy equipment.

Ichthyology: ᐃᖃᓗᓕᕆᓂᖅ: iqaluliriniq: Ichtyologie

The study of fish and fish life. Ichthyology deals with fish and how and why they are grouped together in particular ways (taxonomy).

Immigration: ᑎᑭᑦᑕᕐᓂᖏᑦ: tikittarningit: Immigration

The action of coming to a new place to live. People coming into Canada from another country are immigrating to Canada.

Impact: ᐊᓯᓐᖑᕈᑕᐅᔪᖅ, ᐊᑦᑐᐃᓂᖅ: asinngurutaujuq, attuiniq: Choc

The outcome or effects from something that has happened. The impacts can be good or bad, depending on who or what was involved. The impact of hunting too many caribou is that there are too few animals remaining to feed people over the winter. The impact would be bad. See Environmental Impact Statement.

Implementation plan: ᑲᔪᓯᒋᐊᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᓂᒃᓴᖓ ᐸᕐᓇᐅᑦ: kajusigiaqpallianiksanga parnaut: Programme de mise en oeuvre

A written document used to make something happen according to a plan. The plan would describe who is involved, where, when, what and how action should be taken.

Inland: ᑲᖏᕙᓯᒃᑐᖅ, ᓄᓇᖅᐸᓯᒃᑐᖅ, ᖃᕝᕙᓯᒃᑐᖅ: kangivasiktuq, nunaqpasiktuq, qavvasiktuq: Intérieur des terres

Away from the ocean and shoreline and toward the land. A house one mile from the ocean is located further inland than a house located near the beach.

Iron: ᓴᕕᕋᔭᒃ: savirajak: Fer

A heavy magnetic mineral that is silvery but rusts easily and turns orange when exposed to air and water. Iron is the most widely used of all the metals. It is found underground and mined. Magnetic means it responds to Earth's magnetic field and to where the north and south poles are located. Compasses contain iron in order to to find specific directions (north, east, west and south).

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Jaeger: ᐃᓱᓐᖓᖅ: isunngaq: Labbe

Jaegers are marine birds that spend most of their time flying over open ocean. There are several different kinds, but they are all about 20 inches long. They are often seen stealing food from other birds. Their bills have hooks on the ends and their feet are webbed.

Jaeger, Long-tailed: ᐃᓱᓐᖓᖅ: isunngaq: Labbe à longue queue

A type of jaeger with an extremely long tail. A few feathers in the tail are about 9 inches longer than the rest of the tail. The underparts are white but the rest of the bird is dark. These birds breed and lay eggs in the northern NWT and High Arctic islands and coasts. Their nests are made of grasses and are found on the ground.

Juvenile: ᐃᓐᓇᕈᕇᖅᓯᒪᓐᖏᑦᑐᖅ: innaruriiqsimanngittuq: Juvénile

A person or animal that is not yet fully grown, or not fully sexually active and reproducing. It may look like an adult in some ways but a juvenile is not yet an adult.

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Keewatin Wildlife Federation: ᑭᕙᓪᓕᕐᒥ ᐆᒪᔪᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᐊᑎᒌᑦ: kivallirmi uumajulirinirmut katujjiqatigiit: Keewatin Wildlife Federation

The Federation is made up of the Hunters and Trappers Association Chairpersons from each community in the Keewatin region. The Federation Headquarters is located in Rankin Inlet.

Kelp: ᕿᖅᑯᐊᑦ: qiqquat: Varech

A plant that grows in the ocean and floats in tangled groups on the surface with the help of an air-filled round ball. It is actually a type of brown algae but it grows to huge lengths, sometimes 50 to 60 feet long. Long, thin sheets of kelp often drift onto beaches. A common name for kelp is seaweed. It can be eaten.

Knot: ᐊᑭᕈᖅ, ᓇᐹᖅᑑᑉ ᐅᓐᖒᔭᖓ: akiruq, napaaqtuup unnguujanga: Bracelet (de graminée)

A hard piece of wood formed where a branch or stem grew out from a tree. They are difficult to cut through because they are harder than the surrounding wood. In a wooden board, knots can be seen as rounded darker spots.

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Lagoon/Holding pond: ᑮᓈᓗᖃᕐᕕᒃ: kiinaaluqarvik: Lagune/Étang de retenue

A small, shallow body of water or liquid inside a man-made depression. There are sides all around the lagoon preventing the water from escaping. Sewage lagoons hold human waste for treatment before being released into a river or lake. Holding ponds or lagoons are also used in the oil and mining industries to hold liquids from the operations that should not be released into the environment. These liquids could harm living things.

Land: ᓄᓇ: nuna: Terre

The ground and what is underneath and above it. It includes the soil, minerals, rocks, trees, animals and other natural parts found there, such as mountains, lakes, rivers and forests. A land claim by Aboriginal people refers to everything in a certain part of the country. It can include mountains, lakes, rivers, forests, etc.

Land Skills Program: ᓄᓇᒥ ᐊᓯᕙᕈᓐᓇᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᓂᖅ: nunami asivarunanirmik illiniarniq: Programme de pratiques terrestres

A program that teaches how to survive on the land. Skills learned include how to hunt and fish, to travel from place to place safely, to build shelter and obtain water. Students go out with teachers and practice the skills by doing them until they are good at them.

Landslide: ᑎᓲᖅᑐᖅ: tisuuqtuq: Glissement de terrain

The downward movement of soil and rocks on a hill. Usually the soil and rocks give way at the same time, leaving little time to get out of the way. Heavy rainfall and melting snow add to the weight of the soil and rocks, sometimes causing them to slip down the hill. Big landslides can cover entire houses.

Land title: ᓄᓇᒥᒃ ᓇᒻᒥᓂᖃᕐᓂᖅ: nunamik namminiqarniq: Titre de bien-fonds

The legal document that says a person owns a piece of land. It is very detailed and states exactly where the land is, how large it is and what rights the owner has regarding the land (see Legal survey). Land titles are usually kept on file in a government office called a Land Titles Office.

Land which is hit by on-shore wind: ᐊᑭᓐᓇᑕᖅ, ᐊᑭᓪᓕᖅᑕᖅ: akinnataq, akilliqtaq: Terre balayée par le vent du large

Land on or near the ocean shore that gets hit with winds coming from the ocean. The plants are usually small and stunted, and the soil can be dry.

Leaching: ᑭᓂᕆᓂᖅ ᐃᓗᒻᒧᑦ: kiniriniq ilummut: Filtrage

When water runs through a substance, picking up some of the material and carrying it to other places. This can happen underground in soil and rock, or above ground through piles of material.

Lead: ᐊᕿᑦᑐᔭᖅ (ᐃᓗᓕᒃᓴᖅ) ᑭᑭᐊᒃ (ᓴᕕᕋᔭᒃ): aqittujaq (iluliksaq) kikiak (savirajak): Plomb

A soft, heavy metal that is easily melted. It is used to make some kinds of glass, shot for shotguns, and combined with other metals to make various things. However, lead is very poisonous to living things and cannot be used for water pipes or containers for food or medicine.

Leaf: ᐸᐱᓕᒑᖅ, ᐅᖃᐅᔭᖅ: papiligaaq, uqaujaq: Feuille

Plural = leaves. Leaves are the green, flat parts that grow out from a plant stem. A leaf is a single one of these. There are many differently shaped leaves. The leaves are where the sun's energy is changed into food for the plant to use and where gases from the air are absorbed and released.

Legal surveys: ᒐᕙᒪᒃᑯᓐᓂᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕈᓐᓇᖅᑎᑕᐅᔪᑦ: gavamakkunnit qaujisarunnaqtitaujut: Arpentage légal

The measurement of land to determine the size and amount of an owner's land. The survey is registered in a government office and is the basis of the land title.

Lichen: ᑐᒃᑐᑦ ᓂᕿᖏᑦ, ᖁᐊᔭᐅᑎᑦ: tuktut niqingit, quajautit: Lichen

A combination of a fungus and algae living together to form a plant-like growth. There are many different kinds and colours but often they look like moss or a crusty dry leaf. They can grow on bare rock. Caribou eat lichen.

Life cycle: ᐃᓅᓯᒃᓴᕆᔭᐅᔪᖅ: inuusiksarijaujuq: Cycle de vie

All of the changes that take place during the entire life of an individual plant or animal. For example, the life cycle of a bird starts with the egg, then comes the chick, then the young juvenile bird, then the adult which sexually reproduces, and then the older bird which eventually dies.

Light, Reflected: ᐊᑭᒥᐊᖅᐹ: akimiaqpaa: Lumière réfléchie

Light that does not come from a source of light but is reflected by or bounced off of a shiny or lightly coloured object. For example, a mirror reflects light from a flashlight (the source of the light), and the moon reflects the light from the sun at night. The moon does not produce its own light but reflects sunlight off its lightly coloured surface. Dark objects do not reflect light very well.

Limnology: ᑕᓯᓕᕆᓂᖅ ᑕᓯᕐᒥᐅᑕᓕᕆᓂᕐᓗ: tasiliriniq tasirmiutalirinirlu: Limnologie

The study of inland fresh water, including rivers and lakes. Limnology uses many different ways to explore fresh bodies of water and the life in them.

Liquifaction: ᑯᕕᔪᓐᓇᖅᓯᑎᑦᓯᓂᖅ ᐳᓪᓚᐅᒐᓗᐊᖅᑐᒥᒃ: kuvijunnaqsititsiniq pullaugaluaqtumik: Liquéfaction

Natural gas is transported from the well site in its gas state through high pressure pipelines, or it can be changed into a liquid and transported in specially constructed sea-going tanker ships. Liquids take up less space that gases and therefore more natural gas can be shipped as a liquid than as a gas. The process to change natural gas to a liquid requires temperatures of approximately -160°C and special equipment is needed.

Littoral: ᐃᒃᑲᓂᕐᒥᐅᑦ: ikkanirmiut: Littoral

The area of shallow water found close to the shoreline of a lake or ocean.

Local source: ᕿᒻᒪᑯᐃᑦ ᓱᕈᕐᓇᖅᑐᑦ: qimmakuit sururnaqtut: Source locale

A nearby source of something or where you can find something near to you. If you live near a river that has fish in it, you live near a local source of fish.

Long range: ᐅᖓᓯᑦᑐᖅ: ungasittuq: Longue portée

Looking at and considering the future or planning for the future, planning ahead over many months or years. Managing the number of caribou in the north requires long-range planning.

Longspur, Lapland: ᕿᕐᓂᖅᑕᖏᐊᖅ, ᕿᕐᓂᖅᑖᖅ: qirniqtangiaq, qirniqtaaq: Bruant lapon

A small bird that is about 6 to 7 inches long. Males are in brown and beige with a black head and chest, yellow patch above the eye and a rust colour on the back of the neck. Females are only brown and beige. Both males and females have a long claw on the back toe that is as long as the back toe. It runs instead of hops on the ground, where it spends most of its time. It breeds and lays eggs all over the Arctic and northern NWT and Yukon.

Loon, Arctic: ᖃᖅᓴᐅᖅ: qaqsauq: Huart arctique

A large, swimming bird usually seen on open water. It can dive underwater and when flying, fly with its feet out behind its tail. Its bill is very pointed at the end. Males and females look the same. Arctic loons are about 23 to 29 inches long, have grey heads, a black and white body and wings and red eyes. The bills are straight. Breeding and nesting occurs in the NWT and Yukon as well as southern Baffin Island and some other northern islands.

Loon, Common: ᑑᓪᓕᐊᕐᔪᒃ: tuulliarjuk: Huart à collier

A large, swimming bird usually seen on open water. It can dive underwater and when flying, fly with its feet out behind its tail. Its bill is very pointed at the end. Common loons are found further south than the arctic loon and are somewhat larger birds. The head is very dark green or black and its body is black and white with a black and white patch on the side of the neck. Males and females look the same.

Loon, Red-throated: ᖃᖅᓴᐅᖅ: qaqsauq: Huart à gorge rousse

A large, swimming bird usually seen on open water. It can dive underwater and when flying, fly with its feet out behind its tail. Its bill is very pointed at the end and curves up slightly. Its head is light grey but it has a black and white patch down the back of its neck. The body is mostly dark grey and there is a rusty coloured patch on the front of the throat. Males and females look the same. Red-throated loons are found all over the NWT, northern Quebec and into the High Arctic where they breed and lay eggs.

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M

Mammology: ᐆᒪᔪᓕᕆᓂᖅ ᐊᒫᒪᒃᑐᓂᒃ: uumajuliriniq amaamaktunik: Mammologie

The study of animals called mammals. Mammals are warm-blooded animals with backbones that feed their young with milk from the mothers' breasts (called mammary glands). Their bodies are usually covered with hair but not always. Walrus, seal, polar bear and people are examples of mammals.

Management: ᐆᒪᔪᓕᕆᓂᖅ, ᑲᒪᓂᖅ: uumajuliriniq, kamaniq: Gestion

The supervision and direction of a business or project to make sure a particular desired outcome actually happens. People in management jobs make decisions that effect the business or project. Management uses certain procedures and ways to do things in order to be successful.

Marine: ᑕᕆᐅᕐᒥᐅᑦ, ᑕᕆᐅᖅᓯᐅᑎᑦ, ᑕᕆᐅᖅ: tariurmiut, tariuqsiutit, tariuq: Marin

Having to do with the ocean and salt water. Marine animals are animals that live in the ocean.

Marine mammal: ᐳᐃᔨ: puiji: Mammifère marin

Mammals that normally spend most of their time in the ocean. Examples are whales, seals and walrus.

Mating (breeding): ᓄᓕᐊᖅᑐᑦ: nuliaqtut: Accouplement (reproduction)

The sexual joining of a male and female to produce young. The male sperm is given in some way to the female and the sperm fertilizes eggs. Different kinds of animals mate in different ways.

Mature: ᐃᓂᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ, ᐱᕈᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ, ᐃᓐᓇᐃᑦ: iniqsimajut, piruqsimajut, innait: Mûr

A plant or animal that has become fully developed and can sexually reproduce. A caribou is mature at about a year and a half to two years old.

Mercury: ᐊᕿᕐᕉᔭᖅ: aqirruujaq: Mercure

The only metal that is liquid at ordinary room temperature. Mercury is silvery and flows easily. It is often used in thermometers. Mercury is poisonous to most living things and can cause brain and nerve damage in animals. It is sometimes released into rivers by industries (mining and forestry for example), poisoning fish. If people eat the fish, they also eat the mercury in the fish and get very sick.

Merganser: ᓄᔭᕋᓕᒃ, ᓄᔭᓕᐊᖅ: nujaralik, nujaliaq: Bec-scie

Mergansers are a type of duck that has a long, pointed thin bill, hooked at the tip, and many small little sharp teeth along the edges of the bill for holding fish. There are different kinds of Mergansers, but they all are about 15 to 25 inches long and live near water. Most of them have long feathers on the back of the neck that stick out. Their legs are at the rear of the body, and they are good swimmers. The red-breasted merganser is found in central and northern Canada.

Metal: ᓴᕕᕋᔭᒃ: savirajak: Métal

Most metals are hard and shiny and are mined from the earth. After the rocks containing the metal are crushed, the metal is removed and used to make many different things. There are many kinds of metal. Gold and silver are commonly used to make jewelry; iron and steel are used to build cars and ships; and metals like aluminum are used to make drink cans, aircraft and doors.

Metal recycling: ᓴᕕᕋᔭᓐᓂᑦ ᐊᑐᓕᖅᑎᑦᓯᒃᑲᓐᓂᕐᓂᖅ: savirajannit atuliqtitsikkannirniq: Recyclage des métaux

Taking pop cans, food tins, and other metal items that would normally be thrown into the garbage and collecting them in one place. They can be transported to a factory where they are melted and made into other metal products.

Methodology: ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕈᓰᑦ, ᖃᐅᔨᒐᓱᐊᕈᓰᑦ: qaujisarusiit, qaujigasuarusiit: Méthodologie

A way of getting something done using a particular order and system of doing things. Science uses different methodologies to study things in an organized way. Other people can repeat the steps taken to check a result.

Microcontaminants: ᐊᑦᑕᕐᓇᕕᒡᔪᐊᖅᑐᑦ ᓱᕈᕐᓇᖅᑐᑦ: attarnavigjuaqtut sururnaqtut: Micro-contaminants

A substance that can contaminate or spoil something even when in very small amounts.

Migration: ᐃᖏᕐᕋᓂᖏᑦ, ᓄᒃᑎᖅᑕᐅᓂᖏᑦ: ingirraningit, nuktiqtauningit: Migration

Relates to an animal that usually migrates or moves from place to place each fall and again in the spring. Geese fly south for the winter and return each spring. They are a migratory bird. There are many kinds of animals that migrate.

Migratory Birds Convention Act: ᑎᒻᒥᐊᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᒪᓕᒐᖅ: timmialirinirmut maligaq: Entente sur les oiseaux migrateurs

A treaty signed by Canada and the Unites States in 1916 which protects hundreds of different kinds of birds that migrate each year between the two countries. It states that eggs and nests of migratory birds cannot be taken or harmed, restricts hunting of some kinds of birds to a particular time of the year (usually a few weeks each fall), and prevents birds and eggs from being sent to other countries.

Milt (fish sperm): ᖃᐸᒃ (ᐃᖃᓘᑉ): qapak (iqaluup): Laitance (matière reproductrice des poissons mâles)

Sperm from male fish is called milt. The milt combines with the female eggs and fertilizes them. This creates embryos that will develop and hatch into baby fish.

Mineral: ᐅᔭᕋᐅᔭᑦ: ujaraujat: Minéral

A natural substance that is not an animal or a plant. Minerals are usually found in the ground and many are mined because they are useful to people. There are many different kinds of minerals. Iron, for example, is needed in our diets for us to be healthy, but is also used to make steel.

Mineral rights: ᐅᔭᕋᒃᓯᐅᕐᕕᖃᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᖅ, ᕿᓂᕈᓐᓇᐅᑎᑦ: ujaraksiurviqarunnarniq, qinirunnautit: Droits miniers

The right to explore for and produce the resources beneath the surface of the Earth. Ownership can be by an individual person or group, a province or a federal government. Rights can be leased or rented from the owner for money, but usually the profits made from selling the oil, natural gas or mined minerals must be shared with the owner in the form of royalties. Northern land claims by Aboriginal people have included the transfer of mineral rights from the federal government to the Aboriginal people.

Mink: ᑎᕆᐊᖅᐸᒃ, ᑎᕆᐊᕐᔪᐊᖅ: tiriaqpak, tiriarjuaq: Vison

Mink are carnivorous mammals that are related to weasels, skunk and wolverines. They have long thin bodies, long tails and small but sharp teeth. They are usually found near streams, lakes, forests and marshes where they hunt for small animals. Mink are furbearers and are trapped for their soft grey, brown or black fur. It is found all over Canada except for eastern NWT and the Far North.

Mirage: ᐅᔪᕈᒥᐊᒃ: ujurumiak: Mirage

When you think you see something that is really not there. Sometimes on a hot day you might think that you see water on a smooth road ahead of you. What you are really seeing is the refraction of light (when light is bent). This happens when the air near the hot ground is heated and becomes denser. This bends the light from the sun and puts it in a place we are not expecting to see it. Mirages can be seen over bodies of water too, sometimes from a boat or from land looking out to sea.

Mirage on land: ᐃᒥᕐᔪᕿᑖᖅᑐᖅ: imirjuqitaaqtuq: Mirage sur terre

Often on a hot sunny day, a person might think that he sees water from a distance lying on a road. There actually is no water. What happens is that sunlight is bent by dense air near the top of the road and reflects a patch of sky. This can look like water. See Mirage.

Mist: ᕿᓱᒃᑐᖅ, ᒥᓂᐅᔭᖅᑐᖅ: qisuktuq, miniujaqtuq: Brume

A condition when there is water in the air near the ground, sometimes forming ground fog. It happens when warm wet air is cooled down and the tiny droplets of water in the air form bigger droplets that we can see as a mist.

Misty, drizzling: ᒥᓂᔪᖅ: minijuq: Brumeux, bruine

Cool weather that is wet but it is not quite raining outside. Tiny droplets of water are in the air near the ground and it feels like a very light rain. There is a mist outside.

Mobile: ᐃᒻᒥᓂᒃ ᓂᒪᒍᓐᓇᖅᑐᑦ: imminik nimagunnaqtut: Mobile

To be able to move around from place to place. Most animals are mobile because they can move. Trees are not mobile because they can't move to another place.

Monitoring: ᖃᐅᔨᓴᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᔭᒥᒃ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕐᓂᖅ: qaujisaqpalliajamik qaujisarniq: Contrôle

To study and measure the level of a substance, or a condition or a situation over a period of time. Monitoring is often used to provide information on wildlife populations so that steps can be taken to reduce or limit the harmful effects of human activity on the animals.

Mortality rate: ᑐᖁᕋᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᓂᐅᕙᒃᑐᑦ: tuquraqpallianiuvaktut: Taux de mortalité

The number of plants or animals in a population that die in a period of time. If 4 wolves from one pack (group) die in one year, the rate is 4 in one year.

Mud and rock pieces, Drilling: ᑲᐃᕗᕐᓂᑯᐃᑦ, ᑲᐃᕕᕗᕐᓗᑯᑦ: kaivurnikuit, kaivvurlukut: Forage de boue et de roches

When drill bits are drilling a hole through rock, the pieces of mud and rock that are cut and worn away start to fill up the hole. These pieces are washed and forced up and out of the hole by a strong flow of drilling mud. The mud and rock pieces are collected in a large pit at the surface.

Mud, clay or slime: ᐃᒥᕋᐅᑦ, ᒪᕐᕋᖅ: imiraut, marraq: Boue, argile ou limon

Soft, sticky, wet soil. It can be easily shaped by your hand. When dry, it hardens and breaks easily. It often feels smooth when wet because it contains a significant amount of water.

Multi-national: ᓄᓇᓂᑦ ᐊᒥᓱᓃᖖᒑᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ: nunanit amisuniinngaaqsimajut: Multinationale

A company that operates and does business in several different countries. For example, Shell Oil is a multi-national company because it drills for oil and natural gas in countries other than just Canada.

Murre, Thick-billed: ᐊᒃᐸ, ᐊᑉᐸ: akpa, appa: Marmette de Brunnich

Murres are marine birds that come onto land only to breed and lay eggs. Their legs are short and at the back of the body, making walking on land difficult. The thick-billed murre is about 17 to 19 inches long, dark coloured on the top of the head and body and white below. Its bill and eyes are also dark. Males and females look the same. They breed and lay eggs on bare rock cliffs on the northern coast of Quebec, Labrador, and the east coast of Baffin Island. Their nests are found in large groups called colonies where many other birds of the same kind nest.

Mushroom: ᑐᒃᑑᑉ ᓂᖄ, ᐃᒃᑯᑎᑦ, ᖁᐱᕐᕉᑦ: tuktuup niqaa, ikkutit, qupirruut: Champignon

A type of fungus that grows upward from the ground. They usually have a thick stem and an umbrella-shaped cap on top. There are many different kinds, some poisonous and some that can be eaten. Mushrooms are usually soft and spongy and grow where there is moisture.

Muskox: ᐅᒥᖕᒪᒃ: umingmak: Boeuf musqué

These are large and heavy mammals that live in Canada's arctic areas. Their large heads are covered by a bony plate on top that curves down into sharp horns on the side of the head. Their bodies are covered with long, brown hair that touches the ground. Their legs are short and also covered with fur. Small herds or groups of muskox travel short distances over open arctic tundra in search of plants to eat. When frightened, the group will bunch together with their horns facing out to scare away wolves.

Muskrat: ᑭᕝᒐᓗᒃ: kivgaluk: Rat musqué

Small herbivorous rodents that weigh about 3 pounds. Because they live in water, their bodies are shaped for swimming. They have short, thick, brown fur; a long, thin tail that is flattened from side to side; and teeth that are used for cutting and chewing plants. Muskrat are trapped for their fur because it is soft and waterproof. Not usually found in eastern NWT or arctic areas, they do live in most other areas of Canada near rivers, lakes and marshes where there are lots of water plants.

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Naphtha: ᓱᐴᔫᖅᓯᐅᑦ: supuujuuqsiut: Naphte

A word that is sometimes used to refer to liquid petroleum or oil, but is really a product that is produced at the first stage of the oil refining process. It is broken down to make many different petroleum products such as gasoline and plastic. See Refinery.

Natal: ᐃᓅᕝᕕᐊ: inuuvvia: Natal

Related to the birth of an animal. Prenatal care is health care given to a mother before her baby is born. Postnatal is care given after the birth has happened.

Natality (birth rate): ᐃᕐᓂᐊᖑᕙᒃᑐᑦ ᖃᑦᓯᐅᓂᖏᑦ: irnianguvaktut qatsiuningit: Taux de natalité

The number of animals born in a period of time. In a community in which 10 babies are born in a year, the rate would be 10 in one year. That may be high or low, depending on factors like the number of people who live in the community.

Nature trails: ᓄᓇᐅᑉ ᐃᒡᓕᓂᒋᔭᖏᑦ ᐊᑐᕈᒥᓇᖅᒥᑎᑕᐅᓂᖏᑦ: nunaup iglinigijangit aturuminaqsititauningit: Sentiers naturels

A marked path that is made through the wilderness and used to take people to special places where they can see animals, plants or special features (for example, a mountain or waterfall). There are nature trails in parks, such as Auyuittuq National Park on Baffin Island.

Nekton: ᐃᒪᕐᒥᐅᑕᐃᑦ ᐆᒪᔪᑦ ᓅᑦᑕᖅᑐᑦ: imarmiutait uumajut nuuttaqtut: Necton

Animals that move themselves around by actively swimming at or near the surface of water (fish, seals, and whales, for example). These animals are large and strong enough to swim against currents. Nekton are different from animals like the tiny animals called zooplankton, which have to move with the currents or waves.

Nickel: ᑮᓇᐅᔭᒃᓴᔭ: kiinaujaksaja: Nickel

A silvery coloured hard metal that is mined underground. It is often found with iron. Nickel is mixed with other metals to form certain products. Canadian coins worth five cents contain some nickel and are why the English name for them is nickels.

Nitrate pollution: ᓄᓇᒧᑦ ᐃᓚᒍᑦᓯᐅᑎᔭᐅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᓱᕈᖅᓴᐃᔪᖅ: nunamut ilagutsiutijausimajuq suruqsaijuq: Pollution par le nitrate

When too much nitrate is put into the air, water or soil and causes harm to living things. Nitrates change into nitrites. Nitrate fertilizer is used to feed plants. If too much fertilizer is used, dangerous levels of nitrite build up in the leaves and if these leaves are eaten by animals, it can poison them. Some nitrites are used to keep meat from going bad and, in high amounts, are thought to cause cancer.

Non-random: ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕈᒪᔭᖅᓱᖅᑐᖅ ᓂᕈᐊᖅᑐᓂ: qaujisarumajaqsuqtuq niruaqtuni: Non aléatoire

Having a definite pattern, order, purpose or design. Something happens non-randomly if it was chosen on purpose or because it was planned by someone ahead of time.

North: ᑐᓄᕕᐊᖅ: tunuviaq: Nord

The direction that lies toward the North Pole or the top of the Earth. It is the opposite of south. North can be found at night using the stars and finding the pole star.

Northeast: ᑲᓇᓐᓇ: kananna: Nord-est

The direction between north and east. East is where the sun rises each morning, and north is where the North Pole lies.

Northeast (storm): ᑲᓇᓐᓂᖅᑐᖅ: kananniqtuq: Nord-est (tempête)

A weather system where strong winds come from the east and north and bring dark clouds and rain or snow.

Northeast wind (summer): ᓴᒻᒥᑐᖅᑐᖅ: sammituqtuq: Vent du nord-est (été)

A wind that blows from the northeast from June to September and can sometimes bring storm clouds and rain or hail.

Northeasterly wind: ᓴᒻᒥᑐᖅᑐᖅ, ᑲᓇᓐᓂᖅᑐᖅ: sammituqtuq, kananniqtuq: Vent du nord-est

A wind that comes from the north and east and blows to the south and west.

Northwesterly wind: ᐅᐊᓐᓂᖅᑐᖅ: uanniqtuq: Vent du nord-ouest

A wind that comes from a direction between north and west (the place in the sky where the sun sets at night). A northwesterly wind often brings cold temperatures, especially in the winter.

Not cold (in winter): ᖃᐱᖅᑐᖅ, ᐃᔾᔭᖏᐊᖅᑐᖅ, ᐃᔾᔭᐃᑦᑐᖅ: qapiqtuq, ijjangiaqtuq, ijjaittuq: Temps doux (en hiver)

Winter days when the air temperature is fairly warm and it is pleasant to work outdoors.

Nutrients: ᐆᒪᑦᓯᐊᕆᓐᓇᖅᑐᑦ: uumatsiarinnaqtut: Aliments/Substance nutritive

Nutrients are the substances (in food) that we need to be healthy. They include proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals. A healthy diet contains a balanced mixture of all nutrients. Diseases are sometimes caused because we are not eating enough of a certain type of nutrient. We get nutrients from eating both plants and animals.

Nutrition: ᓂᕿᑦᓯᐊᕙᓕᕆᓂᖅ: niqitsiavaliriniq: Nutrition

The processes of eating and of how our bodies use the foods we eat. Proper nutrition means our bodies are getting all the necessary nutrients for growth and good health.

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O

Oceanography: ᑕᕆᐅᕐᔪᐊᓕᕆᓂᖅ, ᑕᕆᐅᕐᒥᐅᑕᓕᕆᓂᖅ: tariurjualiriniq, tariurmiutaliriniq: Océanographie

The study of oceans, their shorelines, bottoms, tides and currents. This would also include things like the temperature and chemistry of the water.

Offshore: ᐃᒪᖅᐱᒃ, ᐃᒪᕕᒃ, ᐃᑭᖅ: imaqpik, imavik, ikiq: Au large des côtes

A place in the ocean away from the land, shore or beach. Usually relates to a place where the ocean is fairly deep and does not touch the land. A ship might be anchored offshore away from a dock. Whales can be seen offshore.

Oil, Crude: ᐅᖅᓱᐊᓗᒃᓴᖅ: uqsualuksaq: Pétrole brut

Petroleum as it comes out of the ground and before it goes to a refinery. It is a natural, black, hydrocarbon liquid that does not mix with water. Oil is found deep underground in layers of rock. It is an energy source that is nonrenewable because it was formed millions of years ago and can't grow back.

Oil, Rig: ᑲᐃᕗᕐᕕᒃ: kaivurvik: Installation de forage de pétrole

A drilling rig that is used for drilling through underground rock to find crude oil.

Oil spill: ᐅᖅᓱᐊᓗᒃ ᑯᕕᔪᖅ: uqsualuk kuvijuq: Déversement de pétrole

Crude oil that has spilled onto land or into water either naturally, by accident or on purpose. Oil is a sticky, thick, black substance that can be harmful to the environment and animals. In water, oil floats near the surface and can be carried to other places by the tides and currents. It covers the bodies of seabirds, fish and other animals, usually killing them. There are ways of cleaning up an oil spill but it is expensive and takes time.

Omnivorous: ᓱᓇᓕᒫᖅᑑᒪᔪᑦ, ᑭᓱᑐᐃᓐᓈᖅᑐᖅ: sunalimaaqtuumajut, kisutuinnaaqtut: Omnivore

Animals that normally eat plants and other animals to survive. Humans, most bears and pigs are omnivores. They eat vegetables, fruits and meat.

Organic contaminants: ᓱᕈᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᑦ, ᓱᕈᕐᓇᖅᑐᑦ: surujunnaqtut, sururnaqtut: Polluants organiques

Dead plants and animals that contaminate and spoil something. For example, a dead animal lying in a stream is contaminating the water by making the water less good too drink. Sewage is an organic contaminant.

Organisms: ᐆᒪᔪᓕᒫᑦ, ᓱᓇᑐᐃᓐᓇᐃᑦ ᐆᒪᔪᓕᒫᑦ: uumajulimaat, sunatuinnait uumajulimaat: Organismes

Refers to any living plant or animal, no matter how large or small.

Organochlorines: ᓄᖑᑎᕈᓐᓇᖏᑦᑐᑦ ᐊᑦᑕᓇᖅᑐᑦ: nungutirunnangittut attanaqtut: Chlore organique

Chemicals such as DDE and PCBs that are generally toxic or poisonous. If you are exposed to these chemicals over a long period of time, you can develop cancer. The chemicals tend to build up inside bodies and are not used up by the body or excreted in urine.

Ornithology: ᑎᒻᒥᐊᓕᕆᓂᖅ: timmialiriniq: Ornithologie

The study of birds and bird life. Ornithology deals with the birds themselves, as well as how and why they are grouped together with others that are similar.

Otolith: ᑎᑦᑎ, ᓯᒃᓯ, ᐅᔭᕋᒃ, ᓴᐅᓈᖅ: titti, siksi, ujarak, saunaaq: Otolithe

A very dense bone found in the inner ear of some animals that serves to maintain balance. Humans and animals such as fish have otoliths. These bones are very hard. Often, fishery scientists (see Ichthyology) will remove the otolith from a dead fish to count the rings of calcium. Each year another ring is laid down and the scientist can count them to find out how old the fish was when it was caught.

Overcast: ᓄᕗᔭᖓ ᐊᑦᑎᒃᑐᖅ, ᖃᑯᕐᓇᖅᑐᖅ: nuvujanga attiktuq, qakurnaqtuq: Couvert

When the sky is almost all covered with clouds.

Overlap: ᖄᖏᖅᑕᖃᑦᑕᐅᑎᓯᒪᔪᑦ: qaangiqtaqattautisimajut: Recouvrement

To cover a part of something else, or to have something in common with something else, like an interest in art.

Overpopulation: ᐊᒥᓲᓗᐊᓕᕐᓂᖅ: amisuulualirniq: Surpopulation

When there are too many plants or animals in one place at one time. There is not enough food or room for all of them. Usually some will starve to death.

Owl, Short eared: ᓂᐸᐃᓐᓇᖅᑖᓗᒃ, ᑖᖅᓯᐅᑦ, ᐅᓐᓄᐊᖅᓯᐅᑦ: nipainnaqtaaluk, taaqsiut, unnuaqsiut: Hibou des marais

Owls are carnivorous birds with large heads and eyes, clawed feet and sharp hooked bills. They eat small animals. Most hunt at night but some hunt during the day. The feathers are soft and fluffy, allowing the birds to fly without making any sound. Short-eared owls are commonly found all over Canada, including northern NWT and Yukon, but are not known to be found among the arctic islands. They are brown and beige, their eyes are yellow and there is a lightly coloured area on their faces.

Owl, Snowy: ᐅᒃᐱᒃ, ᐅᒃᐱᔾᔪᐊᖅ: ukpik, ukpijjuaq: Harfang des neiges

Owls are carnivorous birds with large heads and eyes, clawed feet and sharp hooked bills. They eat small animals. Most hunt at night but others hunt during the day. The feathers are soft and fluffy, allowing the birds to fly without making any sound. The snowy owl is mostly white and is large, about 22 to 27 inches long. Its feet are densely feathered to the toes. Its eyes are yellow. The snowy owl hunts during the day. When there is little food to eat, they fly south in the winter to hunt for small animals. They breed and lay eggs along the arctic coast and among arctic islands.

Oxygen: ᐊᓂᕐᓂᑦᓴᖅ: anirnitsaq: Oxygène

A gas found in the air and water that is needed for most plant and animal life. Most life would die without oxygen. We breathe in air, and our lungs absorb the oxygen into our bodies. Fish absorb oxygen into their bodies from water using their gills. Oxygen circulates between living things and the air. It has no colour, taste or smell. There are normally two atoms in a molecule of oxygen.

Ozone: ᐊᓂᕐᓂᖃᕐᓇᖅᑑᑉ ᖁᑦᓯᓐᓂᖓ: anirniqarnaqtuup qutsinninga: Ozone

A form of oxygen gas found naturally in small amounts high in the air above the clouds. Chloroflurocarbons (CFCs) produced by humans and released into the air destroy ozone and harm the environment. Although ozone can be produced by humans, it cannot take the place of the natural ozone high in the air. See Ozone layer.

Ozone layer: ᐃᒐᓚᐅᔭᖅ: igalaujaq: Couche d'ozone

A band of ozone found naturally high above the clouds, about 15 to 30 km above sea level. Ozone in this layer protects the surface of the land from most of the harmful ultra-violet rays that come from the sun. Ozone absorbs the ultra-violet rays, changing ozone back into normal oxygen. See Ozone.

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P

Paper recycling: ᐸᐃᑉᓂᑦ ᐊᑐᓕᖅᑎᑦᓯᒃᑲᓐᓂᕐᓂᖅ: paippaanit atuliqtitsikkannirniq: Recyclage du papier

Taking used paper such as newspaper and telephone books, that would normally be thrown into the garbage and collecting it in one place. It is transported to a factory where it is shredded into tiny pieces and made into other paper products. Not all kinds of paper can be recycled.

Parameter: ᖃᐅᔨᓴᖅᑕᐅᔪᒧᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᖅᑕᐅᖃᓯᐅᑎᒋᐊᓖᑦ: qaujisaqtaujumut qaujisaqtauqasiutigialiit: Paramètre

The outer limit or boundary of something. The parameters of a caribou herd's movements can be described by using the features of the land, like a river, hill or valley. The herd does not go beyond those places.

Parts per million: ᓱᕈᕐᓇᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐆᒃᑐᕋᐅᑎᑦ: sururnaqtunik uukturautit: Parties par million

A measure or the amount of a substance in the air or in a liquid. Even small amounts of some substances (poisons for example) can be unsafe for living things.

Pathogenic organisms: ᖃᓂᒻᒪᐅᓯᖅᑖᕐᓇᖅᑐᑦ ᖁᐱᕐᕈᐃᑦ: qanimmausiqtaarnaqtut qupirruit: Organismes pathogènes

Forms of life called viruses and microbes that cause disease. Viruses and microbes are ususally tiny and are too small to see with the naked eye. These organisms are found everywhere in the air, soil and water. Most microbes are not harmful to life, but some are deadly. Medicines called vaccines can keep us from getting sick.

PCB: ᐃᒪᒃᓴᔭᑦ ᓱᕈᕐᓇᖅᑐᑦ, ᓂᓪᓚᖅᓴᐅᑦ: imaksajat sururnaqtut, nillaqsaut: BPC

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are man-made chemicals that are a thick colourless fluid. Because they do not conduct electricity, PCBs are used in electrical transformers as insulators and have been used this way since the 1930s. They do not readily degrade or break down into natural parts in the environment. PCBs are thought to cause cancer. To destroy them, they must be burned in special furnaces at 2700°F (1480°C).

Pelagic: ᐃᑭᐊᖓ ᐃᒪᐅᑉ, ᐃᒪᐅᑉ ᐃᑭᐊᖓᓂᕐᒥᐅᑦ: ikianga imaup, imaup ikianganirmiut: Pélagien

Relates to living out in the open ocean, out of sight of land. Whales normally live in the open ocean, so they are pelagic.

Permafrost: ᖁᐊᖑᐃᓐᓇᖅᑐᖅ ᓄᓇ, ᕿᕿᓂᖅ: quanguinnaqtuq nuna, qiqiniq: Permafrost

Ground that is permanently frozen. It occurs in polar regions (in the Arctic and Antarctic) and can reach depths of 600 meters below ground. While a shallow layer of soil on top of the ground may thaw during summer, the ground below remains frozen. Contraction and expansion of the permafrost caused by high summer and low winter temperatures can break up road surfaces and move buildings, sometimes causing damage.

Pesticide: ᖁᐱᕐᕈᐃᔭᐅᑦ: qupirruijaut: Pesticide

Pesticides are chemical poisons used to kill pests (plants or animals that are thought to be competing with humans for the same resources). There are two main types. Insecticides are used to kill insects while herbicides are used to kill plants. They can be made by humans or found naturally in some plants. Some pesticides only kill a certain type of pest, while others kill most of the plants or animals that they touch. Humans use insecticides to kill insects that spread diseases, eat farm crops, or are bothersome (like flies and mosquitoes). Farmers spray insecticides and herbicides on their crops to increase the amount of crop that can be harvested.

Petroleum: ᐅᖅᓱᐊᓗᒃ: uqsualuk: Pétrole

A type of non-renewable energy that comes from the ground. Often called oil (crude), it is an oily liquid that is usually black. Petroleum is a hydrocarbon and is used to make gasoline, naphtha or other products.

Phalarope, Northern: ᓴᐅᕝᕋᖅ, ᑲᐃᕙᓪᓚᒎᔪᐊᓗᒃ: sauvraq, kaivallaguujualuk: Phalarope à bec étroit

Phalaropes are small water birds. Females are usually larger and more colourful than males. Both males and females have long legs and lobed toes for swimming. Often they feed on small water animals by swimming in circles. The northern phalarope is 6 to 8 inches long and has a very long, thin bill. They have a strip of white on the wings and colourful feathers, are mostly white underneath and brown and white above. There is a bit of red on the neck in the summer. They breed in areas in the NWT, parts of the Yukon, Labrador and northern Quebec, as well as southern Baffin and Victoria Islands.

Phalarope, Red: ᐊᐅᐸᓗᒃᑐᐊᕐᔪᒃ, ᓴᐅᕝᕋᖅ: aupaluktuarjuk, sauvraq: Phalarope à bec large

Similar to the northern phalarope except that the underparts are all red and the thicker bill is yellow. Like the northern phalarope, it also has a white stripe on each wing. The red phalarope breeds in the High Arctic and western Baffin Island.

Phycology: ᐱᕈᖅᑐᓕᕆᓂᖅ ᐃᒪᕐᒥᐅᑕᓂᒃ: piruqtuliriniq imarmiutanik: Phycologie

The study of algae, tiny water plants.

Phytoplankton: ᐃᒪᕐᒥᐅᑕᐃᑦ ᐱᕈᖅᑐᑦ ᐊᑦᑕᑎᖃᓐᖏᑦᑐᑦ: imarmiutait piruqtut attatiqanngittut: Phytoplancton

Plankton are the tiny plants and animals that live in water near the surface of lakes and oceans. Phytoplankton is the part that are only plants. There are many different kinds but all depend on sunlight to live, so only live near the surface of the water.

Pipeline: ᓱᓪᓗᓕᐊᓗᒃ: sullulialuk: Pipeline

A continuous pipe built above or below ground, or even under water. Its purpose is to move liquids and gases (oil or natural gas for example) from place to place inside the pipeline. Sometimes the pipeline breaks, spilling the oil onto the ground or in the water causing significant damage to the environment and ecosystems.

Piper, Dunlin: ᓯᔾᔭᕆᐊᖅ: sijjariaq: Bécasseau variable

A small bird about 7 to 9 inches long with a long bill that curves down near its tip. Dunlin are usually a browny grey colour. Their long legs are greenish black. Dunlin breed and lay eggs in northern Canada, especially the northern Mackenzie River area, western areas of Hudson Bay, and southwestern Baffin Island areas. Nests are found on the ground in wet tundra areas or coastal marshes.

Piper, Sand: ᓵᕐᕋᖅ: saarraq: Bécasseau

Pipers are birds that usually live around water. They wade in shallow water looking for insects and other small animals to eat. They are often called sandpipers because they are so commonly found along sandy beaches. There are many different kinds of sandpipers. They range in size from 5 to 19 inches long.

Piper, Semipalmated: ᓵᕐᕋᖅ, ᓯᔾᔭᕆᐊᕐᔪᒃ: saarraq, sijjariarjuk: Bécasseau semi-palmé

One of the smaller sandpipers (see above), the semipalmated is only 5 inches long. It has black legs, a greyish brown body and a lightly coloured area on the underside of the body. This is the most common kind of sandpiper. They breed in many places in northern Canada in summer but not the High Arctic.

Piscivorous: ᐃᖃᓗᒃᑐᓲᑦ: iqaluktusuut: Piscivore

An animal that normally eats fish to survive. Most seals are piscivorous because they depend on fish as their main source of food.

Plankton: ᐃᒪᕐᒥᐅᑕᑦ ᓅᒍᓐᓇᖏᑦᑐᑦ ᐃᒻᒥᓂᒃ: imarmiutat nuugunnangittut imminik: Plancton

Tiny plants and animals that float near the surface of oceans and lakes. Some are so small you cannot see them with the naked eye. Plankton are food for many fish, whales and sea animals. Plankton like cold water; this is why the north Atlantic Ocean is greener than warm tropical seas. See also Zooplankton and Phytoplankton.

Plant: ᐱᕈᖅᑐᖅ: piruqtuq: Plante

A living thing that is not an animal. Trees, shrubs, herbs, grasses, flowering plants, moss, fungi, algae are all plants. Most depend on sunlight to live. Energy from the sun is used to make food for the plant inside the leaves or body of the plant.

Plover, Golden: ᑑᓪᓕᒡᔪᐊᖅ: tuulligjuaq: Pluvier doré

Plovers are small- to medium-sized birds found along shorelines where they feed on insects and small animals. They have shorter bills and necks than sandpipers, and have more colourful feathers. The golden plover is about 9 to 11 inches long. It is mostly black and has some gold on the top of the head, wings and back. There is a white patch along the side of the head and neck. They breed in the NWT and along northern coasts, western Baffin Island and some arctic islands.

Plover, Semipalmated: ᖁᓪᓕᖁᓕᐊᖅ: qulliquliaq: Pluvier à collier

Similar to the golden plover, but smaller in size, only 6 to 8 inches long. It is white under the body and neck, brown on top with a dark strip across the front of the neck. There is also a white strip near the eyes. They breed in the NWT and along northern coasts, southern Baffin Island, around Hudson Bay shores and in some east coast provinces.

Plumb branches: ᑲᓪᓚᖁᑎᑦ: kallaqutit: Branches verticales

Branches that are vertical, growing straight up in the air. Branches that grow out from the main stem or trunk and growing straight up rather than out to the side.

Pod: ᐃᖏᕐᕋᖃᑎᒌᑦ: ingirraqatigiit: Nasse

Can have several meanings. Some plant seeds are found in a pod, a hard shelled part of the plant that protects the seeds until they are ready to be released by the plant. Whales and other sea mammals swim in a group known as a pod.

Point source: ᓇᑭᓐᖔᕐᓂᖓ: nakinngaarninga: Source ponctuelle

Where pollution enters the environment at a single location or place, such as a sewage pipe or smokestack.

Polar bear baby: ᐊᑎᖅᑕᓛᖅ: atiqtalaaq: Bébé ours blanc

The young of a polar bear. They are born during winter in dens the mothers have dug in snow. They have little fur and are blind at birth. Usually two are born at a time. Their bodies are about 10 inches long and weigh 2 pounds. Babies are also called cubs (see below).

Polar bear cub: ᐊᑎᖅᑕᖅ: atiqtaq: Ourson blanc

Another word for polar bear baby. At three months of age they are about 24 inches long and weigh 20 pounds. Cubs stay with the mother until they are about one and a half years old.

Polar bear mother: ᐊᑎᖅᑕᓕᒃ: atiqtalik: Ourse blanche

A female polar bear that has given birth to babies or cubs. Mating takes place in the spring and young are born in the following winter when the mothers are indens.

Pol compound: ᐅᖅᓱᖃᐅᑎᖃᕐᕕᒃ: uqsuqautiqarvik: Parc de réservoirs à pétrole

A short form for polishing compound. Polishing compounds are substances that are rough and abrasive (scratch) and are used to shape, clean, or polish surfaces. They are usually a powder made of tiny, hard pieces and rubbed by hand or by a machine on a surface like stone or metal.

Pollution: ᓱᕉᑕᐅᔪᑦ, ᓱᕈᕈᑕᐅᔪᑦ: suruutaujut, sururutaujut: Pollution

Substances in the air, water, or on the land that are not supposed to be there. They can harm living things if they are in sufficient amounts or stay for long periods of time.

• Degradable pollution: ᓱᕈᕈᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᓚᒍᑦᓯᐅᔾᔨᒃᑲᓐᓂᕈᓐᓇᖅᑐᑦ: sururutaujunnaqtut ilagutsiujjikkannirunnaqtut: Pollution dégradable: When garbage or chemicals are thrown away and break down into small parts that become food for other animals. Some things break apart in sunlight (photodegradable) before they can be eaten, while other things can be eaten right away by living things (biodegradable).
• Non-degradable pollution: ᓱᕈᕈᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᓚᒍᑦᓯᐅᔾᔨᒃᑲᓐᓂᕋᑦᓴᐅᖏᑦᑐᑦ: sururutaujunnaqtut ilagutsiujjikkanniratsaungittut: Pollution non dégradable: Things that are put into the environment by humans that remain unchanged for a very long time. Some kinds of plastic and glass do not easily break apart but stay the same and cannot be eaten by animals. These things should not be put into the environment.
• Phosphate pollution: ᓴᓗᒻᒪᖅᓴᐅᑎᓃᓐᖔᖅᑐᑦᓱᕈᕐᓇᖅᑐᑦ: salummaqsautiniinngaaqtut sururnaqtut: Pollution par les phosphates: Phosphate is a naturally occurring substance that plants need to grow. It is found in soil and rocks. Phosphate is also found in some man-made products, like fertilizer and some soap and detergents. When sewage or waste wash water is dumped into lakes and rivers, the phosphate is released into the water. It spoils the water and causes too much plant growth.

Population: ᐆᒪᔪᑦ ᐊᒥᓲᓂᖏᑦ: uumajut amisuuningit: Population

The total number of individual plants or animals of one type living in a place or area, or the total number of species living in an area.

Porous rock (sedimentary): ᐅᔭᕋᒃ ᕿᖅᓱᕐᓂᑯ: ujarak qiqsurniku: Roche poreuse (sédimentaire)

A sedimentary rock that has many tiny spaces in it (so small you can't see them). These spaces can hold fluid such as oil or natural gas in them. When oil companies explore for oil, they try to drill holes into the earth where they think there is porous rock that might be an oil reservoir.

Posterior: ᐅᒃᐸᑎᖅᐸᓯᖓ, ᒪᑎᑦᑎᖓ, ᑭᖑᓂᖅᐸᓯᖓ: ukpatiqpasinga, matittinga, kinguniqpasinga: Postérieur

Toward the rear or back end of an animal. The tail of a wolf is posterior to its hips.

Predator: ᓂᕿᑐᓲᑦ, ᓂᕿᒋᐅᑦᑐᑦ: niqitusuut, niqigiuttut: Prédateur

An animal that catches other animals for its food. A polar bear is a predator because it hunts seals to eat.

Preservative: ᓱᕈᔾᔭᐃᒃᑯᑦ, ᓴᕋᒃᑕᐃᓕᔾᔪᑦ: surujjaikkut, suraktailijjut: Agent de conservation

Usually a chemical that is added to processed food (food that you buy that is ready to eat) and other food that we buy that prevents or slows it from going bad. Sometimes salt can act like a natural preservative.

Preserves: ᓄᓇᓕᑐᖃᕐᓄᑦ ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᐆᒪᔪᖅᓯᐅᕐᕕᑦᓴᖅ: nunalituqarnut kisiani uumajuqsiurvitsaq: Réserves

Protecting something from harm or destruction, or a place where plants or animals are protected. A wildlife preserve is a place where the animals will not be harmed, hunted or bothered by people. Preserving wildlife populations means to protect them from harm.

Progeny: ᑭᖑᕚᖏᑦ, ᑭᖑᓕᕆᔭᖏᑦ: kinguvaangit, kingulirijangit: Progéniture

The offspring of a plant or animal. Children are the progeny of parents.

Project proposal: ᓇᓗᓇᐃᔭᐃᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᑐᒃᓯᕋᕈᑎᓕᐅᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᒪᓕᒐᑦᓴᐃᑦ: nalunaijairnirmik tuksirarutiliurnirmut maligaisait: Proposition de projets

A written paper that explains why a project should go ahead, when it should start and finish, how it should be done, what will be done, how much it will cost and who will do the work. A proposal is a plan to do something, building a new school for example. The proposal is read by a group of people who will decide whether to allow the project.

Project selection: ᑐᒃᓯᕋᕈᑎᓂᒃ ᓂᕈᐊᖅᓯᕐᓂᖅ: tuksirarutinik niruaqsirniq: Sélection de projets

A process of choosing a project proposal from many similar proposals. A group of people read all the proposals, decide which project is best and then select it.

Prospector: ᐅᔭᕋᒃᓯᐅᖅᑎ: ujaraksiuqti: Prospecteur

A person who searches the land and explores for mineral deposits that are suitable for mining. For example, the minerals could be silver, gold, iron or diamonds.

Ptarmigan, Rock: ᓂᒃᓵᒃᑐᖅ, ᐊᕿᒡᒋᕕᒃ: niksaaktuq, aqiggivik: Lagopède des rochers

Ptarmigan are wild birds with fat bodies about 12 to 15 inches long. Their legs and feet are covered with feathers to keep them warm. Rock ptarmigan are very similar to the willow ptarmigan. In summer, the rock ptarmigan are brownish with some white patches and a black tail, and in winter they are all white except for the black tail (some males have a black stripe through the eye area). They are found in high dry areas in summer throughout northern Canada, the west coast of B.C. and Newfoundland. They winter in northern areas too.

Ptarmigan, Willow: ᐊᕿᒡᒋᖅ: aqiggiq: Lagopède des saules

Similar to the rock ptarmigan, except they are slightly bigger in size, being 15 to 17 inches long. In summer, the males are more red that rock ptarmigan, but in winter they are also all white except for the black tail. They breed in very similar areas to the rock ptarmigan but not on eastern Baffin Island or the extreme High Arctic.

Purple saxiphrage: ᐊᐅᐸᓗᒃᑐᓐᖑᐊᑦ: aupaluktunnguat: Saxifrage à feuilles opposées

Also called purple mountain saxiphrage, a plant that grows in moist rocky areas, on cliffs and exposed tundra. Tiny, leathery leaves are arranged in four rows on each small stem. Purple flowers develop early in the spring. The roots have been used for medicinal purposes.

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Q

Quota: ᓂᕐᔪᑎᑦ ᐱᔭᐅᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᖏᑦ ᓄᖅᑲᑕᕐᕕᓖᑦ: nirjutit pijajunnarningit nuqqatarviliit: Quotité

The amount that a person or group is assigned or limited to. It is the share of something that a person has been given the right to have. Quotas are necessary when the stocks of a natural resource are low and need to be managed to maintain the resource. A fisherman may be given the right to catch one tonne of char in one year. His quota is one tonne.

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Rabies: ᓯᖏᖅᓯᓂᕋᖅᑕᐅᔪᖅ: singiqsiniraqtaujuq: Rage

A fatal disease of the nervous system of warm-blooded animals caused by a virus. The virus is usually transmitted when a rabid animal bites another animal. There are different kinds of rabies viruses but all cause infected animals to act strangely. A special vaccine can reduce the chances of pets and domestic animals from getting the disease. People can die of rabies if they are bitten and do not receive medical attention right away.

Racks: ᐃᑳᖅ: ikaaq: Râtelier

A set or pair of antlers on a deer, moose, elk, or caribou.

Radioactive cesium: ᐆᑖᕐᓇᖅᑐᓄᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᐅᑦ: uutaarnaqtunut qaujisaut: Caesium radioactif

Cesium is a silvery white metal that is used in some industries, and in making photo-electric cells (energy cells that change light energy into electricity). It is also produced by nuclear fission of uranium (the breaking up of uranium atoms) in a nuclear power plant. It remains dangerous for a long time because its half-life is 30 years.

Radioactivity: ᐆᑖᕐᓇᖅᑐᑦ: uutaarnaqtut: Radioactivité

Radioactivity happens when there is a release of harmful energy from a substance like uranium. This harmful energy is called nuclear radiation. Substances which are not stable release the energy to become more stable. Radioactivity is usually found around nuclear power plants and where nuclear weapons have been exploded.

Rain: ᓯᓚᓗᒃᑐᖅ: silaluktuq: Il pleut

When water (rain) falls from the clouds in the sky and the ground becomes wet. Usually the sky is covered with dark clouds.

Random: ᓇᑭᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕐᓂᖅ: nakituinnaq qaujisarniq: Aléatoire

Something that happens just by chance. Bingo is a game that is random because the numbers are chosen in no particular order.

Raven: ᑐᓗᒐᖅ: tulugaq: Grand corbeau

Large, black birds about 21 inches long with a thick bill and a tail that has shorter feathers on the outside edges of the tail and longer ones on the middle part. Similar to a crow, but larger and with longer feathers on the throat area. Ravens, like crows, are scavengers. They are found all year in northern Canada including the High Arctic.

Recycling: ᐊᑐᓕᖅᑎᑦᓯᑲᓐᓂᕐᓂᖅ: atuliqtitsikannirniq: Recyclage

The process of recovering things from garbage that we can use again. Some items can be sent to special factories where they are made into new things. For example, old rubber tires can be made into mats to wipe your feet on, and old plastic bottles can be made into new plastic bottles. Paper, glass, metal and plastic are the main things that can be recycled. This can save money and resources and help the environment.

Recycling project: ᐊᑐᓕᖅᑎᑦᓯᒃᑲᓐᓂᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᑦᓴᑦ: atuliqtitsikkannirnirmut piliriatsat: Projet de recyclage

A special plan to recycle things that can be used again, like glass bottles. Usually several people are involved in organizing the project, in collecting things, and in delivering the items for recycling. Sometimes whole communities get involved in recycling projects.

Red bilberry: ᑭᒻᒥᓐᓇᖅ, ᑭᒻᒥᓇᖅ: kimminnaq, kimminaq: Airelle rouge

Also called bog cranberry, a plant that is evergreen (leaves stay green all year) and grows low against the ground in bogs. Often found near sphagnum moss (peat). The berries are bright red and can be eaten. The leaves are small and widely spaced on the stems, grey underneath and dark green on the top side.

Redd: ᐃᓪᓕᕇᑦ, ᐃᓪᓖᑦ: illiriit, illiit: Frai

A redd is a shallow hole made by a fish in the sandy bottom of a lake or stream. By using their tail, they can move the sand away and form a hole. They make this hole to lay their eggs in during spawning.

Re-establishment of natural vegetation: ᓄᓇᒥ ᓱᕐᕋᓗᐊᖅᑕᐃᓕᒪᑎᑦᓯᒋᐊᕐᓂᖅ: nunami surraluaqtailimatitsigiarniq: Rétablissement de la végétation naturelle

The planting of vegetation that once grew naturally in an area but was somehow destroyed or removed. Live plants and trees are gathered and taken to the place where they are replanted. Natural vegetation includes plants that were once found in the area, not those plants that were brought by people.

Refinery: ᐅᖅᓱᖅᓴᓕᐅᕐᕕᒃ: uqsuqsaliurvik: Raffinerie

A type of large building with special machinery that takes in a raw untreated substance and breaks it down into different parts or ingredients. An oil refinery receives crude oil from a pipeline and makes it into gasoline, engine oil, plastic and hundreds of other products.

Reindeer: ᖁᖐᑦ: qungiit: Renne

Another word for caribou. Caribou are more often called reindeer in northern and arctic Europe.

Remote sensing: ᖃᓂᓐᖏᑦᑐᒥᒃ ᓇᐅᑦᓯᖅᓱᕐᓂᖅ: qaninngittumik nautsiqsurniq: Télédétection

Equipment that is used to gather information from a long distance away. The equipment is able to detect or sense visual information as well as temperatures or other kinds of information. For example, weather satellites circling Earth up in space gather information about the weather with special equipment on the satellite. This information is then communicated back down to Earth stations. Weather reports are possible because of this kind of remote sensing.

Reproduction: ᕿᑐᕐᖏᐅᕐᓃᑦ: qiturngiurniit: Reproduction

The addition of offspring or young into a population by sexual ways (males and females) or by asexual ways (no males or females needed). Most animals and plants reproduce sexually and produce babies or seeds that grow into adults. Some animals and plants can reproduce by dividing into two or more parts, each part then able to develop into an adult.

Reservoir: ᐅᖅᓱᓴᖅᑕᓕᒃ: uqsusaqtalik: Réservoir

A porous sedimentary layer of rock that contains oil or natural gas. The rock has tiny holes in it that hold the oil. Sedimentary rock (like sandstone) is formed over millions of years as rivers, lakes and streams deposit sand, mud and other material onto the bottom where it hardens into rock. A reservoir contains enough oil to be profitable to the oil company to drill a well.

Residual: ᒪᓐᖑᕐᓗᑯᐃᑦ ᓇᒡᒐᕐᓗᑯᐃᑦ: manngurlukuit, naggarlukuit: Résiduel

Related to a substance remaining behind. An example is the thin layer of gasoline and engine oil left on the surface of water from a motor boat engine.

Resource: ᐱᔾᔪᑎᑦᓴᑦ: pijjutitsat: Ressource

Anything that can be used to help someone live better and survive. Resources are things that can be used for food, shelter and clothing, or to make other things. See Renewable and Non-renewable Resources.

• Resource, Non-renewable: ᓱᑐᐃᓐᓇᐃᑦ ᐊᓯᔾᔨᖅᑕᖏᑦᑐᑦ: sutuinnait asijjiqtangittut: Ressource non renouvelable: Natural resources that cannot be renewed, regrown or replaced while they are being used up. For example, oil is a non-renewable resource because once it is used it cannot be replaced. The resource cannot regrow because it took millions of years to form. There are several types of non-renewable natural resources such as oil, gas, and coal.
• Resource, Renewable: ᓱᑐᐃᓐᓇᐃᑦ, ᐊᓯᔾᔨᖅᑕᖅᑐᑦ: sutuinnait asijjiqtaqtut: Ressource renouvelable: Natural resources that can be renewed, regrown or replaced while they are being used up. For example, wood is a renewable resource because more trees can be planted to replace those that were cut down. Wind power, sun power, tidal power, plants and animals are examples of renewable resources.
• Resource development: ᐱᒋᐊᖅᑎᓯᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐱᒋᐊᖅᑎᑦᓯᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑎᑦ: pivalliatitsinirmut pigiaqtitsinirmut ikajuqtit: Mise en valeur des ressources: To grow or make more resources available to meet a need or demand for them. Equipment and people are involved in gathering an increasing supply of the resource. Relates to both renewable and non-renewable resources.
• Resource Harvest & Management Program: ᐆᒪᔪᓕᕆᓂᖅ: uumajuliriniq: Programme de récolte et de gestion des ressources: Refers to programs concerned with the resource harvest and management of wildlife.
• Resource revenue sharing: ᓄᓇᒦᖖᒑᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᐅᕈᑎᖃᖃᑎᒌᓐᓂᖅ: nunamiinngaaqtunik kiinaujaliurutiqaqatigiinniq: Partage des recettes tirées des ressources naturelles: When a resource such as oil is sold, the money that is made from the sale is known as revenue. Resource revenue sharing is when the money made from selling a resource is shared among many people or organizations. It is part of land claims agreements.

Right of first refusal: ᕿᐱᓗᖅᑳᕈᓐᓇᖅᑐᑦ, ᕿᐱᓗᖅᑳᕈᓐᓇᐅᑎᓕᒃ: qipiluqqaarunnaqtut, qipiluqqaarunnautilik: Droit de premier refus

The right to meet the terms of a proposal or contract before it is publicly available to others. For example, the right to have the first opportunity to purchase land or real estate before it is for sale to the public.

Rights, Sub-surface: ᓄᓇᐅᑉ ᐃᓗᐊᓂ ᐱᓇᓱᒍᓐᓇᐅᑎᑦ: nunaup iluani pinasugunnautit: Droits de sous-sol

The same as mineral rights. It is the legal right of an individual or company to search for and take minerals, oil, natural gas or other resources found under the ground. Ownership of the land can be by an individual, group, province, federal government. The owner of the land can rent or lease the sub-surface rights to another person or a company for money and share in the profits when the resource is sold (royalty). Sub-surface rights are not always owned with surface rights.

Rights, Surface: ᓄᓇᐅᑉ ᖄᖓᓂ ᐱᓇᓱᒍᓐᓇᐅᑎᑦ: nunaup qaangani pinasugunnautit: Droits de surface

Also known as surface interest, it is the legal right to explore and work on the surface of the land. Ownership of the land can be by an individual, group, province, federal government. The right to work on the surface of the land can be rented or leased from the land owner. Surface rights are not always owned with sub-surface rights.

Rights of access: ᐊᖅᑯᑎᖃᖅᑎᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᐅᑎᑦ: aqqutiqaqtitaujunnautit: Droits d'accès

The legal right of a person or company to travel across land owned by someone else in order to have access to another piece of land. This right is rented or leased by the land owner. These rights are specified in land claims agreements. Users must pay for the right and for any damage they cause to the land.

Ripe: ᐱᑐᐃᓐᓇᕆᐊᖃᓕᖅᑐᑦ: pituinnariaqaliqtut: Mûr

Something that is fully grown, developed or matured and ready to be used or eaten, ripe berries for example.

River Flow: ᑰᑐᖅ, ᑰᒋᒃᑐᖅ: kuuktuq, kuugiktuq: Cours, débit d'une rivière

The route that water takes while moving in a river, or the amount of river water flowing past a point of land in a certain time.

Robin, American: ᐃᒃᑲᕆᓕᒃ, ᖁᐸᓄᐊᕐᔪᐊᖅ: ikkarilik, qupanuarjuaq: Merle migrateur

Robins are common birds that summer and breed through much of Canada, including NWT, Yukon and northern Quebec. They are not usually found too far north. They are dark and have bright orange chests and underparts. Young ones have light orange chests with dark spots. Adults are about 8 to 10 inches long.

Rock formation: ᐅᔭᕋᐅᑉ ᖃᓄᐃᑦᑑᓂᖓ: ujaraup qanuittuuninga: Lithogenèse

A layer or deposit of rock found under the ground. There are many different rock formations made of different kinds of rocks. One formation is usually made of one kind of rock. Oil is found in porous rock formations.

Rock or terrain with steep slope: ᐊᑦᓴᖓᔮᖅ: atsangajaaq: Rocher ou terrain à forte pente

Rocky ground can lay flat or it can slope or lay upward or downward. Sometimes the slope can be very steep and can be hard to walk up or down.

Rock that has a great cavern: ᐃᓗᒃᑑᒪᔪᖅ, ᖃᖓᑦᑖᓕᒃ: iluktuumajuq, qangattaalik: Rocher à grande caverne

Rock above or near the ground sometimes has large caverns or caves (holes) that open to the sky. If the caves are big enough, people can enter and go inside. Caves or caverns can be several miles long inside and have tunnels and connecting holes to get from place to place. They are usually created by water wearing away the rock for thousands of years. Animals sometimes use them for their homes.

Rockies: ᖃᖅᑲᕐᔪᐃᑦ: qaqqarjuit: Montagnes Rocheuses

The common name for a large mountain range called the Rocky Mountains found between Alberta and British Columbia. The towns of Lake Louise and Banff are located in the Rockies.

Rock moss: ᑲᑭᓪᓚᕐᓇᖁᑎᑦ: kakillarnaqutit: Mousse de rocaille

Any number of moss species that grow on bare rock and provide a soft, green covering. They prefer dry areas and obtain the minerals they need to grow from the rock. Water is obtained from rain and melted snow.

Roe: ᓱᕙᒃ, ᓱᕙᐃᑦ: suvak, suvait: Oeufs de poisson

The eggs of fish. Roe can be eaten by people and is known as caviar.

Rookery: ᐱᑭᐅᓕᖅ, ᐅᓪᓕᖅ, ᐱᑐᕐᓕᖅ: pikiuliq, ulliq, piturliq: Roquerie

A place where some kinds of animals gather in large numbers to give birth to their young. Many marine birds such as gulls lay eggs and raise their young in one place near the ocean. Seals will gather together in one place on a rocky beach and give birth to their babies. A rookery is like a baby nursery.

Root: ᐊᒫᖅ, ᐊᐃᕋᖅ, ᓂᐅᓗᑦ: amaaq, airaq, niulut: Racine

The part of a plant that grows down into the soil. Usually there are many roots growing from the plant. Water and minerals needed for growth are absorbed and food is stored in the roots. Some roots such as potato and carrots are dug up and eaten by people and animals.

Royalty: ᐊᑐᒐᖃᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᑭᓕᐅᑎᑦ: atugaqarnirmut akiliutit: Redevance

A payment, usually of money, made to the owner of land from which resources are being taken and sold for profit. The resources are removed and the royalty paid to the land owner by the individual or company which has found and sold the renewable or non-renewable natural resources. They are included in land claims agreements.

Run-off: ᓱᕈᕐᓇᖅᑑᑉ ᑰᒍᔾᔭᐅᓂᖓ: sururnaqtuup kuugujjauninga: Écoulement

Sometimes so much rain falls from the clouds that the ground and soil can't hold any more. Then the rain starts to form puddles on the surface and cause flooding. Eventually it drains into streams, rivers and lakes. Run-off can also happen when the snow on the ground melts so fast that the water has no place to go but flow into nearby rivers and lakes.

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Salmon: ᐃᖃᓗᒃᐱᒃ: iqalukpik: Saumon

Types of fish that are medium to large and can be quite colourful. There are several different kinds of salmon. Some kinds of salmon swim upriver from the sea to lay eggs (anadromous) or live in fresh water. Salmon are good to eat and the meat can be pink or lightly coloured. A special piece of soft flesh called the adipose fin is found on the back near the tail fin. Arctic grayling and arctic char are grouped together with salmon because they are similar kinds of fish.

Sample: ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕋᒃᓴᖅ, ᐆᒃᑐᕋᐅᑎᒃ: qaujisaraksaq, uukturautik: Échantillon

A small portion of something which represents a larger amount of the same thing. Samples are used in tests and the analysis of substances. For example, to see if there is oil in a river, a sample or small bit of water is collected and tested. Several samples may be taken to make sure the test results are correct.

Sanctuary: ᐅᖑᒪᔭᖅ: ungumajaq: Sanctuaire

A place where animals and plants are safe from harm. A bird sanctuary is a place birds are not disturbed by people and no hunting is allowed. It is usually against the law to hunt in a sanctuary.

Sap: ᖁᕐᓕᐊᖅ: qurliaq: Sève

The fluid contents of a plant. Sap carries water and nutrients inside the plant. Some tree sap is sticky and often sweet, and when a hole is made through the bark the sap flows out and can be collected. Maple syrup for pancakes is sap from a sugar maple tree.

Scale, Fish: ᑲᕕᓯᖅ: kavisiq: Écaille de poisson

A small, very thin hard piece of the covering on a fish's body. Some scales are about the size of a baby's fingernail. They are found in great numbers on the outer skin of a fish. They protect the fish from injury. Fish scales can be scraped off of the skin.

Scavenger: ᓇᕝᕚᖅᑖᒥᓂᒃ ᓂᕆᓲᑦ, ᐃᕙᔭᖅᑏᑦ: navvaaqtaaminik nirisuut, ivajaqtiit: Fouilleur d'ordures

An animal that usually finds and eats other dead animals.

School (shoal): ᐃᖃᓪᓗᒃᑐᖅ, ᐅᒃᑮᑦᑐᖅ: iqalluktuq, ukkiittuq: Banc voyageur (de poissons)

A large group of fish crowded together underwater. A school of fish swim and move together to avoid attack from predators that would eat them.

Seal: ᓇᑦᓯᖅ: natsiq: Phoque

A sea or marine mammal that lives mostly in the ocean but the females come onto land or ice floes to give birth to their babies each year. There are many types of seals and all have fat bodies and small heads, small ears and short tails. They have paddle-shaped front legs, short back legs and short, thick fur used to make clothing and boots. Seals are hunted by people for meat and hides. Most seal are piscivorous. Northern species include the ringed, harp, hooded, and harbour seals.

• Seal, Female: ᓄᓂᖅ: nuniq: Phoque femelle: Females are usually smaller than males but look the same. Most are age 5 or older before they mate and give birth for the first time. In arctic species, the females give birth around February and April.
• Seal, Male: ᑎᒡᒐᒃ: tiggak: Phoque mâle: Males are usually larger than females but look the same. Most are age 5 or older before they mate with females for the first time. In some seal species, males sometimes form all-male groups separate from the females.
• Seal, New born to a year: ᓇᑦᓯᐊᖅ, ᓇᑦᓯᐊᒥᓂᖅ: natsiaq, natsiaminiq: Bébé phoque (de la naissance à un an): Newborn seals are called pups and are covered in thick soft lightly coloured fur to keep them warm. Most are born between February and April, depending on the species and how far north they are found.
• Seal, One year old: ᐱᒥᓂᖅ: piminiq: Phoque âgé d'un an: Seals this age swim and stay with groups of other seals. They look like adult seals of their kind but are not yet sexually mature. The lightly coloured fur is rubbed off and they grow the normal adult coat of fur.
• Seal, Young: ᑎᕆᑐᕋᖅ: tirituraq: Jeune phoque: A young seal is between 1 and 5 years old. It stays with the rest of the group and learns to migrate with them.

Sea mammals, Female: ᓄᓃᑦ: nuniit: Mammifères marins femelles

Mammals that live mostly in the ocean, whales and seals, for example, are called sea mammals. Mammals are animals that are usually, but not always, covered in hair or fur. Female mammals have breasts that contain milk to feed babies. Many other things make mammals different from birds or other types of animals. Some types of mammals, such as people, dogs and bears live on land. Sea mammals spend most of their time in the ocean. Female sea mammals give birth to the babies.

Sea mammals, Male: ᑎᒡᒐᐃᑦ: tiggait: Mammifères marins mâles

The male (or boy) sea mammal usually mates with the females in the water. Many kinds of male sea mammals have a special bone in their penis to make it stronger underwater. Male sea mammals are usually bigger than females. See Sea mammals above.

Seasons: ᐊᕐᕌᒍᒥ ᓯᓚᐅᑉ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᖏᓐᓂᖏᑦ: arraagumi silaup ajjigiinginningit: Saisons

The four main weather changes in a year. It is the cycle of warming and cooling as well as the cycle of plant and animal activity that happens in a complete year. Each season is different from the others.

• Winter: ᐅᑭᐅᖅ: ukiuq: Hiver: Winter is the season when it is usually cold outside, it snows and is dark all day and night. The period of time between November to March is commonly called winter.
• Early spring: ᐅᐱᕐᖓᑦᓵᖅ: upirngatsaaq: Printemps tôt: March to April is called early spring. It is when the snow starts to melt in northern areas, the seals begin to mate and male caribou drop their antlers.
• Spring: ᐅᐱᕐᖔᖅ: upirngaaq: Printemps: Spring is the time between April and mid-June. Plants start to grow and flowers appear. The days begin to get longer and the sun shines more each day. Birds such as geese return from the south to lay eggs. Caribou migrate to find food.
• Summer: ᐊᐅᔭᖅ: aujaq: Été: Summer begins in late June and lasts to early September. Young caribou are born and the days are very long. The ice is almost all gone and birds are raising their young.
• Early fall: ᐅᑭᐊᑦᓵᖅ: ukiatsaaq: Automne tôt: Mid-September to October is when birds such as geese fly south for the winter. Snow can fall, the days become shorter and it gets colder outside.
• Fall: ᐅᑭᐊᖅ: ukiaq: Automne: October to November is called fall. Caribou males and females mate and migrate to where they will spend the winter. Snow and cold weather are common and the amount of sunlight each day becomes less.

Seaweed: ᕿᖅᑯᐊᖅ, ᑯᐊᓐᓂ: qiqquaq, kuanni: Algues

Another word for kelp. Seaweed often refers to any plants that are found floating in the water.

Sea whip: ᐃᐱᕋᐅᑕᓐᖑᐊᖅ, ᖁᖓᓯᖅᐸᒃ: ipirautannguaq, qungasiqpak: Lacet de mer

A marine invertebrate animal (an animal without a backbone) that lives on the bottom of the ocean. Sea whips are actually a type of living coral. Their long stalks can grow 30 feet, longer in warm sea water.

Sediment: ᑭᓂᖅᑕᖅ, ᕿᒻᒪᑯ: kiniqtaq, qimmaku: Sédiment

The heavier material that settles to the bottom of water or other liquid. For example, mud will fall and settle at the bottom of a river or stream because it is heavier than water. The mud is what has settled out of the water and is the sediment.

Seismic: ᓴᔪᒃ, ᖄᖅᑎᑦᓯᓂᖅ: sajuk, qaaqtitsiniq: Sismique

Shaking of the ground caused by an earthquake or an explosion caused by human activity. Seismic waves are the sound waves caused by an explosion or strong vibration. They can be felt by people or by sensitive machines designed to measure the amount of shaking.

• Seismic exploration: ᐊᑭᐅᖅᑎᑦᓯᓇᓱᐊᕐᓂᖅ ᓄᓇᐅᑉ ᐃᓗᐊᓂ: akiuqtitsinasuarniq nunaup iluani: Exploration sismique: A way of mapping the different layers of rock located underground using a series of explosions or strong vibrations at the surface. The explosions produce seismic waves that travel down through the ground. Different types of rocks reflect the seismic waves back to the surface at different times and in different ways. Machines called geophones (like a telephone) can record the echoes and make a type of map. This map can find the porous rocks that are likely to hold oil. When exploring under the ocean, slightly different methods are used that will not harm marine life.
• Seismic line: ᖄᖅᑎᑦᓯᖃᑦᑕᕈᑦ ᑲᓕᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ: qaaqtitsiqattarut kalitaulluni: Profil sismique: A straight line cut through a forest or laid down on open ground for the purposes of seismic exploration. Small explosive devices are laid along many different long, straight lines and exploded into the ground. This allows the accurate mapping of the underground rock layers.
• Seismic recorder: ᖄᖅᑎᑦᓯᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᒧᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᕈᑦ: qaaqtitsiqattaqtumut titirarut: Sismographe: A machine at ground level that records the seismic waves or sound waves that are reflected back to the surface during seismic exploration. It is connected to the geophones which listen to the echoes just like a telephone. The recorder is also called a seismograph and produces a picture or map on paper of the underground rocks.

Sessile: ᓅᒍᓐᓇᖏᑦᑐᖅ, ᓄᒃᑎᕈᓐᓇᖏᑦᑐᖅ: nuugunnangittuq, nuktirunnangittuq: Sessile

Relates to being attached to something. Plants that are sessile are attached at their base or bottom part to soil or sand. Sessile animals are attached to rocks and cannot move around. Some water animals and plants are sessile because they are joined to underwater rocks and never move from those rocks.

Sewage: ᖁᒃᑕᖅᑕᐅᓂᑯᒃ, ᑭᓈᓗᒃ: quktaqtaunikut, kinaaluk: Égout

Sewage is made of solid human waste and urine, chemicals and other things normally collected in honey buckets, toilets, or septic tanks. Raw, untreated sewage is sometimes thrown into rivers or lakes, but this can harm the environment. Sewage contains a great deal of organic material.

Sheep: ᓰᐱ: siipi: Mouton

A type of herbivorous animal (that eat plants) having large curved horns on their head and hoofed feet. Wild sheep usually live in the mountains. They have strong legs for running and jumping and the hair is thick and curly. Dall's sheep live in the mountains and tundra of the Yukon and western NWT. They are hunted for meat and hides.

Shrubs: ᐅᒃᐱᑲᑦ, ᐊᐅᓚᕿᐊᑦ: ukpikat, aulaqiat: Arbrisseaux

A bush. Shrubs are woody plants that have several thick stems growing from the ground at the same point. They can be short or tall.

Side exposed to wind: ᐊᒡᒍᐊ: aggua: Côté exposé au vent

The side of an object that the wind blows against. It faces the wind and gets more wet and cold if it is raining outside, and dries out faster if the summer winds blow against it.

Silver: ᖃᑯᓪᓕᖅ: qakulliq: Argent

A valuable metal that is mined from underground. It is a shiny grey colour but turns brown after a time in the open air. It is used to make many different things, including some coins, jewelry and expensive forks and knives.

Skates: ᐃᓱᓐᖓᐅᔭᐃᑦ, ᐊᓪᓕᕐᓇᖅ: isunngaujait, allirnaq: Raies

Flat fish related to sharks. They have round, flat bodies and long, thin tails. Eyes are on the top of the flat head. The arctic skate (sometimes called blackbelly skate) and thorny skate are two types found in Canadian arctic waters from Baffin Bay, Hudson Bay and south to Labrador and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Usual size is around a foot or more in length.

Skin stuffed with meat (walrus): ᓇᔪᐊᖅ: najuaq: Peau farcie de viande (morse)

Skin used in the process of making igunnaq, in which walrus meat is wrapped in a skin and buried underground until it has aged.

Skinning (hide): ᐋᑦᑐᐃᓂᖅ: aattuiniq: Écorchement

Removing the skin of a dead animal. The skin must be carefully pulled away from the body to avoid tearing. Usually any fat and meat is cut from the underside of the skin when it is being removed.

Sky: ᕿᓚᒃ: qilak: Ciel

The air above you when you are outside. When you look up it appears blue. The sky is where clouds are found and where birds fly.

• Sky, clear: ᐊᓪᓚᖅᑐᖅ, ᐊᓪᓚᕿᔪᖅ: allaqtuq, allaqijuq: Ciel dégagé: A clear, blue sky during the day has no clouds or smoke or air pollution. A clear sky at night is the same and allows you to see the stars and the moon without any problem.

Slush: ᐊᕿᓪᓗᖃᖅ: aqqilluqaq: Gadoue

Snow on the ground that is starting to melt in the sun or because the temperature is warm. It is a soft mixture of water and snow and is heavier than snow.

Small creeping plant: ᐊᑐᖓᐅᔭᖅ, ᑭᒻᒥᓐᓇᐃᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᔭᖏᑦ: atungaujaq, kimminnait uqaujangit: Petite plante grimpante

A small plant that grows stems out along the ground from a main plant. These stems can grow roots into the ground along their length. New plants develop this way.

Smog: ᐳᔪᖅ, ᐳᔪᕐᓗᒃ: pujuq pujurluk: Smog (Nuage de pollution)

Smog is air pollution made of smoke, car exhaust and fog. Most smog is created in areas like cities where high amounts of car exhaust mix with fog, trapping the air pollution near the ground. Smog is unhealthy for living things; and people with lung problems have difficulty breathing when smog is present.

Smoky: ᐃᓯᕆᐊᕐᓂᖅ, ᐃᓯᕆᐊᒃᑐᖅ: isiriarniq, isiriaktuq: Enfumé

The condition of smoke in the air. When enough smoke is present, it can be smelled and seen in the air as a blue haze. Forest fires generate smoke in the air that can travel many miles. People with lung problems have breathing difficulties if the air is very smoky.

Snow: ᐊᐳᑦ: aput: Neige

Snow is frozen water falling to the ground from clouds as small, white crystals or snowflakes. These flakes have six sides and each one is different from another. In winter, snow covers the ground; this covering sometimes becomes very thick.

• Snow, Blowing: ᐱᖅᓯᖅᑐᖅ: piqsiqtuq: Neige en rafales: A condition when falling snow is blown around by the wind or picked up from the ground. It can be hard to see outside when there is blowing snow.
• Snow, Covered: ᐊᐱᔪᖅ: apijuq: Recouvert de neige: A build-up of thick snow on the ground. The snow is soft and can be so deep that it is hard for people to walk. Deep snow is usually found where there is shelter from wind, in forests and valleys, for example.
• Snow, Crusted: ᕿᖅᓱᖃᒃᑐᖅ: qiqsuqaktuq: Neige croûtée: Snow that has fallen on the ground and been exposed to sunlight or strong winds. A hard surface forms on the top of the snow after sunlight has melted it into harder ice. Wind can have the same effect, as snowflakes on the top layer of snow are broken into small hard pieces of ice.
• Snow, Drifted soft (back wash): ᒥᖑᓪᓚᖅ: mingullaq: Neige molle amoncelée (en ressac): This is soft drifted snow that has an overhang with an appearance somewhat like a wave.
• Snow, Hard: ᓯᑎᓪᓗᖃᖅ: sitilluqaq: Neige durcie: Snow that is easy to cut into snow blocks to make igloos. A knife easily cuts into the snow and the block does not break apart when lifted. Hard snow is created when wind blows against the ground and presses the snow together.
• Snow, Hard compressed: ᐊᓂᐅᒐᕕᓂᖅ, ᐳᑲᔮᒃ: aniugaviniq, pukajaak: Neige tassée: Snow that is pressed together by weight or winds. Glaciers are large areas of hard compressed snow that have formed over hundreds or thousands of years. Each time it snows, another layer is added to the glacier. The lower layers are slowly compressed into ice by the weight of top layers.
• Snow, Light: ᖁᑳᕐᓇᖅᑐᖅ: qukaarnaqtuq: Neige légère: Snow made of small flakes or crystals. They are not joined to other flakes and are not large.
• Snow, New: ᐊᕿᓪᓗᑕᖅ: aqillutaq: Nouvelle neige: New snow is snow that has recently fallen. It is usually soft snow because the wind and sun have not yet melted it or hardened the surface.
• Snow, New on ground: ᖃᓂᒃᑕᖅ, ᖃᓂᐅᑦ, ᖃᓐᖑᑦ: qaniktaq, qaniut, qanngut: Neige fraîche sur le sol: New snow on the ground is snow that has recently fallen and partly or fully covers the rocks and soil, or has fallen on top of existing snow. It is usually soft snow because the wind and sun have not yet melted it or hardened the surface.
• Snow, Rounded: ᓈᓐᖑᐊᖅ: naanguaq: Neige roulée: Snow flakes that have rounded edges and are compressed into tiny little snowballs. They can roll easily along the ground when the wind blows.
• Snow, Soft: ᒪᐅᔭ: mauja: Neige molle: Soft snow is made of large flakes of snow where the branches of the crystals are big and flat. There is a great deal of air between the snowflakes, making the snow feel soft. You can make snowballs from soft snow.
• Snow, Sugar: ᐳᑲᔮᒃ: pukajaak: Neige comme du sucre: Sunlight and wind can cause snowflakes to break apart and turn to ice. This happens mostly on the surface of the snow that lies on the ground. Sugar snow is what happens when the snow has turned into tiny ice crystals. You can't make snow balls from sugar snow.
• Snow block: ᐊᐅᕕᖅ, ᓴᕘᔮᖅ: auviq, savuujaaq: Bloc de neige: A block of snow that has been cut from snow on the ground. It is made of hard snow that is compressed together. Snow blocks are used to build igloos.
• Snow bunting: ᐊᒪᐅᓕᒃ: amaulik: Bruant des neiges: These are small birds about 6 inches long. In winter they are white with light brown marks, but in summer they are mostly white with black markings on the back, wings and tail. Usually run along the ground instead of hopping. In the Arctic, it is found near rocky shores, mountain cliffs and near houses and buildings. Its arrival in the Arctic, each spring is a sign that winter is over.
• Snow-covered: ᐊᐱᒪᔪᖅ: apimajuq: Enneigé: When an object is completely covered by snow to the extent that you can't see it. The ground becomes snow-covered if several inches or centimeters of snow falls from clouds.
• Snow-covered but not snowed-in: ᐊᐱᓯᒪᔪᖅ: apisimajuq: Enneigé mais pratiquable: When enough snow has fallen that the ground is completely covered, but not enough to prevent cars or people from moving about and getting to other settlements.
• Snow drift: ᕿᒧᒡᔪᒃ: qimugjuk: Congère: A mound or pile of snow that has been blown by the wind into a thick formation. Snow drifts can form on open ground, but large ones form around objects like buildings or against hillsides.
• Snow drifting, close to the ground: ᓇᑎᕈᕚᒃᑐᖅ: natiruvaaktuq: Poudrerie: Blowing snow next to the ground that starts to build into small mounds. The snow travels across the ground with the wind, sometimes making it hard to see the ground.
• Snowed-in: ᐊᐳᔾᔭᖅ: apujjaq: Bloqué par la neige: Means that there is so much snow on the ground or still falling from clouds that planes can't land or take off and cars can't move around. Usually people just stay home.
• Snowfall (on ground): ᖃᓂᐅᑦ: qaniut: Accumulation de neige (sur le sol): The total amount of snow that has fallen on the ground after a snow storm. It can also refer to the amount of snow that can build up over the entire winter.
• Snowfall, First in autumn: ᐊᐱᒋᐊᓐᖓᐅᑦ: apigianngaut: Première chute de neige de l'automne: The first time in the fall (September or October) when it is cold enough that it snows instead of rains. There are still warm days left before winter starts, but generally the outside temperature cools off and some animals begin to migrate.
• Snow flurries: ᖃᓐᓂᓕᖅᑕᖅᑐᖅ, ᖃᓐᓂᐊᑖᒃᑐᖅ: qanniliqtaqtuq, qanniataaktuq: Chute de neige: A snow storm that only lasts a short while and does not result in a large amount of snow falling to the ground. It usually snows hard and then stops. Flurries can start and stop several times in a short period of time.
• Snow flurries, close to ground: ᓇᑎᕈᕕᒃᑐᖅ, ᓇᑎᕈᕕᐊᒃᑐᖅ: natiruviktuq, natiruviaktuq: Chute de neige (à proximité du sol): Strong winds can pick up loose snow and blow it around and lift it high, making it look like it is snowing.
• Snow for making water: ᐊᓂᐅᑕᖅ: aniutaq: Neige pour faire de l'eau: Clean snow that can be melted down to make water. Usually hard snow is best to use because it contains the most amount of moisture.
• Snowing: ᖃᓐᓂᖅᑐᖅ: qanniqtuq: Il neige: Refers to when white snowflakes fall from the clouds and land on the ground outside.
• Snow lump: ᐅᖃᓗᔭᒃ: uqalujak: Amas de neige: A hard lump of snow that can be picked up without it falling apart. The wind and sun can cause snow to harden into separate lumps of various sizes.
• Snow on hillside: ᐊᓂᐅᕙᒃ: aniuvak: Neige sur le versant d'une colline: Snow that has fallen on the side of a hill. When there is deep snow and the weather suddenly turns warm, the snow next to the ground can break away from the hillside and roll down in large chunks. This is called an avalanche.
• Snow soaked in water: ᒪᓴᒃᐊᐳᑦ: masak aput: Neige imbibée d'eau: Snow that is wet because it is in water. The water slowly soaks into the snow and it becomes slushy or partly melted. If the temperature falls down below freezing, the snow will turn into ice.

Soapstone: ᐊᕿᓯᖅᓴᖅ, ᐅᒃᑯᓯᒃᓴᖅ: aqisiqsaq, ukkusiksaq: Stéatite

A soft rock that is made mostly of talc and mica and can be easily cut or shaped. It is usually grey but can be black or green as well. Inuit make art sculpture out of soapstone.

Sound waves: ᓂᐱᐅᑉ ᐃᖏᕐᕋᓂᐊ, ᐃᒥᐊᑦᓯᔪᖅ: nipiup ingirrania, imiatsijuq: Ondes sonores

Vibrations that you can hear in the air with your ears, and to a lesser extent hear in water, or feel in a solid object. All sound travels through the air or other objects in waves of energy. You can't normally see sound waves, but our ears and sense of touch can detect them. Any sound or noise creates sound waves, but sometimes they are too soft to hear. A deaf person can feel the sound waves from a beating drum by touching the drum.

South: ᑭᕙᑖ, ᓂᒋᖅᐸᓯᒃ: kivataa, nigiqpasik: Sud

The direction toward the South Pole. In arctic areas, it is the place in the sky in which the sun is usually found during summer days. Geese fly south in the fall to spend the winter where it is warm.

Southeast (storm): ᓂᒋᖅᐸᒃᑐᖅ: nigiqpaktuq: Sud-est (tempête)

A storm approaching from the southeast, likely bringing rain or snow.

Southeast wind: ᓂᒡᒋᖅᑐᖅ: niggiqtuq: Vent du sud-est

A wind that comes from the southeast and blows to the northwest.

Southwest wind: ᐱᖓᓐᓇᔮᖅᑐᖅ: pingannajaaqtuq: Vent du sud-ouest

A wind that comes from the southwest and blows to the northeast.

Sparrow: ᐃᒃᓯᒃᑕᖏᐊᖅ, ᐃᖐᖅᓴᔫᖅ: iksiktangiaq, ingiiqsajuuq: Moineau

A general name used to describe a group of birds that are small and have a short and thick but very strong bill. Most sparrows are small and many have brown bodies. There are many different kinds of sparrows. Snow buntings are a type of sparrow.

Spawn (spawning): ᓱᕙᐃᔭᖅᑐᖅ: suvaijaqtuq: Frai (moment du)

Spawning is what fish do to reproduce. When the males and females join together to produce young. The female fish lays eggs and the male fish lays milt or sperm on the eggs to fertilize them. Fertilized eggs hatch into new young fish.

Species: ᐆᒪᔪᐃᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᓐᓂᖏᑦ: uumajuit ajjigiinningit: Espèces

A way of describing and naming a group of plants or animals that are almost the same as each other. It is a unit of taxonomy. The species name comes after the genus name. All types of wolves have the same species name, lupus.

Spruce gum (hardened sap): ᑯᑦᓱᒃ, ᐅᓐᖑᖅ: kutsuk, unnguq: Gomme d'épinette (sève durcie)

Sticky sap that comes from a spruce tree through a crack in the bark. The clear orange or yellow sap gets hard in the air. It has a strong smell.

Squirrel: ᓇᐹᖅᑐᓕᒻᒥᐅᖅ ᓯᒃᓯᒃ, ᐸᒥᐅᖅᑑᖅ: napaaqtulimmiuq siksik, pamiuqtuuq: Écureuil

Small rodents with long front teeth that they use for chewing plants, insects and seeds. Their bodies are usually fat, and their head and ears are small. A squirrel's tail is usually long and bushy (meaning it has thick fur on it). There are many types of squirrels: some live in trees, others live in rocky areas, others on or in the ground. Several different kinds of squirrels live in northern Canada.

Statistic: ᖃᐅᔨᓴᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᕈᑎᑦ: qaujisaqtausimajut nalunairutit: Élément d'un tableau statistique

Information about something that is presented as a number and collected and compared with other similar information. A number represents a fact (a temperature for example) and is collected and grouped together with other numbers. For example, outside air temperatures collected in a community each day for a year would represent statistical information about the weather for that community. Statistics by themselves do not have much meaning, but do if they are analysed and compared with other information.

Steel: ᓴᕕᕋᔭᒃ: savirajak: Acier

A metal substance that is made from a mixture of iron and carbon. Hard, strong and tough, steel is used to made supports for buildings and bridges, knives, axes, hammers and many other tools. If nickel and other metals are added to the mixture, a rust-resistant product called stainless steel is made. Steel is made in buildings with special machinery called iron smelters that melt the metals together.

Stem: ᓇᑲ, ᓇᑲᖅ, ᐊᑦᑕᑦ: naka, nakaq, attat: Tige

The long, thin part of a plant that grows up from the ground and has the leaves and flowers along its length.

Storm, hail: ᓇᑕᖅᑯᓇᖅᑐᖅ: nataqqunaqtuq: Tempête de grêle

Hail-storms usually happen in the summer when it has been hot outside. Strong winds usually come from the southeast, east or northeast directions, bringing dark clouds and heavy rain. Hailstones fall from the clouds during the rainfall.

Stratosphere: ᓯᓚᓪᓕᖅ ᐊᓂᕐᓂᖃᕐᓇᕐᓂᐅᑉ: silalliq anirniqarnarniup: Stratosphère

A layer of air usually found 10 to 50 kilometers high above the ground.

Stress: ᐊᑦᓱᕈᕐᓂᖅ: atsururniq: Contrainte

The pressure placed on wild animals from being too crowded or too close to humans. Populations of animals can be pressured by human activities such as mining and logging. These activities disturb the animals' normal behavior and can cause bad effects such as increased stillborn births (giving birth to dead babies).

Sturgeons: ᓱᕙᓖᑦ: suvaliit: Esturgeons

A type of large fish that has a long, heavy body, bony covering on the skin, a long nose and a mouth that is on the bottom side of the head. The lake sturgeon lives in freshwater rivers and lakes from the south Hudson Bay area to the southern U.S. It has a dark body. The meat is eaten, but of special importance is the black eggs which are collected and sold to people all over the world to eat (caviar).

Subspecies: ᐆᒪᔪᐃᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᓐᖏᑦᑐᑦ ᐃᓚᒃᓴᕇᑦ: uumajuit ajjigiinngittut ilaksariit: Sous-espèces

A group of animals that are so like each other they can be hard to tell apart. They look almost the same but there are some differences. The subspecies name comes after the species name. Woodland caribou found in more southern forested parts of Canada is a different subspecies from the barren-ground caribou found in Canada's Arctic.

Subsurface interest: ᓄᓇᐅᑉ ᐃᓗᐊᓃᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᐱᔪᒪᔭᖃᕐᓂᖅ: nunaup iluaniittunik pijumajaqarniq: Droits de sous-sol

Also called mineral rights, subsurface interest is the right to explore for and produce the resources beneath the surface of the ground. Companies wanting to explore for oil, for example, must apply to the government or an individual or group that owns the land to ask for permission first. This usually involves a legal agreement to share the profits with the land owner (royalty) if oil or other valuable resources are found under the owner's land. They are included in land claim agreements.

Sub-surface interest: ᓄᓇᐅᑉ ᐃᓗᐊᓃᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᐱᔪᒪᔭᖃᕐᓂᖅ: nunaup iluaniittunik pijumajaqarniq, qaanganiittunik pijumajaqarniq: Droits de surface, Droits de sous-sol

Also called surface rights, surface interest is the right to work on the surface of the land. This would include the right to travel over government land, or over land owned by individuals or groups in order to set up a resource-based industry. A legal agreement must usually be in place to grant surface rights to a company. Often the land owners are paid by the company for the use of their land. They are included in land claim agreements.

Sudden storm: ᐸᔾᔭᓗᒃᑐᖅ, ᑎᑭᓚᔪᖅ: pajjaluktuq, tikilajuq: Tempête soudaine

A storm that happens when it is not expected. Strong winds start to blow and dark clouds form quickly, possibly raining or snowing.

Sunny: ᓯᕿᓐᓂᖅᑐᖅ: siqinniqtuq: Ensoleillé

A condition when the sun is shining, there are few if any clouds in the sky, and it is bright outside.

Sustainable development: ᐊᕙᑎᑦᑎᓐᓂᑦ ᐱᕙᓪᓕᐊᔪᓂᑦ ᑲᒪᑦᓯᐊᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᖅ: avatittinnit pivalliajunit kamatsiarunnarniq: Développement pouvant être maintenu

Being able to use our renewable natural resources, while at the same time protecting the health of our environment to allow use of the resources over long periods of time. The importance and value of resources (like caribou, forests and water) are considered now as well as for the future using long range planning.

Swan, Tundra: ᖁᔾᔪᒃ: qujjuk: Cygne de la toundra

Swans are large, heavy, long-necked birds that are commonly found around lakes and rivers. They have medium length legs and webbed feet (skin is found between toes and joins them together) for swimming. Swans have a patch of bare skin in front of the eye. Most are about 36 to 40 inches long and are all white except for some markings on the face. They put their head and neck under water to feed on underwater plants. The tundra swan is also known as the whistling swan. It summers and breeds in the Far North, including parts of southern Baffin Island.

Synthetic chemical: ᓴᓇᔭᐅᓂᑯ ᐃᓚᐅᕈᑎᒃᓴᖅ: sanajauniku ilaurutiksaq: Produits chimiques synthétisés

A chemical or substance that is made by people and said to be man-made. Sometimes these synthetic chemicals are not found anywhere else on Earth, while other times they are made to resemble another chemical that is found on Earth.

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Tag: ᓂᕕᖓᑖᖅ, ᓇᓗᓇᐃᒃᑯᑕᖅ: nivingataaq, nalunaikkutaq: Bout d'oripeau attaché au leurre

A piece of paper or plastic that is tied to an animal that has been hunted. Special numbers are on the tags to identify the animal and the hunter. Hunters then give the tags to wildlife officers who record the number of animals killed and information about the animals, such as sex, size, when and where they were hunted. Sometimes tags are used on live fish to identify them. These fish are released into the water. Tags are used in Resource Harvest and Management Programs.

Tailings: ᐊᑦᑕᖅᑕᐅᓂᑯᑦ ᑭᓱᒃᓴᐃᑦ ᐊᑐᖏᓐᓂᖏᑦ: attaqtaunikut kisuksait atunginningit: Résidus

Waste rock produced by a mine, smelter or other industry. Tailings have sometimes been washed with chemicals. If dumped on land or in water, tailings can harm living things and enter the streams, lakes and rivers where they do not belong. Some tailings are radioactive because they are left over from uranium mining. Tailings can be made of harmful substances and must not be thrown into the environment.

Tanning: ᕿᑐᒻᒪᒃᓴᐃᓂᖅ: qitummaksainiq: Tannage

The process of making animal skins into leather. The hair is usually (but not always) removed and special substances are rubbed into the skins to toughen them and make them last a long time. The tanned skins can be used for making clothing and other things.

Taxonomy: ᐆᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᐱᕈᖅᑐᓂᓪᓗ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᔭᐃᓂᖅ: uumajunik piruqtunillu nalunaijainiq: Taxonomie

The way that science classifies and arranges animals and plants into many different groups with special names. These groups are based on the natural relationships and characteristics of the animals. Animals are placed into specific groups if they have many physical and genetic features in common. For example, dogs, foxes and wolves are all placed in one main group because they have many things in common. They are different from cats and different from bears, each of which have their own separate groups. All living and fossil plants and animals are arranged into taxonomic groups.

Tern, Arctic: ᐃᒥᖅᑯᑕᐃᓚᒃ: imiqqutailak: Sterne arctique

Terns are birds that have slender bodies, long, narrow wings and bills and forked tails (when the feathers are longer on the outside edges and shorter on the middle part). Most live around water because they dive into water to catch fish to eat. Arctic tern are mostly white underneath, have grey on top of the back and wings, black on the top of the head and a red bill. They measure about 14 inches long and are found all year round in northern Canada and on the East Coast.

Terrestrial: ᓄᓇᒥᐅᑦ: nunamiut: Terrestre

Related to the land and not the water. Caribou are terrestrial animals because they live on land; as opposed to fish who live in the water and are aquatic.

Thaw: ᒪᓐᖑᖅ, ᒪᓐᖒᒪᔪᖅ: mannguq, mannguumajuq: Dégel

When something that is frozen warms and begins to melt. Ice that is thawing turns to water. Snow thaws in the spring and summer when it is warmer outside.

Thermal pollution: ᐆᓇᖅᓯᓂᖓᓄᑦ ᓱᕈᕐᓇᖅᑐᖅ: uunaqsininganut sururnaqtuq: Pollution thermique

The warming of a body of water such as a river or lake to the point that life is harmed. It usually happens from the release of warmed water from an electrical power-generating station. The water gets warm inside the station because it is used to cool hot machinery. However, when dumped into a river or lake the warm water raises the temperature of the lake water to the point that fish do not spawn and reproduce. It also allows more plants to grow in the water than should normally be there.

Third party interest: ᐱᔪᒪᓂᖃᖅᑐᑦ ᐱᖓᔪᐊᑦ: pijumaniqaqtut pingajuat: Droit de tiers

A third party means any person or group that is not directly or legally involved with a situation or issue, but is affected by the outcome. However, in a land claim agreement, third parties can include forestry companies who perhaps have a legal interest or right to cut down trees on land owned by native people.

Third party lands: ᓄᓇᖃᖃᑕᐅᔪᑦ ᓄᓇᖁᑎᖓᑦ: nunaqaqataujut nunaqutingat: Terrains de tiers

Land that is not directly involved in a land claim agreement. For example, if a mining company had a working mine on a piece of land before the native land claim was settled, then the third party land may not be involved in the agreement.

Tide, High: ᐅᓕᓐᓂᖅ: ulinniq: Marée haute

A tide is the rise and fall of the ocean, caused by pulling and forces from the Moon and the Sun. High tide is when ocean water moves in toward the land and covers the beaches and low-lying areas.

Tide, Low: ᑎᓂᓐᓂᖅ: tininniq: Marée basse

A tide is the rise and fall of the ocean, caused by pulling and forces from the Moon and the Sun. Low tide is when ocean water moves out toward the sea and leaves the beaches and low-lying areas exposed to air.

Tip: ᓄᕗᐊ ᐸᐱᒃ: nuvua papik: Pointe

The part of a stem at the top end where new plant tissue is produced. The plant grows taller from the tips of its stems. Can also refer to the tip or end of a root which is in the soil. Roots also grow longer from the tip.

Toxaphene: ᖁᐱᕐᕈᐃᔭᐅᑦ: qupirruijaut: Toxaphène

A chemical that was used as a pesticide from the 1950s to the 1970s, made of a hydrocarbon and chlorine. It was found to be very poisonous to living things, expecially fish. Its use in the United States was stopped in 1982. The Great Lakes still have high amounts of toxaphene in their waters.

Toxic chemical: ᐊᑦᑕᓇᖅᑐᖅ ᐃᓚᐅᕈᑎᒃᓴᖅ: attanaqtuq ilaurutiksaq: Chimique toxique

A chemical that can kill living things. Many different chemicals can be toxic or poisonous to plants or animals. Toxic chemicals need to be stored and handled in a safe way.

Toxicity: ᐅᓗᕆᐊᓇᕐᓂᖓ: ulurianarninga: Toxicité

Related to how toxic or poisonous a substance is to a living thing.

Tracks: ᐃᓂᑦ, ᑐᒥᑦ: init, tumit: Empreintes

A sign that an animal has been in a place. Footprints or marks from a dragging tail can be left in wet sand, mud, snow or soil and show that an animal passed that place. Birds, mammals and other animals often leave signs like tracks. A good hunter can tell a great deal from animal tracks: what kind of animal made the tracks, how large an animal it was, and how long ago it had been there.

Trap, shield: ᑕᓗ: talu: Piège, bouclier

A layer of non-porous rock, found under the ground in rock formations that traps oil in one location and prevents it from flowing to another location. Oil is found in tiny spaces in porous rock and flows through these spaces. A trap is made of rock that has no tiny holes and does not allow the oil to flow through it. To get to the oil, a hole must be drilled through the trap.

Tree: ᓇᐹᖅᑐᖅ: napaaqtuq: Arbre

A woody plant, usually large, that has a single tall, thick main stem or trunk and other stems and branches growing off the main trunk. Spruce and pine are types of trees.

Troposphere: ᐃᓗᓪᓕᖅ ᐊᓂᕐᓂᖃᕐᓂᐅᑉ: ilulliq anirniqarniup: Troposphère

A layer of air found from the surface of the ground to a height of 10 kilometers. This is where most clouds, storms and wind occur on Earth, creating weather systems.

Turbid (tripidity): ᐃᓱᖅᑐᖅ: isuqtuq: Bourbeux

The condition where water looks cloudy or murky because there are tiny particles floating in it. Mud and tiny, green plants commonly cause the water to look cloudy.

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Ultra-violet rays: ᓯᕿᓂᐅᑉ ᖃᐅᒪᓂᖓᓃᓐᖔᖅᑐᖅ: siqiniup qaumaninganiinngaaqtuq: Rayons ultra-violets

A type of energy coming from the sun that can harm plants and animals. It is also called UV radiation. Normally, most of the UV is absorbed by the ozone layer in the sky before it reaches the surface of Earth. UV cannot be seen, but if you are exposed to too much, it can cause sunburn, skin cancer and cataracts (in the eyes). Sunglasses should be worn and sunscreen cream used on the skin if you go outside on sunny days.

Units: ᐊᕕᒃᑐᖅᓯᒪᓂᖏᑕ ᐊᖏᓂᖅᐹᖓᑦ: aviktuqsimaningita anginiqpaangat: Unités

A small part of something. Several units make up a larger piece or thing. An inch or centimeter is a unit of measurement.

Uranium: ᓄᖑᑦᓱᐃᑦᑐᖅ: nungutsuittuq: Uranium

A heavy, white, naturally radioactive mineral that is found underground. It is used as a fuel in nuclear power stations that generate electricity. Uranium is a dangerous substance to living things because it is radioactive. See Energy, Nuclear, and Radioactivity.

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V

Ventral: ᐊᕿᐊᒨᖓᔪᖅ: aqiamuungajuq: Ventral

Relating to the belly or underparts of an animal. The ventral side is the underside and is the opposite of dorsal.

Very cold: ᐃᔾᔨᓕᖅᑐᖅ, ᓂᓪᓚᓱᒃᑐᖅ: ijjiliqtuq, nillasuktuq: Très froid

The condition when an object is so cold that you can't hold onto it without mittens, or the air is so cold that you can't be comfortable without wearing warm clothing. The temperature is very low.

Volcano: ᐅᑯᔪᐊᓗᒃ: ukujualuk: Volcan

A hole or vent in the Earth's surface through which lava, gas, ash and fragments of rock are violently released. Liquid rock is called lava; it flows up from inside the Earth through volcanos. It is a liquid because it is so hot inside the Earth that the rock has melted. When the lava flows out of the volcano, it starts to cool down and harden into normal rock. This is the process of building land.

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W

Warm weather in spring: ᐊᐅᒪᓐᓇᖅᑐᖅ: aumannaqtuq: Temps chaud au printemps

Temperatures outside begin to rise and the snow and ice start to melt around March, April or May. The sun often shines and there are warm winds. It is the beginning of spring breakup on rivers and lakes.

Weather-beaten: ᐊᓃᓕᓂᖅ, ᐸᓕᕐᓂᖅ: aniiliniq, palirniq: Battu par la tempête

The wearing away of surfaces by wind, rain or the sun. The surface dries or breaks down. On the outside, a weather-beaten house has worn paint and dried wood which looks faded and worn away.

Well: ᐅᖅᓱᐊᓗᖃᕐᕕᒃ: uqsualuqarvik: Puits

The hole drilled into the ground during oil or natural gas exploration. Oil and gas wells are generally identified by a series of letters and numbers identifying locations and the order in which they were drilled. There are many types of oil or gas wells, depending on what they are being used for: exploratory; production; or wildcat (drilled in an area not known to produce oil).

West: ᑲᖏ, ᑲᖏᐊ, ᐱᖓᓐᓇᖅᐸᓯᒃ: kangi, kangia, pingannaqpasik: Ouest

The direction that the sun goes down in the sky each evening.

Wheatear, Bush sparrow: ᐃᒃᓯᒃᑕᖏᐊᖅ, ᐃᓂᒃᑯᒃᑕᐅᔭᖅ, ᐃᖕᒌᖅᑕᔫᖅ: iksiktangiaq, inikkuktaujaq, ingiiqtajuuq: Bruant proyer

Wheatear run along the ground instead of hop. They often move their head up and down and spread their tail feathers and move the tail up and down. They are about 5 to 6 inches long. They are grey on top of their head and back, have black wings, a lightly coloured chest and a black and white patch that runs through the eye area. The tip of the tail is black, but the area between the tail and the body is white. Wheatear breed in the summer in the Yukon, all over Baffin Island, parts of Ellesmere Island and northern Labrador.

Whimbril: ᐊᖅᑯᓇᖅᓯᐅᑦ, ᓯᐅᑦᑐᕙᒃ, ᑭᐊᓯᒑᑦᑎᐊᖅ: aqqunaqsiut, siuttuvak, kiasigaattiaq: Courlieu

A type of sandpiper about 14 inches long with a very long bill that curves down and long legs. They are similar to the endangered eskimo curlew. They are mostly lightly coloured underneath and have brown and beige colours on the body. The head has dark stripes on the top. In summer, it breeds along the south and west shores of Hudson Bay and in the northern parts of the Yukon. (Rare on Baffin Island.)

White clover: ᐃᒍᑦᓴᐅᑉ ᓂᕿᖓ: igutsaup niqinga: Petit trèfle blanc

Also called white sweet-clover, this is an introduced plant brought over from Europe. The habitat is dry roadsides and around settlements. During the summer, a sweet smell comes from the small, white flowers. The many stems and thin branches can grow about 2-3 feet high.

White-out: ᖃᑯᕐᓇᖅᑐᖅ, ᐱᖅᓯᖅᑐᖅ: ququrnaqtuq, piqsiqtuq: Brouillard blanc aveuglant

A condition when there is snow falling and strong winds that last for days. There is so much blowing snow that you can't see at all, making it dangerous to be outside.

Whitefish: ᑲᕕᓯᓕᒃ: kavisilik: Corégones

A type of fish that is silvery and about 8 to 12 inches long. Four kinds are found in the NWT: the round, broad and lake whitefish and the arctic cisco. All are good to eat. These are freshwater fish and live in rivers and lakes. Whitefish are related to salmon, arctic char and arctic grayling and have a soft, fleshy adipose fin on the back near the tail.

Wild Raspberry: ᐊᖅᐱᐅᔭᖅ, ᒪᒪᖅᑐᓐᖑᐊᖅ, ᐊᖅᐱᓕᕋᖅ: aqpiujaq, mamaqtunnguaq, aqpiliraq: Framboise sauvage

A woody shrub with sharp, prickly hairs on the stems and with round clusters of tiny, red fruits. They are sweet and good to eat, preferring to grow in open areas.

Wildlife Management Board: ᓂᕐᔪᑎᓄᑦ ᐅᔾᔨᖅᓱᖅᑏᑦ: nirjutinut ujjiqsuqtiit: Commission de gestion de la faune

Boards which can provide funding and approve research or proposals on wildlife. They also set quotas.

Willows: ᐊᕚᓚᕿᐊᑦ, ᓇᐹᖅᑐᕋᓛᑦ: avaalaqiaq, napaaqturalaat: Saules

A general name for a type of tree and shrub. Some willows are short, like the arctic willow, while others are tall trees. The leaves are usually long and narrow, and the flowers (called catkins) are long and soft. There are many different kinds of willow, but most prefer to live near water or where the soil is most.

Wind: ᐊᓄᕆ: anuri: Vent

Wind is air in motion and can be strong like a gale, or soft like a breeze. Wind can't be seen unless it makes something move, like dust, water or plant leaves.

• Wind, Protection from: ᐊᒡᒍᐃᓕᑕᖅ, ᐅᖅᑯᐊᓕᓂᖅ: agguilitaq, uqqualiniq: Protection contre le vent: Shelter from the winds. Could be inside a building or igloo, behind a tarp, beside a tall object. A place where the wind is not blowing.
• Wind, There is no more: ᐊᓄᕋᐃᕈᑦᑐᖅ: anurairuttuq: Le vent est tombé: When the wind stops blowing and the air is no longer moving.
• Wind blows down the bay: ᐊᓂᓴᕐᓂᖅᑐᖅ: anisarniqtuq: Le vent s'engouffre dans la baie: Wind that comes from the direction of open ocean and blows toward the inside of a bay. The land on either side of the bay channels the wind.
• Wind blows in gust: ᐅᓚᔪᔭᖅᑐᖅ, ᑖᖅᑐᐊᓕᒃᑐᖅ: ulajujaqtuq, taaqtualiktuq: Le vent souffle en rafales: A sudden and unexpected strong rush of wind.
• Wind dies down, almost stopped: ᐊᓄᕋᐃᓴᖅᑐᖅ, ᐃᑯᓪᓚᐅᒥᔪᖅ: anuraisaqtuq, ikullaumijuq: Le vent s'apaise, il est presque tombé: After it has been windy and then the wind slows down.
• Wind in two directions, storm: ᐊᑭᒪᔭᖅᑐᖅ, ᒪᒃᓱᓕᒃᑐᖅ: akimajaqtuq, maksuliktuq: Tempête de vent soufflant dans deux directions: Strong winds during a low pressure weather system. The wind direction comes from the southeast, but as the storm develops, the wind switches to the northwest and brings cold temperatures and rain or snow.
• Wind moves small objects: ᐊᖅᓵᓚᔪᖅ, ᑎᒃᑕᐅᕋᕐᓇᖅᑐᖅ: aqsaalajuq, tiktaurarnaqtuq: Vent déplaçant de petits objets: Usually a gentle wind near the ground that can lift up dust and small leaves and swirl them around.
• Wind rises: ᐊᓄᕌᓕᐅᒥᔪᖅ, ᐊᓄᕆᓕᐅᒥᔪᖅ: anuraaliumijuq, anuriliumijuq: Le vent se lève: Wind that blows upward from the ground.
• Windscreen: ᐊᓄᕐᕆᕇᒃᑯᑦ: anurririikkut: Écran contre le vent: Objects that stop the wind. Can be groups of trees or bushes, a cliff, or other object large enough to give shelter from the wind.
• Windward: ᐊᒡᒍᒧᑦ: aggumut: Côté au vent: In the direction from which the wind is blowing. A windward side of an island is the side toward the wind, where the wind blows against it.
• Windwards, To go: ᐊᒡᒍᖅᑐᖅ: agguqtuq: Aller contre le vent: To travel into the wind, or go into the direction from which the wind is blowing.
• Windy, Often: ᐊᓄᕆᑐᔪᖅ: anuritujuq: Souvent venteux: A condition when the air is usually constantly moving and there is often wind.
• Windy side: ᐊᒡᒍᖅᓯᓂᖅ: agguqsiniq: Côté venteux: The side of something that is hit with the winds. The windy side of an island is where the wind blows strongest.

Wood: ᕿᔪᒃ: qijuk: Bois

The lightly coloured, hard substance found inside trees and woody plants. In a living plant, the wood helps to carry water and nutrients inside the plant and provides support and strength for the tree. People cut down trees to use the wood to make boards and lumber for building houses and many other things. Wood is a renewable resource because more trees are planted to replace those that were cut down.

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Y

Yellowish milkwort: ᐅᖁᕕᐅᑦ: uquviut: Polygala flavescente (pissenlit)

A plant that is about 12 inches high and grows along roads, and in rocky and dry areas. The yellow flowers are grouped together at the top of stems, all about the same height. This forms a crown of flowers at the top of the plant.

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Z

Zones: ᐊᕕᒃᑐᖅᓯᒪᓃᑦ: aviktuqsimaniit: Zones

A place that is set apart from the places around it. Zones are special places that are important for a reason or purpose, such as a zone where children play or a wildlife management zone. They can also be special because they have certain climates or plant or animal life.

Zoology: ᓂᕐᔪᑎᓕᕆᓂᖅ: nirjutiliriniq: Zoologie

This is the branch of biology that is related only to animals. A zoologist is a scientist who studies animals. Zoology deals with all aspects of animals and how they live.

Zooplankton: ᖁᐱᕐᕈᐊᕐᔪᐃᑦ ᐃᒪᕐᒥᐅᑕᐃᑦ: qupirruarjuit imarmiutait: Zooplancton

Plankton are the tiny plants and animals that live in water near the surface of lakes and oceans. Zooplankton is the part that are only animals. There are many different kinds of small animals; most are so small you can hardly see them with the naked eye. Some eat the tiny plants, the phytoplankton, but some eat other small animals.