SELECTED THESES ON THE CIRCUMPOLAR ARCTIC

North Baffin Island Inuit blend a subsistence economy with a market economy to create a mixed diet. An isolated, Inuit community consumed a diet that was approximately 65% store-bought, imported foods and 45% locally produced, country foods in 1985. The store food is composed primarily of refined carbohydrates which are a significant source of energy; and, the country food is composed primarily of ringed seal and caribou meat, fat and viscera which are significant sources of protein, vitamins and minerals.
Nutritional, economic and cultural analyzes of the food availability in the community indicate that Inuit should be eating more country and less store food. Store foods do not contribute any nutrients which are lacking significantly in country foods. Store foods are expensive and Inuit could not afford to consume a store food diet alone, given their current income level. Store food is also not culturally significant. Expert analyzes of diet choice are useful for identifying significant variables in the diet, but cannot explain why Inuit eat the foods they do.
When nutritional, economic and cultural variables are placed within the historical and socioecological context of modern Inuit hunters, significant relationships about the diet selection emerge including: 1) both money and time restrict access to country food when Inuit live settled lives; 2) producing and sharing country food is the central organising concept for Inuit society, despite cultural change; and 3) Inuit individuals will make choices that preserve hunting and kinship relationships while still allowing access to educational, employment and health benefits from the government.
When goal analysis is applied to the diet problem, store food consumption is explained as a cost-effective means to meet the energy needs of the community. Store foods spare country foods to meet nutrient needs other than energy, so that Inuit can meet their social and personal goals. Nutrient needs other than energy are too costly to meet with store foods. Expert methods of diet choice improve their explanatory power when combined with cognitive methods. The analysis supports the optimality assumption of foraging theory in diet selection and the appropriateness of energy efficiency as a measure of optimal choice.