IGLULIK - Anyone wanting to venture out or learn about sea ice has a new resource tool as the traditional Inuit elders and hunters' knowledge of the ice in three communities is now available in an online atlas.

The Siku (sea ice) Atlas is a nine-year collaborative partnerships with Cape Dorset, Iglulik and Pangnirtung in response to a desire from elders and hunters to pass on their sea ice knowledge to the youth, said Gita Laidler, assistant professor at Carleton University in Ottawa.

She added elders and hunters "want to have their knowledge more accessible in written forms, especially for use in schools. It was very important for us to learn from those who are the experts on sea ice and that's the elders and hunters in the community who are most experienced with the sea ice."

Sea ice condition, uses, hazards, routes and key harvesting areas, for instance, for each of the three communities were collected through interviews, workshops and sea ice trips. Satellite imagery of the sea ice is also part of the project, said Laidler.

"It's not only about changes," she said. "A lot of it is also about the different uses of sea ice, some of the Inuktitut terminology for sea ice and the different types of hazards and indicators that hunters suggest people look for if you're travelling on the ice."

The atlas was launched in Cape Dorset, Iglulik and Pangnirtung high schools last month. Ataguttaaluk High School students showed a lot of enthusiasm and interest when the Siku Atlas was presented at their school, said principal Vince Pickett. He added during the school year, students will periodically look at the website for information in science and social studies classes.

"It's great for the students to understand what's really happening in their local community in terms of ice development," he said.

But the atlas's biggest barrier is language, said Patrick Kilabuk, a member of the board of directors for the hunters and trappers organization in Pangnirtung.

"Most of the hunters, they can't speak English and they can't use the computer," he said. "So maybe you've got to fax them, translate them in Inuktitut and post them in public places."

Laider said other communities might be added to the atlas if funding permits.

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