SIKU: where traditional knowledge meets satellite data
For generations, northern Indigenous communities have relied on knowledge passed down through stories, teachings and lived experience to navigate the Arctic landscape and care for their land. This included traditional knowledge and mental mapping of safe travel routes, hunting grounds and seasonal changes, as well as physical representations such as signposts, or inuksuit, to share guidance across generations.
Elders and hunters maintain detailed knowledge of sea ice conditions, travel routes and wildlife behaviour. They recognize over 30 categories of sea ice, such as sikuliaq (young ice) and siku (sea ice), and use them to assess ice stability. They are highly skilled at reading snowdrift shapes, wind patterns, currents, animal migration and celestial cues, which allow them to orient themselves even during white-outs or complete darkness.
Inuit mental mapping and satellite image of traditional and modern Arctic wayfinders. In 1895, the Inuk Wetalltok drew from memory a remarkably accurate map of Hudson Bay's Sanikiluaq, or Belcher Islands, as they were known then to Western culture (left). According to researcher Robert Flaherty, Wetalltok pencilled it on the back of a lithograph and explained the intricacies of the bay's island system. For comparison, the Sentinel-2 satellite took this natural colour image of Sanikiluaq on (right). (Credits: American Geographical Society Library, Canadian Space Agency)
Traditional knowledge meets satellite data
With the Arctic now warming nearly four times faster than the rest of the world, sea ice is changing at an unprecedented pace. This makes travel more dangerous and profoundly affects wildlife and traditional ways of life. These rapid changes create challenges for passing down knowledge that was once based on more stable patterns of ice, seasons and animal behaviour.
To adapt to these new realities, the Arctic Eider Society and the communities of Sanikiluaq, Inukjuak, Umiujaq, Kuujjuaraapik and Chisasibi, in consultation with regional Indigenous organizations from across the North, created SIKU: The Indigenous Knowledge App, an online platform designed by and for Indigenous communities and harvesters.
SIKU merges traditional knowledge with modern technology by allowing users to share near-real-time observations of ice, wildlife and weather, while also accessing satellite imagery and other data. This combination helps communities stay safer on the land and ice, maintain connections across regions, and pass on knowledge in the most up-to-date way possible.
SIKU means sea ice in Inuktitut: it is a free mobile application and web platform. (Credit: SIKU)
One powerful idea
SIKU began with Inuk Peter Kattuk's idea. While at the floe edge, he noticed rapid changes in animal behaviour, biodiversity and ice conditions, and wanted his community to have tools to share what they observed on the land and ice. This would help northern people travel more safely and continue traditional activities like hunting and fishing.
From one person's idea, SIKU grew into a mobile application and web platform. Many of its functions work offline, with information syncing automatically when a connection becomes available. To reach and serve users across the North, SIKU is available in English, French, Inuktitut and Greenlandic, and includes Indigenous Environmental Terminology from many different Indigenous languages and dialects.
Peter Kattuk waits for wildlife at a floe edge near Sanikiluaq. (Credit: SIKU)
Supporting community driven solutions
The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) supported the development of SIKU through its smartEarth funding initiative that enabled the Arctic Eider Society to integrate new map layers that display near-real-time sea ice conditions from satellite data. These layers are complemented by ground observations from people who travel through these areas.
SIKU uses data from Canada's RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM), a system of three synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites that can capture detailed images of sea ice even in darkness, cloudy weather or during the long polar night.
Between 500 and 1,500 RCM images are processed every day for users across Canada, Alaska, and Greenland.
Elder Jimmy Iqaluk and hunter Johnny Kudluarok review posts on the SIKU online platform. (Credit: SIKU)
Detecting dangerous open water areas
One of the newest features added to SIKU is polynya detection. Polynyas are large or small patches of open water surrounded by sea ice. They provide important wildlife habitat and hold significant cultural value for Inuit communities but can pose dangers for people travelling over the ice.
Did you know ?
The largest polynya in the Canadian Arctic is called Pikialasorsuaq (North Water Polynya), located in the northern part of Baffin Bay. Pikialasorsuaq is vital to many migratory species. Wildlife that relies on this polynya includes narwhals, belugas, Arctic char, little auks (Alle alle), eiders, gulls, kittiwakes, seals, bearded seals, hooded seals and other mammals that polar bears depend on for food.
With the support from the CSA's smartEarth initiative and collaboration with researchers at the University of Waterloo, the Arctic Eider Society used machine learning to detect recurring polynyas. The current model can identify about 80 percent of target polynyas and is being refined for regular inclusion in the SIKU ice map. This innovation helps improve safety for sea ice travel while supporting Indigenous climate research and monitoring.
A hunter approaches a polynya with a harpoon to test the ice near Sanikiluaq. Polynyas form due to strong tidal currents as well as wind. Some are permanent, while others open and close seasonally. Climate change can disrupt polynyas, causing sudden and unexpected changes. (Credit: SIKU)
Empowering communities for the future
SIKU is making a real difference across northern communities, with over 34,000 users sharing local knowledge, satellite data, weather reports, and photos to stay safe on the ice and connected despite great distances. The app creates a space where people learn from one another and maintain strong community ties.
As SIKU continues to evolve, upcoming features such as enhanced weather tools, additional satellite imagery layers, bathymetry and other capabilities will further empower communities to navigate the changing Arctic safely and confidently.
Hunters near Sanikiluaq involved in community-driven research programs. (Credit: SIKU)