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This case study aims to explore the affect of Canadian Inuit culture on recognizing opportunities from caribou when participating in the bio economy and decision making and benefit sharing considerations for Inuit partnerships arsing from the northern bioeconomy.

This Inuit case study in northern Canada combined Elder interviews, a focus group and product elicitation techniques. First, the Inuit identified traditional uses of caribou for health care. Second, they explored its potential uses for biomedicines, nutraceuticals and functional foods. Third, they discussed partnerships for development and benefits that should result.

Inuit had the right to develop and sell caribou products. Decisions about products and processes should be up to the community. Ensuring food security was critical. They preferred partnering with Inuit and northern businesses and government. University and business partnerships needed to provide ongoing monetary and non‐monetary benefits such as employment, new skills and knowledge, and networks.

Conclusions based on one case study need to be confirmed by surveying other Inuit communities. Future research should also include Inuit youth.

This research provides an increased understanding of the commons, the use of traditional resources, food security and the interaction of Indigenous culture on opportunity recognition for policy makers, businesses, indigenous communities, and university researchers.

This research paper integrates commons, indigenous entrepreneurship, opportunity recognition and bioeconomy. Furthermore, it provides the Inuit with a voice which they feel has been lacking in the business literature.

To learn how Inuvialuit people feel about the oil and gas activities on their land.

Interviews were administered to a stratified sample, on Inuvialuit land. Participants included: Inuvialuit elders; entrepreneurs; public servants; employees of the private sector; managers of oil companies; unemployed persons; housewives; the mayor of Inuvik; and the first aboriginal woman leader in Canada.

It was reported that oil and gas industry activities are having a positive impact on the regional economy, creating indirect as well as direct financial benefits for the Inuvialuit among others. However, some residents qualified their support saying that they are in favour of continued activity only if benefits filter to them as opposed to being enjoyed only by oil companies and migrant employees. Concern was also expressed for the environment and for the threat that development brings to wildlife upon which people rely on as a food source.

This study should have a longitudinal follow‐up.

While oil and gas exploration and the building of a pipeline may have economic advantages, this might have social, cultural and environment costs for the Inuvialuit.

The paper illustrates how oil and gas activities on Inuvialuit land will transform the lives of these people.

Beneath Canada's Northwest Territories lies a potential of 30 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Will a $16 billion gas‐pipeline bring prosperity or gloom? Will this bring employment opportunities for local people or will more qualified people be brought in from southern communities? The purpose of this paper is to give an account of what Dene residents of the Sahtu Region have to say about oil and gas development.

Starting in 2005, in‐depth interviews with people across the Sahtu Region are conducted.

Respondents recognise the short‐term advantages of building a pipeline, but they are concerned about the long‐term impact on the environment that currently ensures their livelihood.

This study begs for a longitudinal follow‐up.

Policy‐makers may benefit from knowing the feelings of their constituents.

This timely study reveals long‐term environmental and social impacts of short‐term development. This is especially important in a region where people believe that they have an obligation to the land upon which they live.