The first thing a visitor notices on entering the office of Nunavut's premier, Paul Okalik, is the polar-bear rug. A vast pelt of glossy white fur with head intact and fangs bared in a frozen snarl, it dominates the room. Mr Okalik has led Nuna-vut since the territory, encompassing most of Canada's Arctic archipelago, was created in 1999 to settle a land claim by the Inuit (once known as Eskimos). The rug is a gift he is proud to display. It is a jolting reminder that the polar bear, which many southerners view as an iconic victim of climate change, is seen in its natural habitat as a predator and a source of meat.
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