A measurable difference in the rise times and locations of the Sun, Moon and stars would be easy to detect given simple tools, i.e. a stick, plumb bob
and some rocks. However we do have other tools such as sextants, compasses and telescopes with GPS and celestial tracker programs that make all of
this much easier and more accurate. This is a very interesting topic yet the first thing we should do is understand the already measured motions of
the Earth as these aren't as simple as one might think.
The difference between a tropical year (used as our current measured calendar year at 364.24219 days) and a sidereal year (365.25636 days) is a
measured precession of the equinoxes. In other words each year Earth arrives at spring equinox 20 minutes 24 seconds earlier than a sidereal year,
this is what we call precession of the equinoxes.
To elaborate on this understanding a tropical year is the number of Earth rotations (days) between spring equinoxes. A very simple but accurate
measurement can be done using the Sun's shadow on the Earth's equator to determine the exact time of spring equinox. All that is needed is a plumb bob
and a stick. At the equator the stick will not cast a shadow at noon on equinox as the Sun will be directly over head.
A Sidereal year is the measured position of Earth between the Sun and a distant star. This is considered a true length of year. Our current calendar
uses a tropical year so that the seasons will not be displaced over time. Every year we measure a precession of @20 minutes 24 seconds. This means
every tropical year Earth arrives earlier than a sidereal year by over 20 minutes and this accumulation takes 26,000 years to come back full
circle.
Precession of the equinoxes is the measured distance between a tropical year and a sidereal year.
Our Moon's orbit is tilted by @6.58° to Earth's orbital plane around the Sun. The Moon crosses this orbital plane twice through its orbit around the
Earth (taking 27.3 days) at
node points and these node points precess taking a little over 18 1/2 years to make a full circle. It is from these
cycles that Solar and Lunar eclipses can be predicted. Eclipses happen only during node crossings.
Now if we add in the Earth's axial tilt we can get the observed change in rise and set times of the Sun, Moon and stars. An understanding of this is
important when dealing with topics like these yet it does not address the original question. What the OP seems to be describing is a change in the
Earth's axial tilt from its current measurement of 23.4°. However to confuse the issue even further this tilt also changes over time. See
Long Period Variations from Wiki. It is quite likely that this is the change
the Inuit elders observed over the years.
I think that this is a good start as the true measured orbital and rotational motions of the Earth and Moon are far more complicated than what I've
shown here.
ADD: If people can notice changes in the rise and set times and locations of the Sun and Moon comparing to memory only I think that it should be easy
to show proof of this using more precise methods.
edit on 10/24/2010 by Devino because: (no reason given)