NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Gwich'in Settlement Area

Tags: social sciences, traditional knowledge, infrastructure planning, land use, Inuvialuit

Objective(s): To collect information from Inuvialuit elders and harvesters to fully integrate the results into the other biophysical components of the study.

Project Description: The study will focus on collecting information from Inuvialuit elders and harvesters. Of particular interest are community issues and concerns, local knowledge and recommendations with respect to the potential effects of the proposed project. Participants will be asked to discuss their perceptions of the potential effects of the project on community health and wellness, their knowledge of traditional use in the area and their ecological knowledge of wildlife and the land. Important to all aspects of the effects assessment, and thus central to the Traditional Knowledge (TK)/Traditional Land Use (TLU) study, are any known changes over time in wildlife populations or in patterns of use. Information on these types of trends, in addition to the traditional knowledge information collected on the topics above, will be shared with the appropriate biophysical discipline for integration into their assessments. The TK/TLU study will be an integral part of the overall environmental assessment and will overlap with the socioeconomic, resource use and community consultation components of the study. In addition, the aim is to fully integrate the results of the TK/TLU study into the other biophysical components of the study. It is anticipated that interviews in a workshop format, will be conducted with approximately 12 elders and harvesters from each of the Tuktoyaktuk and Inuvik communities, for a total of 24 interviews. KAVIK STANTEC would like to work with the Hunters and Trappers Committees and Community Corporations to develop a list of interviewees for this program. Participants will participate in a one and a half day workshop in their home community. The workshop team will consist of two people. A workshop will be held in Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk. There will be 12 elders and harvesters participating in each workshop. The workshops will be conducted in facilities that will allow space for the interview materials (maps, audio recording, and video recording) and participants to be comfortable. The workshop will begin with a short introduction and project overview followed by smaller focus group sessions. Interviews will be recorded; notes will be taken and, where appropriate, translated into English. As part of the workshop, interviewers will request consent from participants to share their information for the purposes of the project. Focus groups will follow a semi-structured, open-ended question format. Maps of the study area will also be used to facilitate discussion and be used by the participants and interviewers to mark features such as harvest areas, trails, camp locations and traditional sites. A number of breaks will be taken during the day so as to avoid fatigue. There will be a total of 24 interview subjects from two communities (Inuvik, Tuktoyaktuk). Each subject will be paid for their time and knowledge. A summary document will be submitted to the community organizations for review. The Traditional Knowledge study team will conduct a follow up visit with the communities once a draft of the Traditional Knowledge report has been completed. This review will consist of a session with the workshop participants and an evening public session where committee members and the community at large are invited. The purpose of these visits will be to validate the information collected and review the draft document with participants and other community members. The follow up meeting will be a joint meeting with the Hunters and Trappers Committee, Elders Committee and Community Corporations, and interviewees. The final document will be part of the Environmental Assessment for the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway project. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from February 7, 2012 to December 31, 2012.