NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Sahtu Settlement Area, Qikiqtaaluk Region

Tags: social sciences, traditional knowledge, wolverine

Objective(s): To gather and present Sahtú Dene and Métis traditional knowledge about the Species At Risk-listed wolverine and its habitat.

Project Description: This project will gather and present Sahtú Dene and Métis traditional knowledge about the Species At Risk-listed wolverine and its habitat. It will include: 1. A literature review; 2. Interviews and a regional meeting involving knowledge holders from all five Sahtú communities (Tulít'a, Déline, Fort Good Hope, Colville Lake, and Norman Wells); and 3. The development of future projects for related community-based work. Project outcomes will include a traditional knowledge (TK) report on wolverine available for Species At Risk (SAR) processes, and an increased awareness of both wolverine and about the importance of species at risk processes in the Northwest Territories (NWT). Knowledgeable community members from all five Sahtú communities will be brought together to share and record traditional knowledge about wolverine and its habitat. Knowledge sharing will occur through personal interviews and/or group processes. This project will provide communities with an opportunity to situate their own knowledge and initiatives in a more global context as they consider their knowledge of wolverine ecology in relation to the reality of declining populations in more southern areas. Project outcomes will include a TK report on wolverine which will be available for SAR processes and will serve as a spring-board for future education/outreach activities. Additionally, this information gathering process will foster an increased awareness of wolverine ecology and the importance of species at risk processes in the NWT. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from July 20, 2015 to December 31, 2015.