NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Dehcho Region

Tags: social sciences, adaptation planning, food security, participatory research

Objective(s): To maintain the potential for traditional harvesting practices to ensure that wildlife and harvested plants continue to provide an important component of affordable, sustainable healthy eating for Ka’a’gee Tu First Nation members; to conduct a detailed needs assessment for a waste reduction and food-growing program; and, to increase knowledge and capacity to grow food to increase community health and supplement high food costs.

Project Description: The objectives of this research project are: 1. to hold an initial community workshop to develop a community plan for projects with follow-up workshops to discuss progress and reassess adaptation planning and goals; 2. to maintain the potential for traditional harvesting practices that will ensure that wildlife and harvested plants continue to provide an important component of affordable, sustainable healthy eating for Ka’a’gee Tu First Nation (KTFN) members; 3. to work with community members to conduct a detailed needs assessment for a waste reduction and food-growing program; 4. to increase knowledge and capacity to grow food that will increase community health and supplement high food costs; 5. to continue documenting and monitoring climate change impacts that will enable adaptive management responses in order to sustain traditional harvesting practices; and, 6. to increase youth understanding of climate change, food security and health challenges. A community-based and Participatory Action Research (PAR) methodology will be used to engage with Kakisa community members. This will ensure the research is community driven and that the research team respond to the needs of the community stakeholders. Consistent with PAR, project partners will contribute both to the practical concerns of people and further the goals of social science through the active collaboration of researcher and participant in co-learning. Consistent with other work in the North, research partners will work alongside representatives of community, observing – but also contributing to – their activities, and keep records that answer important community-driven questions. The photo voice research methodology will also be in collaboration with our PAR approach. Photo voice is a method based on participation, empowerment and self-documentation that is aimed at providing a means for individuals to capture images throughout their everyday life, describe the image in the context of their life, thereby enabling others to see an insider’s view of everyday life in their community. This method will be used by youth in the community to learn about and document the complex issues associated with climate change, food security and health in their community. The method will allow youth to take photographs to capture their experiences and the experiences of others in their community dealing with climate change impacts on health. Adaptive management methods will also be used throughout this project, specifically with regards to the community workshops and engagement initiatives planned for the project. Adaptive management is a structured and systematic process designed to allow for the continued improvement of decisions based on learning from the outcomes of past decisions. This research will strive to engage youth. They will be encouraged to help implement community-driven adaptation projects, but will also work closely with Elders and land users and become a community resource on climate change information. The purpose of creating these opportunities is to give youth in Kakisa an active role in community adaptation and resilience and planning to build a more resilient and healthy community. As this project will continue to be community-driven, maintaining good communications is essential. The KTFN Environmental Coordinator has played a vital role for the community in being the link and access point for the project partners. The KTFN Environmental Coordinator was excellent in maintaining communications among the research team and as a liaison for the project within the community. The research team are hoping to continue to strengthen engagement and communication skills throughout this project. Results and information from the study will be summarized and communicated back to the community during meetings and through plain language summary reports. A website will also be established to update the community on activities and results. The Environmental Coordinator and Chief and Council will be able to disseminate result with other communities throughout the region and into other regions of the Northwest Territories. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from October 2, 2015 to December 31, 2015.