NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: North Slave Region

Tags: heritage, social sciences, tourism

Objective(s): To build on the understanding of the importance of the Cultural Heritage sites within Yellowknife and what they mean to locals, while trying to interpret the sites through the eyes of tourists.

Project Description: This research will allow for greater understanding of the impacts tourism currently has on Yellowknife, NT, whether they be positive or negative. By examining the subjective impressions and opinions of both locals and tourists, the researcher will be able to analyze how both groups interact with cultural heritage sites within Yellowknife. The ability to create a viable solution to protecting cultural heritage sites within Yellowknife will allow for greater economic growth, as it will enable all stakeholders to retain and grow an interest in the community. As Yellowknife already maintains a delicate economy, with the largest industries being government, mining, and tourism, this research can be an essential piece of knowledge in protecting one of their most important industries. This research will build on the understanding of the importance of the sites within Yellowknife and what they mean to locals, while trying to interpret the sites through the eyes of tourists. Research will be conducted by using various methods including, document analysis, interviews, photomapping, and tours. The first step in the research will begin with document analysis, this will include but not be limited to current and previous policies, statistics, and brochures. The researcher will review current and past documents from Yellowknife, NT but will also review similar documents within three to five other small cities in order to identify different approaches to or solutions to potential or previous issues. Numerous interviews are anticipated to occur with various stakeholders, including tourists, locals, and business owners. Professionals in the tourism and cultural heritage industries will also be interviewed. The interviews will focus on the subjectivity of how they interact within the spaces, how the spaces make them feel and how the interviewees feel about them. Another research method that will be utilized is photomapping. The locals and tourists will be asked to take photos of some of the heritage sites that are important to them. Once the photos have been collected the researcher will create a map in hopes of realizing whether there is a discrepancy or similarity into how locals and tourists view Yellowknife’s cultural heritage. Furthermore, the researcher plans to ask the local participants to take the researcher on a walking tour of cultural heritage sites. Similarly, the researcher will attend various tours geared towards tourists of local sites. Locals, tourists, business owners, and government employees are able to discuss the importance of cultural heritage sites within Yellowknife, NT. Some of these sites can include, but not limited to, Pilots' Monument, and the Wildcat Cafe. This research can help to establish the importance of cultural heritage in Yellowknife and how to plan to maintain these sites while there continues to be large numbers of tourists visiting them. Once the interviews are completed the participants will have full access to all images and transcribed interviews. Additionally, once the thesis has been successfully defended it will be publicly available. For those participants that have requested a copy of it the researcher will provide one. If needed, the researcher will provide a short report to The City of Yellowknife, Yellowknives Dene First Nation, North Slave Metis Alliance, and Northwest Territory Metis Nation. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from November 4, 2016 to December 31, 2016.