NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Gwich'in Settlement Area

Tags: social sciences, environmental monitoring, traditional knowledge

Objective(s): To assess the processes used by the Arctic Borderlands Ecological Knowledge Co-op to communicate within and beyond its members; to assess the contributions in terms of building capacity, bonds and common learning amongst its participants; and, to assess the use of community based knowledge within management organizations.

Project Description: The objectives of this research is to: 1) assess the processes used by the Arctic Borderlands Ecological Knowledge Co-op (ABEKC) to communicate within and beyond its members; 2) to assess the contributions of the ABEKC in terms of building capacity, bonds and common learning amongst its participants: scientists, community monitors, board members, representative from local organisation; and, 3) to assess the contributions of the ABEKC in terms of improving the use of community based knowledge within management organisations. Co-op participants (past and present) will be invited to participate to an on line and/or phone questionnaire that will ask questions regarding the above mentioned objectives. The Arctic Borderlands Ecological Knowledge Co-op through its archives, have kept a list of all the persons that acted as partners within its organisation. The list of persons to whom the questionnaire will be sent will be decided based on past and present co-op reports. This questionnaire is anonymous. The name and personal information of respondent will not be required and will not be associated with the answers. It will remain the decision of the person contacted to answer or not the questionnaire. Results will be shared with partners to learn and build on current business practices. The idea of the project is to investigate what are the potential positive outcomes of the Arctic Borderlands Ecological Knowledge Co-op program besides collecting information. The project thus has the potential to bring forward positive aspects of the program that would have not been identified otherwise. Results will first be reviewed by the Arctic Borderlands Ecological Knowledge co-op Board. Upon their approval, Catherine Gagnon will send results from the project to all participants to the study. She will also communicate the results at the annual Arctic Borderlands Ecological Knowledge co-op gathering of 2018 and will publish the results on the ABEKC' website. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from July 19, 2017 to November 1, 2017.