NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Gwich'in Settlement Area

Tags: social sciences, policy, violence, aboriginal women

Objective(s): To conduct interviews that will identify gaps in the current knowledge on policing in Inuit Nunangat, particularly related to public safety issues impacting Inuit women and girls.

Project Description: This licence has been issued for the scientific research application No.4549. Pauktuutit’s projects are guided by regionally representative advisory committees with subject-matter expertise of relevance to the project. For this project, Pauktuutit has convened a Project Advisory Committee comprised of service providers, government and non-government organizations, as well as regional and national Inuit organizations. Under the guidance of the Project Advisory Committee, the following research activities will be accomplished: 1) A thorough review of the available literature to critically analyze and identify gaps in the current knowledge on policing in Inuit Nunangat, particularly related to public safety issues impacting Inuit women and girls; 2) An environmental scan of current policing policies, programs, and resources available to Inuit communities as these relate to policing; 3) In-depth interviews, in one community in each of the four Inuit regions, with Inuit women and with service providers and police officers; and 4) A final research report with actionable and evidence-based recommendations. In the process, viewing Inuit women as experts and giving them a strong voice on matters directly affecting their lives may alleviate some of the powerlessness and discrimination to which women are often subject when dealing with gendered crimes. In addition to the literature review and environmental scan, data collection will involve qualitative interviews with two groups: 32 Inuit women (8 from one community in each of the 4 regions) who have experienced gendered violence; and 20 service providers and police (5 from each community) who have experience working with women that have encountered gendered violence. To recruit the sample of Inuit women, local Community Research Liaisons will assist to facilitate community engagement in a culturally-safe and respectful manner. Information about the project and the opportunity to participate in the study will be shared through several channels (posters, radio advertisements, and social media). To attain a sample of service providers and police officers, a purposive sampling strategy will be used. Under the guidance of the Project Advisory Committee and the local Community Research Liaisons, a list of potential participants will be compiled, who will be then contacted by email to explain the project and invite their participation. Prior to the interview process, each participant will be provided with a detailed Consent Form that spells out the nature of the project, the nature of participants’ involvement in the research project, confidentiality, potential risks and benefits, etc. The Consent Form will be available in both English and the appropriate dialect of Inukitut. An interpreter (if needed) will be present to explain the content of the Consent Form. The interviews will not begin until the researcher is satisfied that the participant comprehends and is agreeable to all the terms stipulated in the form. The participants’ informed consent will be confirmed with their signatures. Each participant will be provided a copy of the Consent Form, while the researcher (Samantha Michaels, Pauktuutit) will maintain possession of the original. Semi-structured interview guides will be used to provide participants with sufficient opportunity to share their standpoints and experiences. This approach aligns well with Indigenous methodologies, enabling participants the space to tell their stories as they understand them. The final report will be shared with individual participants (as provided for in the Consent Form), communities, and stakeholders, and posted on Pauktuutit’s website. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from August 16, 2019 to December 31, 2019.