NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region

Tags: social sciences, food security, youth, environment

Objective(s): To document resilience and analyse perceptions related to food security and environmental change working with a group of youth in Tuktoyaktuk.

Project Description: This licence has been issued for the scientific research application No.4633. The goal is to document resilience and analyse perceptions related to food security and environmental change working with a group of youth in Tuktoyaktuk. The Principal Investigator (PI) will ask the following: 1) What are the perceptions from the community about notable environmental change (such as presence of plastics/microplastics in their environment and shoreline erosion) and how do they see this affecting their subsistence foods and way of life? 2) What contributions can be made, specifically by using Participatory Video, to bring about policy change in northern communities? 3) What grassroots social innovation tools (i.e. community monitoring, participatory mapping, interactive media) for environmental monitoring are useful to engage the community and policy-makers? Using interviews and workshops, the PI will invite participants to share their perceptions environmental change, and their vision of actions needed. Through the approach of Participatory Video, youth participants will conduct interviews among themselves and with elders, creating stories and producing their films. A community-based monitoring program is a great way to explore potential sources and the extent of microplastics/plastics or shoreline erosion in the environment. The PI would like to explore the interest for that kind of intervention with the community. There is already a community-based climate change monitoring program starting in the community and we are exploring ways to collaborate. The first community visit was light in data collection (2018), mainly focused on building relationships, meeting local groups, getting feedback, and discussing with youth about their perceptions of plastics or other environmental issues of interest and use of participatory video or other tools to tell their stories. This year the PI is planning to spend more time in the community. The PI will employ qualitative methods (including focus groups and semi-structured interviews with students and community members) to look at perceptions and solutions around environmental issues identified by youth. The PI will invite the participants to share their vision of policy actions that should be put in place now and in the next 10 years to 50 years. The semi-structured interviews will be 45 minutes each recorded via video with permission. Participants selection will be selected by word of mouth- who is knowledgeable on marine pollution/plastics and subsistence activities, shoreline erosion, etc. The PI hopes to have the assistance of a youth researcher to help in that process. Also, through the approach of Participatory Video, the youth will investigate more deeply their topics of interest by conducting interviews among themselves, create a story and produce their films. Communications regularly via phone and emails. Will plan on sharing results via in-person presentations and videos presented by youth using a film screening and use of social media platforms. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from March 16, 2020 to April 13, 2020.