NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Dehcho Region

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

Objective(s): To ensure that traditional foods continue to provide an important component of affordable, sustainable healthy food system for Ka'a'gee Tu First Nation; to conduct a detailed needs assessment for a food security and climate change action plan; to increase knowledge and capacity to grow and produce food products while exploring opportunities for food sharing, distribution and selling of locally produced goods; to continue documenting and monitoring impacts of climate change and development on the land and waters through community-based monitoring; and to increase youth understanding of climate change, food security and health.

Project Description: This licence has been issued for the scientific research application No.5200. The objectives of this research project are to: 1. foster training and knowledge sharing to ensure that traditional foods continue to provide an important component of affordable, sustainable healthy food system for Ka'a'gee Tu First Nation; 2. conduct a detailed needs assessment for a food security and climate change action plan; 3. increase knowledge and capacity to grow and produce food products while exploring opportunities for food sharing, distribution and selling of locally produced goods; 4. continue documenting and monitoring impacts of climate change and development on the land and waters through community-based monitoring; and, 5. increase youth understanding of climate change, food security and health. A Participatory Action Research (PAR) methodology will be used to engage with 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. Information will be collected through a combination of focus groups and semi-structured interviews. Some of this work will be done virtually due to COVID restrictions. A photovoice and digital storytelling research methodology will also used be in collaboration with our PAR approach. These digital media methods are 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. The research team will be using this specifically to document changes on the land that impact community health and well-being and provide opportunity for discussion on adaptation and solutions. 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 and discussions. This project is based on community outreach and participation. Community members will be invited to all activities and results workshops. The research team have been building networks with other communities throughout the NWT to foster the sharing of food-related research, so on top of existing relationships and partnerships the Ka’a’gee Tu First Nation have with communities, the team can mobilize and share knowledge to a broader audience. Resulting material from this work will be synthesized into an accessible and visually appealing poster translated to the Dene languages (when possible) and distributed throughout the community and shared via social media. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from March 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022