NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region

Tags: Inuit, food sovereignty

Objective(s): To (1) develop multidimensional measures of food access and availability that capture the diverse factors necessary for food sovereignty, as defined by Inuit organizations; (2) identify community-based concepts of wellness and the role that subsistence plays; and (3) transform research results into action by developing and testing community-driven programs.

Project Description: This licence has been issued for the scientific research application No. 5943. The objectives of this research are to (1) develop multidimensional measures of food access and availability that capture the diverse factors necessary for food sovereignty, as defined by Inuit organizations; (2) identify community-based concepts of wellness and the role that subsistence plays in them; and (3) transform research results into action by developing and testing community-driven programs to enhance access to country food and well-being. This project contributes to developing sustainable solutions to community concerns about food and well-being by uncovering factors that promote country food security and mechanisms that connect subsistence participation to well-being. The programs developed and tested through this research will set the stage for longer-term community-driven food security and well-being initiatives. Methods we propose for this study include the following: 1. Structured survey interviews with a sample of households, detailing patterns of household employment and income, participation in harvesting and food sharing, and country food consumption. The structured interviews will contribute to the develop of community-appropriate measures of food security. These interviews also include social network data related to food sharing and social support. The research team is aware of the burden of survey research on community members and will strive to keep that burden minimal. However, we also note that previous experience has suggested that collecting network data is less burdensome, partly because we can immediately show the results by showing the image of the network. 2. Semi-structured, open-ended interviewing to elicit and explore local understandings of "stress," "health," and "well-being." These terms are in quotes because previous experience suggests that stress and health are understood and discussed quite differently by Inuit than they are by medical professionals. It should also be made clear that this is not health research; rather, the project's interest is in cultural models of these concepts and how they are understood under the broader umbrella of well-being. Previous experience with the pilot interviews suggested that community members had a lot to say about these topics, and that understandings of stress and health are very complex. The results of the semi-structured interviews will allow development and refinement of a cultural model (see 3, below) 3. Cultural Consensus and Cultural Consonance: Cultural consensus and cultural consonance are methods in cognitive anthropology for testing cultural models. Consensus and consonance interviews begin with a small sample of individuals who are asked to free-list items in a particular domain (An example might be "things you need to do to have a good life"). The free-listing defines the domain. Consensus interviews then ask a larger set of participants to evaluate and rank those items, which defines the cultural model. (In our hypothetical example, it is expected that there will be a single cultural model for "having a good life," though it is possible there may be multiple models). Consonance interviews then ask respondents to self-assess how well they follow the model. (As an example, if the model highly values "hunting caribou" as a component of a good life, and an individual reports that they do not hunt caribou, then they would have low consonance with the model). It sounds complicated, but Collings explored this method in 2014 using pile sorting of cards and participants reported finding it an enjoyable exercise. It seems complicated, so why do this? It is expected that low consonance is predictive of reduced well-being, which in turn can help the community both identify and define programs and help the people who could benefit most from them. 4. The intent is to provide the results to the community to develop programs to promote well-being. These programs will be developed based on the project's results. But, as a hypothetical, if the major finding of the study is that "participating in hunting and fishing is important for wellness" then the researchers would work with community leadership to develop a program to promote hunting and fishing and include pre- and post-program interviews to determine if such programs are effective. Collings and Ready began consulting with Ulukhaktomiut in 2018 (initial community meetings) and 2019 (pilot interview work to define the research areas of importance to community members). After a Covid-caused delay in research and travel, Collings returned to Ulukhaktok during summer 2023 to report on the results of the pilot work, consulting with Hamlet Council, Ulukhaktok Community Corporation, and Ulukhaktok Youth Council. All were supportive of the proposed project, focused on the relationships between wellness (variously discussed as well-being, mental health, stress) and social structure, especially in the domain of food sovereignty and food security. Upon receipt of community approvals and support (attached), proposal was completed and submitted to the National Science Foundation (currently pending). The proposal text is attached; the complete document is available upon request. We already have support from Max Planck and the University of Florida to begin Phase I of the research in Ulukhaktok, beginning in July 2024. Upon arrival in Ulukhaktok in July, Collings will meet with Hamlet Council, UCC, and Youth Council members again to finalize the proposed research methodology, set a timeline for reporting progress to the community, and secure translators and begin training local research assistants. Collings will meet regularly with these organizations to report progress and seek input and feedback. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from: August 19 - December 31, 2024