NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region

Tags: community based monitoring

Objective(s): The aim of this collaborative research is to support Inuvialuit leaders seeking to influence national and international policy decisions about marine and related resources and their socio-cultural value to the Inuvialuit people.

Project Description: This licence has been issued for the scientific research application No. 6127. The aim of this collaborative research is to support Inuvialuit leaders seeking to influence national and international policy decisions about marine and related resources and their socio-cultural value to the Inuvialuit people. Completed Work (2024) • Established partnerships with FJMC and THTC • Initiated literature and document review • Developed preliminary interview protocols • Established data management procedures aligned with FPIC principles Planned Activities (2025) Semi-Structured Interviews (February – July 2025) With guidance from the FJMC and THTC, we will interview 20-25 people from Inuvialuit, federal, and circumpolar institutions to better understand the opportunities and challenges of connecting beluga monitoring data and information to decision-making. This will include Inuvialuit harvesters, Inuvialuit government and co-management board representatives, territorial and federal government resource persons with knowledge of beluga monitoring, and international organization resource persons with knowledge of circumpolar governance processes. Key knowledge holders in beluga monitoring and co-management will be identified through purposive sampling, with additional participants recruited through referrals from initial interviewees. Once contacted by phone and/or in-person, individuals will be informed about the research project and a confirmation of their willingness to be interviewed and a time/location for the interview will be identified. Consent will be sought prior to all interviews as is mandated by the Ethics board of the University of Alberta. Each interview will last approximately 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on availability of interview participants. Interview data will be collected in a variety of ways where consent is given. If online, the graduate student (Krista Tremblett) will use built-in recording features (e.g., Zoom). For in-person interviews, a mix of audio/video recording and field notes will be used. Interviews will be transcribed by members of the research team (Krista Tremblett, local research assistant). Interview transcriptions will be shared and verified with all participants. Inuvialuit-Maori Cultural Exchange (July 2025) Supporting cross-cultural learning and knowledge sharing through: - Knowledge sharing with international Indigenous partners (Maori) around monitoring of migratory species - Documentation of exchange activities with permission of participants Data Analysis and Results Sharing (March 2025 – December 2025) Data analysis will begin while interviews are still ongoing, allowing for iterative learning and refinement of interview approaches based on emerging themes. The research team will work with the FJMC and THTC throughout the analysis process. This may include inviting Inuvialuit knowledge holders and leaders to meet together, and with the research team, to discuss applications of the data. Project findings will be communicated more broadly with Inuvialuit communities and elsewhere using mediums such as plain-language summary reports in Inuinnaqtun and English with photos and key findings, reports and publications, and presentations. Communication between researchers, the FJMC, and the THTC will be ongoing throughout the research. Researchers will work together with the FJMC, THTC and the research assistant to develop appropriate and effective methods for sharing project updates and results with community members. These may include plain-language summaries in Inuvialuktun and English, updates over local/regional radio, and presentations in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from: May 11 - December 31, 2025