Inuit youth-engaged community-based environmental research as supporting local development in Nunavut, Canada

Abstract

ABSTRACT Community leadership in Arctic environmental research is increasingly recognized to contribute to Indigenous self-determination and sustainable development in the Arctic. While experienced Inuit harvesters, hunters, trappers, and other recognized environmental knowledge experts are largely included in research, similar opportunities for Inuit youth remain limited. Our study explored pathways for community-based engagement in environmental research to serve as a form of experiential learning for Inuit youth and enhance capacity in Arctic communities. For that, we examined, through interviews and workshops, the perspectives of 41 northerners from Pond Inlet (Mittimatalik), Nunavut, including 19 Inuit youth aged between 18 and 35 years old. We found that mentor-mentee relationships between researchers and Inuit youth may enhance scientific literacy and complement traditional learning pathways and observational learning. On the other side, by engaging Inuit youth, researchers may benefit from the experiences and knowledge of this new generation of northern Indigenous peoples uniquely positioned to value multiple worldviews in designing studies that address local priorities.