In the Northwest Territories, there is a growing demand for knowledge about the effectiveness of land-based programs (GNWT Social Services Research Agenda, 2017). Project Jewel is a community-driven, land-based healing program in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (ISR) that is run by the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation (IRC). My thesis, which is written in the two-publishable paper format, presents community-based research with Inuvialuit in the ISR. In paper one, we used postcolonial theory, a decolonization framework, and critical Inuit studies to approach an examination of how an evaluation of Project Jewel could promote cultural safety. The findings enabled us to create an evaluation framework that included centring the land, building relationships, working with words and pictures, and promoting benefits while minimizing harms through aftercare as elements identified by Project Jewel participants and staff that would enhance the likelihood of the evaluation being culturally safe. In paper two, we used the same methodology and theoretical approach to examine the elements of success and benefits of participation in Project Jewel. The findings identified that the elements of success for Project Jewel included Inuvialuit cultural practices, local programming, distraction and judgement free environment, confidentiality, and comfort and support. The benefits of participating in Project Jewel included (re)connection to land, culture, identity and heritage, strengthened systems of social support, and enhanced skills and self-esteem. Together, the two papers contribute to the further development of land-based programs for Inuvialuit in a way that is determined and led by Inuvialuit and their values. They demonstrate that land-based programs like Project Jewel can contribute to processes of decolonization and healing among Inuit that hold implications for improving/supporting positive health and wellbeing.

Co-management of fisheries in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (ISR) began with the establishment of the Fisheries Joint Management Committee (FJMC) in 1986, one of the provisions of the Inuvialuit Final Agreement (IFA) signed in 1984. The agreement between the Inuvialuit and the Canadian Government with regards to renewable resource management was arranged as a collaborative management process that included knowledge and insight from both sides. This thesis uses the case of beluga entrapment in the Husky Lakes, NWT, to explore how co-management between the Tuktoyaktuk Hunter and Trapper Committee (HTC) and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) has changed through time in structure and process, and to determine what impacts co-management has had on Inuvialuit involvement in management. Additionally, the linkage between co-management and adaptive capacity at the local level is analyzed in order to better understand how Inuvialuit involvement in fisheries management can have beneficial impacts on cultural preservation, youth education, and employment. This study employed the use of mixed qualitative and quantitative methods within a participatory approach, which aimed at including the community of Tuktoyaktuk in every step of the research process. Qualitative methods included informal discussions, semi-directed interviews, participant observation, and document analysis. Community research partners were also essential in accessing information and interviews. The quantitative method used in this study was the use of questionnaires for Social Network Analysis (SNA) in attempting to describe the changes in the management network over time.

Co-management of fisheries in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (ISR) began with the establishment of the Fisheries Joint Management Committee (FJMC) in 1986, one of the provisions of the Inuvialuit Final Agreement (IFA) signed in 1984. The agreement between the Inuvialuit and the Canadian Government with regards to renewable resource management was arranged as a collaborative management process that included knowledge and insight from both sides. This thesis uses the case of beluga entrapment in the Husky Lakes, NWT, to explore how co-management between the Tuktoyaktuk Hunter and Trapper Committee (HTC) and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) has changed through time in structure and process, and to determine what impacts co-management has had on Inuvialuit involvement in management. Additionally, the linkage between co-management and adaptive capacity at the local level is analyzed in order to better understand how Inuvialuit involvement in fisheries management can have beneficial impacts on cultural preservation, youth education, and employment. This study employed the use of mixed qualitative and quantitative methods within a participatory approach, which aimed at including the community of Tuktoyaktuk in every step of the research process. Qualitative methods included informal discussions, semi-directed interviews, participant observation, and document analysis. Community research partners were also essential in accessing information and interviews. The quantitative method used in this study was the use of questionnaires for Social Network Analysis (SNA) in attempting to describe the changes in the management network over time.

Since the relatively recent discovery of elevated concentrations of contaminants such as mercury and persistent organic pollutants in the Arctic, Inuvialuit have been receiving information about the potential impacts of these contaminants on the environment, wildlife, and human health. Almost 20 years of communication efforts have resulted in only a general awareness of contaminant issues, as the focus on perceptions of message content has overlooked the important impact of communication processes (methods, sources) on message reception, understanding, and acceptance. For this research, interviews, focus groups, and informal conversations were used to explore the myriad of contaminant perceptions and associations held by Inuvialuit in Sachs Harbour, NT, as contaminants were used as a case example to investigate perceptions of and recommendations for science communication. Concepts of respect, time, and relationships influenced the inter-related impressions of communication processes and research/researchers (the mediums), which in turn influenced perceptions of contaminants among participants. The medium is thus an important part of the message in scientific communication, and is implicated in the conduct of research and research communication in small, remote Arctic communities.

Thesis (M.Sc.) -- University of Alberta, 2009. / "A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Rural Sociology, Department of Rural Economy, University of Alberta." Title from pdf file main screen (viewed on October 8, 2009). Includes bibliographical references.

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This study examines the influence of the wage economy on food security in Paulatuk, NT, and aims to illustrate: a) how individuals are participating in the wage economy and traditional economy in Paulatuk, and in turn how this influences their ability to procure food from the land, as illustrated in Chapter 2; and b) the impact of income on the ability of residents to procure food from the store and through the Food Mail program, as shown in Chapter 3. The thesis aims to answer the question: how does the wage economy affect the ability of individuals to procure food from the land and the store in Paulatuk, NT? The influence of the wage economy on the traditional economy must be considered holistically, and store-bought and country foods must be considered as two equal parts of the food security equation in Paulatuk. / Rural Sociology

This study investigates how the meaning of education has changed for the Inuvialuit in Tuktoyaktuk, NWT, Canada, over a century. This is done by situating Inuvialuit educational experiences in the context of government policies, socioeconomic and cultural changes, and Inuvialuit self-determination. The study found that the meaning of education for the Inuvialuit has been and continues to be: acquiring the means to support a family. A change has occurred from learning the Inuvialuk way in the 1930s to striving for the best of both worlds in the 1970s to the dream of becoming whatever I want in the 2000s. Unfortunately, the dreams that youth have are often cut short. Among other things, the level of engagement in formal education by youth and their families is influenced by the familys past experiences and perceptions of the education system. The study identifies family, community, school, and policy factors that increased student engagement.

Food insecurity among northern Inuit communities represents a significant public health challenge that requires immediate and integrated responses. In the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (ISR), in the Northwest Territories (NWT), almost half of households experience some degree of food insecurity (33% moderate, 13% severe), and rates are even higher in Nunavut (35% moderate, 34% severe). Currently, food security issues in the Arctic are being addressed by multiple initiatives at different scales; however, the role that governance and policy plays in fostering or hampering Inuit food security remains under-evaluated. We took a participatory-qualitative approach to investigate how food security governance structures and processes are functioning in Inuit settlement areas, using case studies of the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (ISR) and Nunavut, the latter of which has already developed a food security strategy through significant community consultation. Using 18 semi-structured interviews, we examined the development and implementation of the Nunavut Food Security Strategy (NFSS) and Action Plan to identify challenges and lessons learned, identified governance challenges and opportunities in the current way food policy decisions are made in the ISR, and determined ways to improve governance arrangements to address Inuit food security more effectively at a regional scale. Participants implicated in the NFSS process identified a number of challenges, including high rates of employee turnover, coordinating work with member organizations, and lack of a proper evaluation framework to measure the Strategy’s outcomes. In terms of lessons learned, participants expressed the need to establish clear lines of accountability to achieve desired outcomes, and the importance of sufficient and sustained financial resources and organizational capacity to address food security in a meaningful way. Similar themes were identified in the ISR; however, top-down government decision-making at the territorial level and an absence of meaningful community engagement from program administrators during the conceptualization of food security interventions were specific issues identified in this context. In terms of opportunities for regional-scale food security governance, the Government of Northwest Territories (GNWT) is in the process of developing a Country Food Strategy that will engage with a range of stakeholders to develop a broader selection of country food programing. These findings suggest that food security governance remains a key challenge for Inuit. First, sufficient resources are needed to address food security in a sustained manner. Second, existing and planned food security policies and programs should include an evaluation component to demonstrate greater accountability towards desired outcomes. Finally, findings point to the need to develop new collaborative, integrated, and inclusive food security governance arrangements that take into account local context, needs, and priorities. The NFSS is a useful model for collaborative food security governance from which other Inuit regions can learn and adapt.