Inuit research strategy launched to promote Inuit ownership, control
OTTAWA — The Inuit people have been treated as bystanders or test subjects since the moment Western scientists first began studying the Arctic, and the time has come for the northern Indigenous community to have a greater say in the science that takes place in their homeland, the head of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami said Thursday.
The ITK, which represents 65,000 Inuit in Canada, announced the launch of a national Inuit research strategy centred on encouraging researchers and research institutions to partner with Inuit on projects that better reflect the needs and priorities of northern peoples.
“For every three Inuit, there is one research publication about Inuit and about Inuit Nunangat,” said ITK head Natan Obed, using the preferred term for the traditional territory occupied by Inuit peoples in Canada’s North.
“There has been a focus on Inuit Nunangat research, but there has not been a focus on Inuit participation,” he added. “This aims to change that.”