Kivalliq Region Of Nunavut Research Articles

Kivalliq Inuit women travelling to Manitoba for birthing: findings from the Qanuinngitsiarutiksait study

BackgroundThe Qanuinngitsiarutiksait study aimed to develop detailed profiles of Inuit health service utilization in Manitoba, by Inuit living in Manitoba (approximately 1,500) and by Inuit from the Kivalliq region of Nunavut who travel to Manitoba to access care not available in Nunavut (approximately 16,000 per year).MethodsWe used health administrative data routinely collected in Manitoba for all services provided and developed an algorithm to identify Inuit in the dataset. This paper focused on health services used by Inuit from the Kivalliq for prenatal care and birthing.ResultsOur study found that approximately 80 percent of births to women from the Kivalliq region occur in Manitoba, primarily in Winnipeg. When perinatal care and birthing are combined, they constitute one third of all consults happening by Kivalliq residents in Manitoba. For scale, hospitalizations for childbirths to Kivalliq women about to only 5 percent of all childbirth-related hospitalizations in Manitoba.ConclusionsThe practice of evacuating women from the Kivalliq for perinatal care and birthing is rooted in colonialism, rationalized as ensuring that women whose pregnancy is at high risk have access to specialized care not available in Nunavut. While defendable, this practice is costly, and does not provide Inuit women a choice as to where to birth. Attempts at relocating birthing to the north have proven complex to operationalize. Given this, there is an urgent need to develop Inuit-centric and culturally appropriate perinatal and birthing care in Manitoba.

Trends in Inuit health services utilisation in Manitoba: findings from the Qanuinngitsiarutiksait study

ABSTRACT There is a notable lack of research related to trends in Inuit accessing health services throughout the land known as Canada. Given Nunavut’s reliance on specialised services provided in the Northwest Territories, Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario, this gap is particularly problematic, making it more difficult for Nunangat to proactively plan new programs for emerging needs, and for provinces to respond to those needs. The Qanuinngitsiarutiksait study aimed to address this gap by developing detailed profiles of Inuit accessing health services in Manitoba. We used administrative data routinely collected by Manitoba agencies, to support the development of Inuit-centric services. It was conducted in partnership with the Manitoba Inuit Association, and Inuit Elders from Nunavut Canada and Manitoba. We focused on two interrelated cohorts: Kivallirmiut (Inuit from the Kivalliq region of Nunavut) who come to Winnipeg to access specialised services; and Manitobamiut (Inuit already living in Manitoba). Findings show that health services are primarily accessed in Winnipeg. Half of health services accessed by Kivallirmiut are for in-patient care at facilities with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority. The other half are for advanced out-patient care including specialist consults. For Kivallirmiut, hospitalisation for pregnancy and birth are the most prevalent reasons for hospitalisation, followed by diseases of the respiratory system. Noteworthy, rates of hospitalisation for conditions treatable in primary healthcare for Kivallirmiut are considerably lower than those for Manitobans living in the northern part of the province (where comparable constraints exist). For Inuit adults, rates of hospitalisation for these conditions are comparable to those of Manitobans living in small communities. Inuit living in Manitoba are most often hospitalised for mental health reasons, although other reasons are nearly as prevalent. Our results support the need for more Inuit-centric health programming in Winnipeg.

Paragenesis of gold mineralization at the Kiyuk Lake Project, Kivalliq Region, Nunavut, Canada

ABSTRACT Exploration for gold in Nunavut has been primarily focused on Archean greenstone belts in the north and coastal regions of the territory, resulting in large areas of underexplored terrain in the south. The Kiyuk Lake property is located in the underexplored southwest corner of the Kivalliq Region of Nunavut within the Hearne domain of the ∼1.9 Ga western Churchill Province. The property is hosted by Proterozoic calc-silicate and clastic sedimentary units of the Hurwitz Group (<2.4–1.9 Ga) and the unconformably overlying Kiyuk Group (1.9–1.83 Ga). Gold mineralization in Proterozoic sedimentary rocks is rare in the Canadian Shield, so the Rusty Zone at Kiyuk Lake presents a unique opportunity to study the enigmatic gold mineralization hosted in such sedimentary rocks. Mineralization at the Rusty Zone is hosted by an immature lithic wacke cut by thin intermediate dikes that are associated with hydrothermal breccias composed of Fe-carbonate, calcite, calcic-amphibole, Fe-sulfide, Fe-oxide minerals, and gold. Textural and timing relationships suggest that the gold mineralization is post-sedimentary and syn- to post-intrusion of intermediate dikes. Stable isotope thermometry suggests that mineralization took place between 450 and 600 °C, and geochronological studies indicate that the intrusion and mineralization occurred before or about 1.83 Ga. Using basement breaching thrusts faults as conduits to the surface, over-pressurization along a later normal fault is thought to be the primary cause for the localized breccia pipe that controls gold mineralization. The hydrothermal fluids are postulated to be volatile-rich aqueous solutions exsolved from a source of cooling magmas at depth. Although sub-economic at present, the occurrence of high-grade gold in a Paleoproterozoic basin such as Kiyuk Lake could signal a new opportunity for exploration for gold in the Canadian Shield.

Neonatal hypoglycemia and the CPT1A P479L variant in term newborns: A retrospective cohort study of Inuit newborns from Kivalliq Nunavut.

Neonatal hypoglycemia (NH) in the first days of life can largely be prevented by recognizing those at risk and managing accordingly. The CPT1A P479L variant is prevalent in northern Indigenous populations and is a possible risk factor for hypoglycemia. We report on NH incidence in the Kivalliq region of Nunavut, where all Inuit newborns are screened for NH. We reviewed clinical charts of 728 Inuit newborns from Kivalliq (January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2013) for blood glucose (BG) levels and infant/maternal characteristics, linking to CPT1A genotype; 616 newborns had BG data from 2 to 48 hours of life. NH was defined using Canadian Paediatric Society guidelines (≤2.0 mmol/L at 2 hours, <2.6 mmol/L at 2 to 48 hours). NH was documented in 21.4% overall, 24.4% of at-risk newborns and 19.5% of term newborns with no risk factors (≥37 weeks gestation, term-NRF). NH was documented in 22.0% of CPT1A P479L homozygous, 19.8% of P479L heterozygous and 4.8% of noncarrier term-NRF newborns. With multivariable logistic regression, the adjusted ORs for developing NH in term-NRF newborns was 4.97 for CPT1A P479L homozygotes (95% confidence interval [CI]:0.65-38.35, P=0.19) and 4.71 for P479L heterozygotes (95% CI:0.57-37.89, P=0.15). Term-NRF newborns had a higher NH incidence than previously reported, similar to that for at-risk newborns, possibly due to the CPT1A P479L variant. Since only Inuit newborns from Kivalliq are screened for NH, further study of long-term outcomes of NH in this population and the role of the P479L variant are warranted to determine if neonatal BG screening is indicated in all Inuit newborns.

A review of health and wellness studies involving Inuit of Manitoba and Nunavut

ABSTRACT The purpose of this review is to summarise past Inuit health and wellness studies in Manitoba and the Kivalliq region of Nunavut to provide a snapshot of the types of studies available and identify the gaps in knowledge. Research to date has largely been disease-based and often provides comparisons between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. Distinct Inuit experiences are rarely written about from an Inuit perspective. However, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the national organisation of Inuit in Canada, and Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada have been leaders in strengths-based community research and publications that address priorities determined by the Inuit, including the 2018 Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami document National Inuit Strategy on Research (132).

Inuit Attitudes towards Co-Managing Wildlife in Three Communities in the Kivalliq Region of Nunavut, Canada

We explored Inuit attitudes towards co-managing wildlife in the Kivalliq Region of Nunavut, Canada, working in partnership with the hunters and trappers’ organizations of Igluligaarjuk (Chesterfield Inlet), Tikirarjuaq (Whale Cove), and Qamani’tuaq (Baker Lake). In mixed-methods interviews, study participants in the two coastal communities described dissatisfaction with polar bear (Ursus maritimus) management outcomes, in contrast to a general satisfaction with (or indifference to) the management of other species. Interviewees expressed concern about grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) and, more prominently, caribou (Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus) populations in Qamani’tuaq, the inland community. Researchers have predicted that conflicts specific to polar bear management could lead to regulations being ignored or even defied and endanger the entire system of wildlife co-management. Our results indicate that dissatisfaction over decisions is specific to polar bear management outcomes and does not necessarily apply to the broader system of wildlife co-management. The results suggest that the Nunavut wildlife co-management system is quite functional: polar bear issues aside, Inuit in Qamani’tuaq, Tikirarjuaq, and Igluligaarjuk are largely content with the current functioning of the wildlife co-management regime.

Basement geology beneath the northeast Thelon Basin, Nunavut: insights from integrating new gravity, magnetic and geological data

ABSTRACTCurrent models for unconformity‐associated uranium deposits predict fluid flow and ore deposition along reactivated faults in &gt;1.76 Ga basement beneath Mesoproterozoic siliciclastic basins. In frontier regions such as the Thelon Basin in the Kivalliq region of Nunavut, little is known about the sub‐basin distribution of units and structures, making exploration targeting very tenuous. We constructed a geological map of the basement beneath the unconformity by extrapolating exposed features into the subsurface. The new map is constrained by detailed geological, geophysical, and rock property observations of outcrops adjacent to the basin and by aeromagnetic and gravity data over the geophysically transparent sedimentary basin. From rock property measurements, it is clear that the diverse magnetic and density characteristics of major rock packages provide quantitative three‐dimensional constraints. Gravity profiles forward modelled in four cross sections define broad synforms of the Amer Belt and Archean volcanic rocks that are consistent with the structural style outside the basin. Major lithotectonic entities beneath the unconformity include: supracrustal rocks of the Archean Woodburn Lake group and Marjorie Hills meta sedimentary gneiss and associated mixed granitoid and amphibolitic gneiss; the Amer Mylonite Zone and inferred mafic intrusions oriented parallel and sub‐parallel; other igneous intrusions of 2.6 Ga, 1.83 Ga, and 1.75 Ga vintage; and the &lt;2.3 Ga to &gt;1.84 Ga Amer Group. Four main brittle regional fault arrays (040°–060°, 075°–90°, 120°, and 150°) controlled development and preservation of the basin. The reactivated intersections of such faults along fertile basement units such as the Rumble assemblage, Marjorie Hills assemblage, Nueltin igneous rocks, and Pitz formation are the best targets for uranium exploration.

Framework geophysical modelling of granitoid versus supracrustal basement to the northeast Thelon Basin around the Kiggavik uranium camp, Nunavut

The northeast Thelon Basin in the Kivalliq region of Nunavut is prospective for uranium deposits. Recently discovered basement-hosted, unconformity-associated prospects west of Kiggavik are restricted to deformed and metamorphosed Neoarchean psammitic enclaves of the Woodburn Lake group within 1.83 Ga Hudson granite and Martell syenite that together comprise the Shultz Lake intrusive complex (SLIC). The depth and geometry of the intrusive complex are relatively unknown as the geological constraints are poor; the drilling is sparse and of shallow depth extent as it was not targeting the basement but shallower multiply faulted and highly altered demagnetized zones. This study aims to constrain the geometry and context of the Shultz Lake intrusive complex with respect to the ore-hosting Neoarchean metasedimentary rocks and intersecting reactivated fault arrays through geophysical modelling of detailed aeromagnetic and gravity data integrated with new geological knowledge. By integrating detailed gravity, aeromagnetic, and structural geology observations measured along a series of transects with a petrophysical rock properties database, it is possible to derive constraints on the depth and thickness (200–300 m) of the SLIC. Quantitative comparison and integration of multiple hypothetical geometries favours a model wherein the SLIC, together with metasedimentary and older basement gneiss, has been structurally emplaced over the Neoarchean metasediments.

3D geophysical inversions of the north‐east Amer Belt and their relationship to the geologic structure

ABSTRACTThe Amer Lake area is located within the Churchill Structural Province in the Kivalliq Region of Nunavut, approximately 160 km north‐west of Baker Lake. Two distinct geophysical‐geological entities are structurally intercalated: an Archean mixed granitoid gneiss – metasedimentary‐metavolcanic basement and the unconformably overlying Paleoproterozoic Amer Group metasediments. From east of Amer Lake stretching toward the south‐west, these two entities form the Amer fold and thrust belt. At the north‐east end of this belt, high‐resolution aeromagnetic data define a distinctive oval shape that has been interpreted as a south‐west trending doubly plunging synform. The outcrop within the interior of this structure is sparse resulting in limited structural data and speculative geological interpretations with multiple geometries possible. The high‐resolution aeromagnetic data compiled through an industry‐government consortium and newly acquired detailed gravity profiles were modelled to provide constraints on the geometry of this synform.We document a geophysical‐geological feedback process whereby the available geological and geophysical data were used to derive constraints on inversion models for the synform. Starting with available limited litho‐structural data the presence of a double plunging synform was directly inferred from the aeromagnetic data. Segments of the aeromagnetic data have 2D morphology and so can be modelled using a simple parametric 2D dipping slab inversion approach. Models of profiles extracted from the aeromagnetic data were used to provide preliminary dip and magnetic susceptibility constraints for the Three Lakes mudstone with iron formation and the Five Mile Lake basalt. Landsat imagery outlined the spatial limits of the stratigraphically underlying, non‐magnetic Ayagaq quartzite. Incorporating these outputs as bounds in the input / reference model for a UBC‐GIF 3D magnetic inversion helped to accentuate the geological structure in the output mesh: an enhanced inversion that incorporates both geological and geophysical constraints. The validity of the resulting inversion model was tested by computing 2D forward models of the gravity profile data. The inversion model generated by this study emphasizes the importance of integrating information from as many knowledge sources as one can find. More trust can be placed on forward and inversion models where there is agreement among all data sets and a coherency of structural style.

Performance assessment of arctic tundra municipal wastewater treatment wetlands through an arctic summer

The treatment of municipal wastewater can be problematic in the remote cold climate environment of the Canadian Arctic, because of a variety of operational, financial, and technical and bureaucratic reasons. As a result, treatment facilities for many communities are thought to only achieve preliminary to primary treatment of municipal wastewater; wastewater often being discharged directly onto the tundra. In this study we provide the first season long study of tundra wetland systems in the Canadian Arctic. In 2008, we studied the performance of six wetland systems used for wastewater treatment in the Kivalliq Region of Nunavut, Canada. The wetland systems studied services communities of approximately 320–2300 residents, including commercial and government buildings, but generally minimal industry. In total, the systems receive a flow rate of approximately 28–163m3/day of wastewater. We observed average weekly percent reduction in all parameters, with deviations immediately after snow-melt and at the beginning of freeze-up. For the six parameters monitored we observed reductions of 47–94% cBOD5, 57–96% COD, 39–98% TSS, >99% TC, >99% E. coli, 84–99% NH3-N and 80–99% TP. In three of the systems, the water discharged from the wetlands and into the receiving environment maintained similar concentrations, and significant similarities in NH3-N and TP as observed in the natural background concentrations of nearby wetlands. The performance of tundra wetlands to treat the wastewater demonstrates that they are an appropriate technology for remote Canadian Arctic communities. This study also exemplifies the ability of natural systems to act as sinks and transformers, acknowledging that mechanistic assessments will be required to identify primary processes involved in the treatment of Arctic wastewater.

Speech language pathology services in Kivalliq Region of Nunavut, Canada

Objectives. To provide a review of Speech Language Pathology services in the Kivalliq Region of Nunavut, Canada, since its inception. Referral sources, reasons for referral and discharge will also be shown for seven of the communities in the Kivalliq Region. Study Design. A quantitative and qualitative survey of the services received for the 26-month time period from January 2001 to February 28th, 2003. Methods. A record review of Speech Language Pathology services was conducted. Referral sources in each community, the rate of referrals, reasons for discharge and changes in abilities of three clients were examined. Results. The rate of referrals increased as the service became more familiar. Small increases in client abilities were noted over the specified time period. Conclusion. Speech Language Pathology services are being utilized more effectively as the referral sources become more familiar with the program.

Community based physiotherapy services in the Kivalliq Region of Nunavut, Canada

Objectives. Community based physiotherapy services are an integral component of the recent implementation of a medical rehabilitation program in the Kivalliq Region of Nunavut. Since the year 2000, the Inuit people of Canada’s central Arctic have had direct access to physiotherapy in their home communities. Study Design. A quantitative review of physiotherapy services from January 1, 2001 to December 31, 2002. Methods. Workload measurement data gathered by the physiotherapists in the field will be utilized to present information on referral sources, location of services provided, client diagnoses and average duration of treatment provided. Administrative data will provide information on staffing complements and challenges to date. The need for physiotherapy referrals out of the Kivalliq Region will be reviewed. Results. Referral sources to physiotherapy services are varied, the majority of diagnoses are musculoskeletal in nature, followed by neurological and cardiovascular. Recruitment of the physiotherapy positions has been successful to date. Referrals out of the region for physiotherapy services have been rare since community based services have begun. Conclusions. Access to physiotherapy services by the residents of the Kivalliq Region has been significantly enhanced since the implementation of the medical rehabilitation program.Keywords: Inuit, musculoskeletal, rehalibitation

Mortality in the Kivalliq Region of Nunavut, 1987–1996

Introduction. The Kivalliq region of Nunavut, Canada, had a 1996 population of 7,131, of which 87% were Inuit. An attempt was made to characterize patterns of mortality in the region. Study Design. Descriptive regional mortality study, based on 10-year retrospective review of health records data. Methods. All deaths and stillbirths of Kivalliq residents during the study period were identified. Available health records data were reviewed for each death, including medical charts, death certificates and coroner’s reports where applicable. Age-standardized mortality rates, both overall and cause-specific, were calculated and compared to both Canadian national rates and territorial rates from the same time period. Results. The infant mortality rate was 32.3/1,000 live births, five times Canada’s rate. Leading causes of infant deaths were prematurity and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). The overall mortality rate was 1.8 times that of Canada, with leading causes of death being cancers (especially lung cancer), circulatory disease, respiratory disease, unintentional injury and suicide. Conclusions. Identified areas of concern included mortality due to premature birth, SIDS, unintentional injuries, suicides, respiratory disease and lung cancer. It is hoped that this study’s results will assist territorial leaders, health workers and citizens in health planning activities.

Development of a community-based medical rehabilitation program in the Kivalliq Region of Nunavut, Canada

Objective. In 2000, the University of Manitoba and the Department of Health and Social Services of Nunavut, Canada, jointly embarked upon the development of a community-based medical rehabilitation programme in the Kivalliq Region of Canada’s central Arctic. Two main objectives were identified in moving forward with the implementation of a rehabilitation programme. Firstly, to conduct a region wide community needs assessment for rehabilitation services for all age groups of all residents of the Kivalliq Region of Nunavut. Secondly, to provide information from which a community-based rehabilitation therapy programme could be developed. Methods. A community needs assessment of the Kivalliq Region was carried out to guide the implementation of physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech language pathology services. Results. There are now two physiotherapists, one occupational therapist, and one speech language pathologist providing rehabilitation services to the residents of the Kivalliq Region of Nunavut. The results of this needs assessment, the challenges and successes of this medical rehabilitation programme are discussed. Conclusion. The total population of the service area is approximately 8,000 people, the significant majority of whom self-report as Inuit, and are widely dispersed over eight communities. Despite the challenges in terms of culture, geography and recruitment of introducing a rehabilitation program in Canada’s north, the residents of the Kivalliq Region now have a viable model of receiving rehabilitative intervention in their home communities.

Contributions to chronic disease prevention and control: studies among the Kivalliq Inuit since 1990

A population-based health interview and examination survey of 8 Inuit communities in the Kivalliq region of Nunavut, Canada, during the early 1990s has resulted in an increased understanding of the burden and extent of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes and their risk factors such as genetics, obesity, lipids, blood pressure and fatty acids. A recent national health interview survey which included a sample from Nunavut indicates that the Inuit still enjoy some advantages relative to other Canadians (lower level of self-reported diabetes and hypertension) and disadvantages (higher level of smoking, obesity, and heavy drinking). The pattern of health and disease among the Inuit is rapidly evolving, as the traditional lifestyle becomes further eroded. A long-term prospective cohort study that monitors this trend, investigates the etiology, and identifies potential interventions is urgently needed.