Nunavut Research Articles

Educating for Cultural Survival in Nunavut: Why Haven’t We Learned from the Past?

This is a paper about the culture of the Inuit in the Nunavut Territory of the Canadian Arctic, and the role that education should take in preventing its slow dilution, demise, and loss. The measures to be taken are evident. Inuit philosophy (Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit) must be the framework, and Inuit must be in control, not only of policy and curricula, but also of the school system, the schools, and the classrooms. It can take decades for outsiders embedded in a different culture to communicate and see through an unfamiliar worldview. Inuit do not have the luxury of time to wait for this to happen. Non-Inuit need to understand what Inuit are saying, to appreciate what they aim to achieve, and then get out of the way. If this is not done, the Inuit culture will go the way of so many other Indigenous cultures that once flourished. It’s inconceivable that we non-Inuit Canadians are willing not only to watch this happen but continue to be the cause.

북극의 기후변화와 이누이트의 먹거리 미보장 실태 -캐나다 케임브리지 베이를 사례로-

The aim of this research is to analyze the level of food insecurity of Inuit in the area of Nunavut territory in Canada. As a result, we were able to find out the following facts. First, nearly half of them felt hungry due to lack of food as of 2018. Second, the food situation was getting worse year by year. In the four years from 2014 to 2018, the growth rate of food insecurity households reached 22.0%. Third, proportion of children under 18 who lived in food insecure households reached 78.7%. Starving children had low self-esteem, suffered from depression and had a very high suicide rate. Fourth, most of Inuit’s food tables were filled with store-bought foods, rather than country foods. Fifth, the food sovereignty of Inuit community was seriously threatened with local capacity of self-sufficiency being low, market-dependent being high, and political exclusion from the policy decision being severe. Two things needed to be kept in mind in order to solve this Inuit’s food insecurity efficiently. First, in addition to environmental factors such as climate change, food issues are interconnected and affected by socioeconomic, cultural and policy factors. Second, policy intervention in the food issues should be centered on the Inuit party in accordance with human rights and food sovereignty perspectives.

Qallunaat Crossing: The Southern-Northern Divide and Promising Practices for Canada's Inuit Young People

Life for Inuit communities in Canada’s northern territory of Nunavut has been impacted by rapid change over the past fifty years in particular, a pattern that has similarly impacted First Peoples’ communities across the southern portion of the country for centuries. Unfortunately, inadequate resources often leave young people from Nunavut challenged to safely navigate these abrupt changes within their communities and culture. The chronic lack of resources for young people is compounded by the lack of educational opportunities for Inuit adults to enter professional roles in support of the region’s next generation. As a result, non-Inuit (or Qallunaat) professionals from southern Canada are frequently recruited. This paper examines some of the challenges faced by Inuit communities and Qallunaat professionals as they traverse the North/South divide within a cross-cultural educational context. This process is characterized by struggles and joy in finding the balance between meeting young people’s basic social and emotional needs, and professionals who are often illprepared to teach and learn within a cultural context with which they have little familiarity. In response, the authors describe some of the unique attributes of Inuit life and some of the many challenges faced by young people. They also suggest that a “ transdisciplinary” approach be established (Holmes and Gastaldo, 2004) towards educating Qallunaat professionals as an important step in achieving effective practice within northern communities- one which integrates knowledge from Inuit Elders with cross-cultural counseling techniques, multicultural competency development and practice-based wisdom. Specific application of these skills will be explored in this paper to illustrate ways of engaging “multiculturalism” within this context while accounting for the right of Canada’s Inuit young people to have their basic social, emotional and cultural needs recognized during a transformative historical epoch.

Northwest Passages: Framing by Local, National and Public Media in Canada's Arctic

ABSTRACT During the summer of 2016, the largest cruise ship ever to transit the Northwest Passage traveled through the Canadian Arctic, carrying more than 1,600 passengers and crew. That event resulted in a tremendous influx of tourists, considering the population the entire territory of Nunavut is only 36,000. This study examines how local media played a critical role in representing local community values in coverage of that remarkable cruise. The complete English Canadian textual coverage of the voyage by three media segments was compiled: local media, national media, and a national public broadcaster. A framing analysis revealed significant differences in how each of the three media segments frames the news. Local media placed significantly more emphasis on political, bureaucratic, and environmental frames than did national media, yet used human interest frames at about the same frequency. Furthermore, local media's selection of frames was more diverse than was evident in coverage from national media or the public broadcaster. In addition, the study reveals that the public broadcaster frames stories independently of local and national media, a finding which serves to emphasize the distinct value of each media segment in forming complete coverage of this story.

A medical student goes to the country of Nunavut.

A medical student goes to the country of Nunavut.

Newborn Screening: Current Status in Alberta, Canada.

Newborn screening (NBS) in Alberta is delivered by a number of government and health service entities who work together to provide newborn screening to infants born in Alberta, the Northwest Territories, and the Kitikmeot region of the Nunavut territory. The Alberta panel screens for 21 disorders (16 metabolic, two endocrine, cystic fibrosis, severe combined immunodeficiency, and sickle cell disease). NBS is a standard of care, but is not mandatory. NBS performance is monitored by the Alberta Newborn Metabolic Screening (NMS) Program and NMS Laboratory, who strive for continuous quality improvement. Performance analysis found that over 99% of registered infants in Alberta received a newborn screen and over 98% of these infants received a screen result within 10 days of age.

Time to Diagnosis and Treatment with Palliative Radiotherapy among Inuit Patients with Cancer from the Arctic Territory of Nunavut, Canada

AimsThe cancer burden among Circumpolar Inuit is high. Palliative radiotherapy is a mainstay treatment for controlling symptoms of advanced cancers, but Inuit are required to travel far distances to access this service. Access to palliative radiotherapy and time away from home communities have not been explored among this population. We sought to describe the time intervals from symptom onset to the start of palliative radiotherapy among Canadian Inuit patients treated at The Ottawa Hospital (TOH). Materials and methodsA retrospective review of Inuit patients from Nunavut treated with radiotherapy between 2005 and 2014 at TOH. ResultsOf a total of 152 radiotherapy patients, 88 (58%) were treated palliatively. Of these, 61 (70%) had stage IV disease at diagnosis and 63 (72%) had lung cancer. The median time from referral for specialist care to the patient's first flight to Ottawa was 4 days (range 0–97). The median length of treatment was 7 days (range 0–27), but patients spent a median of 64.5 days (range 14–633) in Ottawa. The median survival from the date of pathological diagnosis was 5.2 months. ConclusionsMost Inuit radiotherapy patients at TOH were treated palliatively. Patients were brought from Nunavut relatively quickly for specialist care, which is encouraging. However, patients spent over 2 months away from home, in the context of a median survival of less than 6 months. Opportunities for improvement include both provider and system-level changes, which may be applicable to other Circumpolar Inuit regions across Europe and North America.

Acarospora squamulosa, the correct name for A. peliocypha

The epithet of the species widely known as Acarospora "peliscypha" should be restored to its original orthography, A. peliocypha. The oldest name for this species is Lichen squamulosus, which has priority. Lichen squamulosus is lectotypified. Acarospora squamulosa replaces the later name A. peliocypha. Acarospora squamulosa is reported for continental North America from Baffin Island, Nunavut Territory, Canada.

Clostridium (Clostridioides) difficile shedding by polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in the Canadian Arctic

Clostridium (Clostridioides) difficile has been identified in humans and a wide range of animal species, but there has been little study of remote animal populations with limited human contact. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and types of C. difficile in wild and captive polar bears (Ursus maritimus).Fecal samples were collected from two populations of wild polar bears in Nunavut Canada; M’Clintock Channel and Hudson Strait (Davis Strait or Foxe Basin), as well as from a facility (PBJ) in Churchill, Manitoba that temporarily houses nuisance polar bears and from captive bears in a zoological park. Enrichment culture was performed and isolates were characterized by ribotyping and toxinotyping.Clostridium difficile was isolated from 24/143 (16.8%) of samples; 18/120 (15%) wild bear samples, 4/7 (57%) from the PBJ and 2/16 (13%) samples from three zoo bears. The prevalence of C. difficile was significantly higher in bears that were housed at the PBJ vs wild bears (P = 0.0042), but there was no difference between wild bears from M’Clintock Channel (14/100, 14%) and those from Hudson Strait (4/20, 20%) (P = 0.50).Fourteen of the 24 (58%) isolates were toxigenic; 13/18 (72%) wild bear isolates, 0/4 PBJ isolate and 1/2 zoo isolates. Four toxigenic ribotypes were identified, with one that possessed tcdB and cdtA predominating. None of the toxigenic isolates were ribotypes that have been identified previously by the authors. There was no overlap in toxigenic ribotypes between the different populations.Clostridium difficile was not uncommonly identified in polar bears, with differences in type distribution amongst the different regions. The presence of strains that have not been identified in humans or domestic animals suggests that polar bears may be a natural reservoir of unique strains of this important bacterium.

Chironomidae of Fosheim Peninsula, Ellesmere Island: first female description of Chaetocladius (Chaetocladius) glacialis (Lundström, 1915) (Diptera: Chironomidae: Orthocladiinae) and new faunistic records from the Nunavut (Canada) and the Nearctic Region

The 1990–1991 Geological Survey of Canada from the Hot Weather Creek in Fosheim Peninsula, Ellesmere Island produced a large and comprehensive collection of Chironomidae. In this first attempt of description of the Chironomidae fauna of this region based on this collection, we describe the female of Chaetocladius (Chaetocladius) glacialis (Lundström, 1915) and report the species for the first time from the Nearctic. Additionally, Orthocladius (Pogonocladius) consobrinus (Holmgren, 1869), Rheosmittia spinicornis (Brundin, 1956) and Vivacricotopus piloculus (Cranston and Oliver, 1988) are reported for the first time from the territory of Nunavut.

Emerald from the Anuri Prospect, Nunavut, Canada

Emerald from the Anuri Prospect, Nunavut, Canada

"The Birds of Nunavut, Volume 1: Nonpasserines, Volume 2: Passerines" by James M. Richards and Anthony J. Gaston, 2018. [book review

"The Birds of Nunavut, Volume 1: Nonpasserines, Volume 2: Passerines" by James M. Richards and Anthony J. Gaston, 2018. [book review

Developing Young Leaders in Global Radiation Oncology: Results of a Pilot Program for a Global Oncology Scholarship for Radiation Oncology Trainees

Surveys conducted by the International Communications Workgroup of the Canadian Association of Radiation Oncology (CIC) revealed that half of radiation oncology residents were interested in Global Health electives, yet only one resident had completed such an elective between 2007 and 2013. Studies on Global Health electives frequently identify a lack of financial resources and difficult-to-find information on placements as two important barriers to address. In order to promote personal and professional development, provide trainees with a unique perspective on global cancer control, and foster international collaboration, our objective was to increase the number of radiation oncology trainees completing electives in Global Health. The CIC created a Radiation Oncology Global Health Scholarship, available to residents (PGY 2-5) and fellows. It provides $2500 in travel and lodging expenses for oncology-related Global Health electives, requires applicants to reflect on CanMEDS competencies acquired on elective, supports pre-departure training, and encourages familiarity with the ethics of Global Health. Recipients are encouraged to present their experience at the Canadian Association of Radiation Oncology annual meeting and must complete an exit evaluation. The scholarship is supported by an industry- supported unrestricted educational grant. Potential applicants are provided with resources to find opportunities, including a network of previous participants, and access to a worldwide elective database through GlobalRT.org, an initiative of the Young Leaders Program of the Global Task Force on Radiotherapy for Cancer Control. Three scholarships were awarded from 2014-2017. A PGY-3 resident traveled on elective to Accra, Ghana, collaborating on cervical cancer research and helping establish a distance-learning program with The Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. A PGY-3 traveled to Zambia for a clinical elective focused on gynecological malignancies, and a PGY-2 is conducting research on access to radiotherapy in the territory of Nunavut. Preliminary data from exit evaluations suggest electives have contributed to personal and professional development, provided unique perspectives on global cancer control, developed CanMEDS competencies, and fostered international collaboration. Between 2014 and 2017, the CIC Radiation Oncology Global Health Scholarship has increased the number of radiation oncology trainees completing Global Health electives in Canada and abroad. In exit evaluations, electives have met defined goals for the Scholarship.

Evaluating the effectiveness of hazard mapping as climate change adaptation for community planning in degrading permafrost terrain

Permafrost in northern Canada is susceptible to degradation due to rapid climate change, with hazard mapping promoted as an important activity to guide sustainable community adaptation and planning. This paper presents a framework for evaluating permafrost mapping exercises designed to inform climate change adaptation actions. We apply the framework using a case study of the Incorporating Climate Change into Land Development—Terrain Analysis project (ICCiLD). ICCiLD is a hazard mapping project utilizing interferometric synthetic aperture radar to monitor ground disturbance and categorize land development suitability in seven communities in the territory of Nunavut, Canada. We looked at one of the communities, Arviat, as our case study. We examined technical data and drew upon semi-structured interviews (n = 19) with map creators and users. We found ICCiLD added new and relevant information for community planning, increased awareness of the risks posed by permafrost thaw and built stakeholder relations. Strong coordination and high public consciousness of local climate impacts emerged as key factors underpinning project success. Nevertheless, in the case of Arviat, the effectiveness of the hazard maps in influencing land-use planning was constrained by communication challenges between project creators and end-users. These challenges included limited community access to the data and uncertainty surrounding how to operationalize the map suitability classifications. Broader climate change adaptation challenges included the presence of other more immediate community planning priorities and a limited ability to incorporate Indigenous ways of knowing into a technical mapping project. The lessons from this evaluation provide insight for the development of mapping-based adaptations across Arctic regions.

Addressing tuberculosis among Inuit in Canada.

The average annual rate of tuberculosis (TB) among Inuit in Canada is now more than 290 times higher than Canadian born non-Indigenous people. How did this happen? Using the Territory of Nunavut as a case example, the roots of this situation can largely be traced back to social determinants of health and challenges in access to health care. Half (52%) of all Nunavut residents live in social housing, often under overcrowded conditions. Many experience food insecurity, with food prices in Nunavut that are twice those in southern Canada. Sixty percent of Nunavut residents smoke. Challenges in health care delivery include the small isolated communities, with few roads and difficult weather conditions during the long winters, which impede the ability to reach or provide healthcare, staff that arrive with little TB experience or cultural knowledge, multiple competing health care demands, limited resources and high staff turnover. The housing shortage is not only a social determinant of health, it also impacts the ability to hire new staff or mount an effective response in the event of an outbreak. Yet despite these challenges, progress has been made. Tuberculosis care in Nunavut includes active case finding, contact tracing for all cases of infectious TB, and screening of school age children. Rapid testing with the GeneXpert© platform has resulted in a quicker diagnosis of active TB, earlier treatment (preventing progression of disease) and less transmission. Progressively, there has been a switch from plain film to digital x-rays reducing x-ray turnaround time from as long as two to three weeks to one or two days. Standard treatment protocols include quadruple therapy until sensitivities are known, the use of home isolation for active cases and directly observed treatment (DOT) for both latent and active TB. Special access to rifapentine (Priftin), and its use in combination therapy (3HP), requires only once weekly treatments that can be completed in 12 visits instead of 78 visits for isoniazid (INH) or 120 visits for rifampin, which increases adherence and greatly reduces the health care resources needed to treat TB. In October 2017, the Honourable Jane Philpott, then Minister of Health and now Minister of Indigenous Services, and Natan Obed, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK) announced the establishment of a Task Force to develop an Inuit TB Elimination Action Framework, accompanied by regional action plans. It is hoped that the task force, and current efforts in Nunavut, will lead to the long term changes needed to ultimately eliminate TB among Inuit in Canada.

The “Eye of the Drum”. Past and Present of qilaujjarniq in the Canadian Central Arctic (Nunavut)

Anthropos , Seite 491 - 502

Application of whole genome sequence analysis to the study of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Nunavut, Canada.

Canada has one of the lowest rates of tuberculosis (TB) in the world, however, among certain sub-populations, disease incidence rates approach those observed in sub-Saharan Africa, and other high incidence regions. In this study, we applied mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit (MIRU) variable number of tandem repeat (VNTR) and whole genome sequencing (WGS) to the analysis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates obtained from Northern communities in the territory of Nunavut. WGS was carried out using the Illumina MiSeq, with identified variants used to infer phylogenetic relationships and annotated to infer functional implications. Additionally, the sequencing data from these isolates were augmented with publically available WGS to evaluate data from the Nunavut outbreak in the broader Canadian context. In this study, isolates could be classified into four major clusters by MIRU-VNTR analysis. These could be further resolved into sub-clusters using WGS. No evidence for antimicrobial resistance, either genetic or phenotypic, was observed in this cohort. Among most subjects with multiple samples, reactivation/incomplete treatment likely contributed to recurrence. However, isolates from two subjects appeared more likely to have occurred via reinfection, based on the large number of genomic single nucleotide variants detected. Finally, although quite distinct from previously reported Canadian MTB strains, isolates obtained from Nunavut clustered most closely with a cohort of samples originating in the Nunavik region of Northern Quebec. This study demonstrates the benefit of using WGS for discriminatory analysis of MTB in Canada, especially in high incidence regions. It further emphasizes the importance of focusing epidemiological intervention efforts on interrupting transmission chains of endemic TB throughout Northern communities, rather than relying on strategies applied in regions where the majority of TB cases result from importation of foreign strains.

Readiness for climate change adaptation in the Arctic: a case study from Nunavut, Canada

There is limited knowledge on institutional factors constraining and enabling climate change adaptation in Arctic regions, or the overall readiness of governing bodies and communities to develop, implement, and promote adaptation. This paper examines the preparedness of different levels of government to adapt in the Canadian Arctic territory of Nunavut, drawing upon semi-structured interviews with government personnel and organizations involved in adaptation. In the Government of Nunavut, there have been notable developments around adaptation planning and examples of adaptation champions, but readiness for adaptation is challenged by a number of factors including the existence of pressing socio-economic problems, and institutional and governmental barriers. Federally, there is evidence of high-level leadership on adaptation, the creation of adaptation programs, and allocation of funds for adaptation, although the focus has been mostly on researching adaptation options as opposed to supporting actual actions or policy change. The 2016 Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, and increasing emphasis on climate change federally and in the Government of Nunavut, offer opportunities for advancing adaptation, but concrete steps are needed to ensure readiness is enhanced.

The effects of resource extraction on Inuit women and their families: evidence from Canada

ABSTRACTThis article presents the findings from research conducted by Pauktuutit, an Inuit women’s organisation, and the University of British Colombia into the gendered social impacts of resource extraction in Qamani’tuaq, Nunavut Territory, Canada. The research used a range of different methods and contributes to a growing body of global evidence on the social impacts of resource extraction on indigenous women and families. It reveals the complex effects of resource extraction on Inuit women’s lives, at the individual, family, and community levels. This kind of research is urgently required to ensure that policies on natural resource extraction are developed that support the interests and needs of the women, men, and children most affected by mining.

Water safety plans as a tool for drinking water regulatory frameworks in Arctic communities.

Arctic communities often face drinking water supply challenges that are unique to their location. Consequently, conventional drinking water regulatory strategies often do not meet the needs of these communities. A literature review of Arctic jurisdictions was conducted to evaluate the current water management approaches and how these techniques could be applied to the territory of Nunavut in Canada. The countries included are all members of the Arctic Council and other Canadian jurisdictions considered important to the understanding of water management for Northern Canadian communities. The communities in Nunavut face many challenges in delivering safe water to customers due to remoteness, small community size and therefore staffing constraints, lack of guidelines and monitoring procedures specific to Nunavut, and water treatment and distribution systems that are vastly different than those used in southern communities. Water safety plans were explored as an alternative to water quality regulations as recent case studies have demonstrated the utility of this risk management tool, especially in the context of small communities. Iceland and Alberta both currently have regulated water safety plans (WSPs) and were examined to understand shortcomings and benefits if WSPs were to be applied as a possible strategy in Nunavut. Finally, this study discusses specific considerations that are necessary should a WSP approach be applied in Nunavut.