Inuit Research Advisors

Phase 3 (2011-2014)

IRIS 2 Research (Eastern Arctic)

Nunavut ("our land" in Inuktitut) is the ancestral home of the Inuit of the Central and Eastern Arctic. It is the largest, least populous, and newest federal territory of Canada, having been separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999 (Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act). Nunavut comprises the greater part of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and the islands of Ungava, Hudson and James Bay. The territory covers 1,932,255 km2 of land and 160,935 km2 of water. Several islands in the Archipelago are divided between Nunavut and the Inuvialuit Land Claim Settlement, notably Victoria, and Melville Islands. The landscape has been shaped by ice sheets and glaciers, which carved out deep valleys and fjords. Today, it is being altered by climate-related changes such as rising temperatures, retreating sea ice, and thawing permafrost. Ecosystems vary widely, from the flat tundra west of Hudson Bay to the rich North Water polynya in northern Baffin Bay. Of great scientific interest is the south-north gradient in terrestrial coastal arctic ecosystems from the northern limit of the taiga to the arctic desert of Ellesmere Island.

Nunavut is currently home to approximately 30 000 residents, 85 percent of whom are Inuit (Nunavummiut), distributed in 26 coastal communities. The population is young (35% under 18 years of age) and is projected to increase from 32 183 in 2009 to 44 581 by 2036. The economy is a mix of wage-based economy (mining, exploration, tourism, fisheries, art) and land-based economy, an integral part of the Inuit cultural and social way of life. Activities such as harvesting caribou, seals and Arctic char provide a healthy diet, education, community cohesion, and cultural identity. Nunavut's economy is still highly dependent on employment in the public sector (Government of Nunavut, municipal, education, health and security). Vast distances, a small but growing population, the high cost of materials, energy, transport and labour, and extreme and changing climate challenge the Nunavut's government and people.

Government in Nunavut co-exists with a number of public bodies directly and indirectly related to the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement. Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (NTI) represents Inuit beneficiaries, manages federal funding resulting from the claim, offers services and programs, and oversees co-management bodies such as the Nunavut Planning Commission, the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board and the Nunavut Water Board.

Leader: Trevor Bell
Coordinator: Philippe Leblanc

Projects and Project Leader(s):

Vincent, Warwick (Université Laval)
Project 2.1 Freshwater Resources of the Eastern Canadian Arctic (Freshwater Resources). Contributes to IRIS 4.

Tremblay, Jean-Éric (Université Laval); Gosselin, Michel (Université du Québec à Rimouski); Archambault, Philippe (Université du Québec à Rimouski)
Project 2.2 Marine Biological Hotspots: Ecosystem Services and Susceptibility to Climate Change (Marine Ecosystem Services). Contributes to all 4 IRISes.

Henry, Greg (University of British-Columbia)
Project 2.3 Impacts of Vegetation Change in the Canadian Arctic: Local and Regional Assessments (Arctic Vegetation). Contributes to IRISes 1 & 4.

Bell, Trevor (Memorial University of Newfoundland); Forbes, Don (Memorial University of Newfoundland / Geological Survey of Canada)
Project 2.4 Instability of Coastal Landscapes in Arctic Communities and Regions (Coastal Landscape). Contributes to IRISes 1 & 4.

Huebert, Rob (University of Calgary)
Project 2.5 The Emerging Arctic Security Environment (Arctic Security). Contributes to all 4 IRISes.

Rodon, Thierry (Université Laval)
Project 2.6 Improving Access to University Education in the Canadian Arctic (University Education). Contributes to all 4 IRISes.

Walton, Fiona (University of Prince Edward Island)
Project 2.7 Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit and the Transformation of High School Education in Nunavut (High School Education).

Rysgaard, Soren (University of Manitoba)
Project 2.8 Arctic Geomicrobiology and Climate Change.

Berteaux, Dominique (Université du Québec à Rimouski)
Project 2.9 Effects of Climate Change on the Canadian Arctic Wildlife (Arctic Wildlife). Contributes to IRIS 3.