‘Inuit are doing science every day’

In Nunavut, Indigenous and scientific knowledge are supposed to be considered equally when making policy or decisions. But there isn’t always the time, the resources or the will to follow through and include Inuit perspectives in broader decision making.

That means the voices of those who have the most to contribute go unheard.

It’s why, despite a near-constant presence of caribou on King William Island, and its relevance to the community, the area shows up as blank on most caribou range maps. It’s why weather monitors and sea ice maps don’t always reflect updated conditions that affect Inuit communities, even though that information is vital for community members to travel, hunt and fish.

Gita Ljubicic is working to change that.

She heads an interdisciplinary research team that works closely with Indigenous communities, respecting and learning from Indigenous knowledge and using it alongside western science to address community-identified priorities.