Climate as Health Determinant in Aklavik

Background

Climate change and its impacts are of immediate relevance to communities in Canada’s northern regions. In Aklavik, a community situated above the Arctic Circle in the Mackenzie River Delta, weather systems are already exhibiting consistent changes such as increased wind that have made access to marine food sources challenging. Decreased permafrost is also resulting in shifting riverbanks as well as “drunken forests” where trees are becoming unstable as a result of receding permafrost.

Adaptation to environmental adversity is not a new challenge for the residents of Aklavik. Fifty years ago, the community was considered unfit for occupancy due to its tenuous position in the Delta brought on by repeated flooding. Residents were encouraged to move to the newly created community of Inuvik, but a number of residents chose to ignore the recommendations. Thus Aklavik’s motto of “Never say die” was born with the community’s determination to respond to the environment around them and keep the community strong.

Climate change represents yet another environmental challenge faced by the community. This youth-driven project will thus provide the foundation required to describe adaptation to climate change. The project will employ participatory methodologies that have previously been piloted at the school through the Aklavik Dietary Choices Project that explored dietary choices and specifically food security. Incidentally, both of these health determinants will be impacted significantly by climate change in the region.

Established partnerships between Moose Kerr School, the Aklavik Health Committee and Institute for Circumpolar Health Research will provide the foundation to implement this project. The research will be integrated within the current curriculum at the Moose Kerr school and provide the youth of Aklavik with experience in the research process and youth driven methods to capture and disseminate the findings. As in the case of the Dietary Choices Project, youth with produce a short documentary for community viewing. Findings will also be shared with the research community via conference presentations and publications in public health or circumpolar journals.

Primary Investigators

• Susan Chatwood, Institute for Circumpolar Health Research
• Denise Kurszewski, Institute for Circumpolar Health Research

Aklavik Team

• Velma Illasiak, Principal, Moose Kerr School, Aklavik, NT

Aklavik Health Committee

• Robert Buckle
• Annie Buckle
• Billy Archie

Aklavik Climate Change & Health ProjectNext »

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