2014 Research Grant Recipients

 

Research Assistant Program

Kris Maier
Gwich’in Renewable Resources Board
Research and monitoring to support management of Dolly Varden populations in the Gwich’in Settlement Area

Kris is studying Dolly Varden char in the Rat River, especially the juvenile life stage and habitat use. This research aims to improve our understanding of habitat requirements of Dolly Varden populations to aid decision-making by local co-management partners; to develop community-based monitoring programs; and to enhance recovery of local populations.


Meagan Ann O’Hare
University of Ottawa
A qualitative examination of barriers prohibiting a Northern community from obtaining culturally specific food sovereignty

Meagan is researching barriers and potential solutions to northern food sovereignty, including traditional food harvesting practices in the NWT. In partnership with the community of Fort Providence, she developed a Wild Foods Consumption and Intergenerational Knowledge Exchange Program. The program engages youth in traditional food gathering practices with elders and hunters, while exploring the impacts on local food security. This program aims to offer a culturally appropriate food sovereignty program for northern communities that are largely dependent on market foods.


Candice Lys
Ph.D. Candidate, University of Toronto Dalla Lana School of Public Health
Research Associate, Institute for Circumpolar Health Research

Gettin’ F.O.X.Y.: Exploring the Development of Self-Efficacy among Young Women in the Northwest Territories

Candice has developed an arts-based program to study sexual health among young women in the NWT, called FOXY (Fostering Open eXpression among Youth). This research may help address the alarmingly high rates of STI’s and pregnancies among youth in the NWT, and provide a locally-developed program that encourages youth to make positive lifestyle choices that improve individual health outcomes.

Dr. Gordon Christie
Faculty of Law, University of BC
Inquiry: Listening to the Elders

Dr. Christie is collaborating on a project to return original archives from CBC coverage of the 1975-76 Berger Inquiry to communities in the Beaufort Delta Region, so that the images and audio can be used by local educators and community members. The project involves translating key portions of the speeches and developing a Guide for Teachers to be published in both English and Inuvialuktun. The Guide will assist teachers in both the north and the south to open a conversation with students about the traditional values reflected in the speeches and stories that elders told to Judge Berger.

Todd Kristensen
PhD Candidate, Department of Anthropology, University of Alberta
O’Grady Lake and Ice Patch Study

Todd is doing an Ice Patch Monitoring Study to investigate environmental and human change in the Selwyn Mountains, of both past and present. His project combines physical, biological and social sciences with traditional knowledge. Unique archaeological specimens found in the ice patches contribute to our understanding of the human history of the subarctic; while archaeological excavations at O’Grady Lake contribute to the ecological context of pre-contact human land use. 


Barb Hood
Executive Director, NWT Seniors’ Society
Influences on the Quality of Life of Older Adults in the Northwest Territories

Barb is researching influences on the quality of life of older adults in the NWT. The objectives of this study are: to provide a rich context for the topic by gathering input from older NWT residents on the current influences potential threats to their quality of life; and to provide older NWT residents with information that could influence relevant policy decisions.

Research Fellowship Program

Nicole Labine
University of British Columbia Okanagan
A Comparative Analysis of Acorus Americanus and Acorus Calamus and their Application in Traditional Aboriginal Medicine

Nicole is studying a perennial aromatic herb family (known as Acorus), which is used in traditional medicine throughout Asia, Europe, and North America. Her research will identify and compare the chemical profile of each species to determine if their bioactive agents are the same. Samples will be harvested in the Fort Smith area and prepared using traditional methods. This project will provide critical information on how preparation techniques affect the composition of a specimen, and also build on existing traditional knowledge.


Morgan E. Moffitt
Department of Anthropology, University of Alberta
'Fracked' Landscapes and Traditional Trails: Shúhtagot'ine Histories, Relationships with Land, and Resource Extraction in the Mackenzie Valley

Morgan is researching Shúhtagot'ine (Mountain Dene) relationships with the land in the context of extractive resource industry, changing management policies and increased political control across the territory and country. Her project examines how oil and gas activities have impacted local peoples' relationships with the land, water, and animals. She will build on the limited ethnographic data by gathering oral histories and stories from Tulita, NT, which will be preserved for the community to utilize in their own projects and also be valuable for researchers. 


Meagan Ann O’Hare
University of Ottawa
A qualitative examination of barriers prohibiting a Northern community from obtaining culturally specific food sovereignty

Meagan is researching barriers and potential solutions to northern food sovereignty, including traditional food harvesting practices in the NWT. In partnership with the community of Fort Providence, she developed a Wild Foods Consumption and Intergenerational Knowledge Exchange Program. The program engages youth in traditional food gathering practices with elders and hunters, while exploring the impacts on local food security. This program aims to offer a culturally appropriate food sovereignty program for northern communities that are largely dependent on market foods.