Polar Knowledge Canada announces recipient of the 2024 Northern Science Award.
News release
December 17 - Cambridge Bay, Nunavut
Polar Knowledge Canada is proud to honour the Aklavik Hunters & Trappers Committee as the recipient of the 2024 Northern Science Award.
The Aklavik Hunters & Trappers Committee has been a leader in environmental stewardship and knowledge sharing in the Canadian North for over 40 years. The Committee works to preserve traditional hunting and trapping practices while ensuring sustainable wildlife management.
The Committee co-develops scientific projects that integrate Indigenous Knowledge and supports local training programs, ensuring community involvement and capacity-building.
They actively contribute to collaborative work with scientists including biologists, as well as environmental and social scientists, collaborating with organizations such as the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the Inuvialuit Game Council, Natural Resources Canada and the Wildlife Advisory Council, among many others.
The Aklavik Hunters & Trappers Committee shares Inuvialuit knowledge broadly, on climate change, harvesting practices and land-animal relationships. Their work educates global audiences on the importance of Indigenous stewardship in understanding and addressing Arctic environmental change.
The Northern Science Award is presented to an individual or a team who have made a significant contribution to Northern Canada through scientific research or who possess and share Indigenous Knowledge in a collaborative way.
The award recognizes transformations in the way knowledge is produced and shared, and the impact research has on the North, its communities and people.
The Northern Science Award is presented by Polar Knowledge Canada because of its connection to its mandate to advance knowledge of the Canadian Arctic to improve economic opportunities, environmental stewardship and the quality of life of Northerners.
Quotes
“The work of communities to preserve the land and its wildlife as well as Indigenous Knowledge and culture is fundamental to addressing climate change and ensuring prosperity into the future. All of those who dedicate themselves to this pursuit should be proud of their accomplishments.”
– Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs, PrairiesCan and CanNor
“As a leader and convenor in Arctic science in Canada and throughout the circumpolar environments, Polar Knowledge Canada awards this important recognition every year. Through the Northern Science Award and Centenary Medal, Polar Knowledge Canada celebrates the Aklavik Hunters & Trappers Committee enduring impact on the Canadian North and its Peoples.”
– Sue Kerr, Acting President and Chief Executive Officer
Quick facts
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Polar Knowledge Canada (POLAR) is a Government of Canada agency responsible for strengthening Canadian leadership in polar science and promoting the development and distribution of knowledge of circumpolar regions. It was created by the Canadian High Arctic Research Station Act of 2015.
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POLAR undertakes and supports a wide variety of research across Canada’s Arctic, much of it in collaboration with Indigenous knowledge holders and international partners.
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The Canadian High Arctic Research Station is a world-class hub for science and technology in Canada’s North and is a major node in the network of national and international research infrastructure across the circumpolar North.
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Examples of research include baseline environmental research; testing the performance of clean energy technologies in the Arctic to help Northern communities reduce their dependence on fossil fuels and understanding emerging diseases affecting wildlife that threaten the sustainability of Northern food species.
Associated links
Contacts
Polar Knowledge Canada
Email: communications@polar-polaire.gc.ca
Telephone: 867-391-0168
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