Inuusiup Asijjiqpallianinganik Ujjiqsurniq: Understanding Community Change in Qikiqtaaluk (NGMP ID SE06)

1) Aim: To collect baseline data of community-identified socio-economic areas of concern (hunting and food sharing practices, family and community relationships, and civic and volunteer participation) in four communities affected by resource development. 2) Objectives: i) Administer a face-to-face survey to randomly selected adults currently living in Pond Inlet, Clyde River, Igloolik, and Cape Dorset. ii) To establish baseline data to enable future research of experiences and perceptions of change in communities newly impacted by resource development projects. iii) To create an opportunity for the community voice to be represented in the collection of socio-economic data, specifically in areas of concern identified and validated by community members. iv) To build social sciences research capacity with a team of community researchers. v) To provide results which: communities can use to advocate for resources; Inuit organizations can use when negotiating Inuit Impact Benefit Agreements; and Stakeholders can use to further understanding of the experience of change in communities impacted by resource development. 3) Rationale: In the mid-20th century, Inuit faced massive social change brought about by the arrival of southern institutional organizations and the establishment of settled communities. Currently, several communities in the Qikiqtani region are experiencing a new wave of social change as resource development intensifies. Many community members are concerned that their way of life will change dramatically once again. Inuusuip Asijjiqpallianinganik Ujjiqsurniq (IAU) is a community-based socio-economic research project which aims to capture baseline data of current aspects of community life, including hunting and food sharing practices, family and community relationships, and community civic and volunteer participation in order to provide communities with data that they can use to advocate for resources to mitigate the perceived social impacts of mining.