Insights from the remote co‐creation of an Indigenous knowledge questionnaire about aquatic ecosystems in Kinngait, Nunavut

Abstract

Abstract There is growing interest in co‐developing research projects that more fully address the priorities of Indigenous communities throughout the Canadian Arctic and beyond. However, details regarding collaborative methods are often not adequately described in the literature. Here, we describe a process to remotely co‐create a questionnaire compiling Indigenous knowledge about local aquatic species and their habitats with the community of Kinngait, Nunavut. This project was undertaken in response to interest expressed by the Aiviq Hunters and Trappers Association in understanding and assessing the impacts of climate change on coastal ecosystems. Researchers from Fisheries and Oceans Canada and academic partners drafted an initial questionnaire that was revised through a series of collaborative sessions with community‐based technicians. We detail the stages of this process and discuss elements that enabled co‐creation including: adaptable and frequent communication, community technician roles, and a pre‐existing partnership. This paper emphasizes that project co‐development and the co‐creation of research tools can be a mutually beneficial process that can broaden our collective understanding of the impacts of climate change on Arctic aquatic ecosystems.

Keywords

• aquatic ecosystems
• co‐creation
• co‐development
• community‐based research
• Indigenous knowledge
• Inuit