Inuit Qaujisarvingat: The Inuit Knowledge Centre

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Inuit Qaujisarvingat: Announcement

This morning I was excited to announce the first activity under ITK’s 2010 The Year of The Inuit, which is the creation of "Inuit Qaujisarvingat: The Inuit Knowledge Centre", at the Charles Lynch Press Theatre on Parliament Hill.

This initiative has been a long time in the planning and seeks to bridge the gap between western science and Inuit knowledge as well as to build capacity among Inuit to respond to a growing interest in the Arctic and Arctic issues.

Since the time of first contact between our people and Europeans we, our communities, our governance and social structures, and our way of living, have been studied by many scientists - sometimes this has served us well however there is considerable room for improvement within the various processes and practices that are usually employed.

Like western science Inuit have a system of acquiring knowledge based on observation, development of theories, and the testing of those theories through experimentation. This way of learning includes what is usually described as "Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit", Inuit Traditional Knowledge. Our traditional knowledge is currently undervalued by western science however it can stand on its own and, in many cases, work within the western scientific process to provide new and additional perspectives.

In other countries indigenous peoples have bridged the gap between western science and traditional knowledge through the creation of Indigenous Knowledge Centres that include the National Institute of Research Excellence for Maori Development and Advancement, the Alaska Native Knowledge Network at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and the Sami Research Centre at the University of Lapland. Unfortunately there were no similar structures within Canada and to help address this need the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami Board of Directors directed, at a meeting held in February of 2008, that Inuit Qaujisarvingat be created.

Inuit Qaujisarvingat will provide the tools to help Inuit access the systems of western science, and to aid southern based scientists in interacting fully and (equally importantly) appropriately, within Inuit communities and with using Inuit knowledge. To accomplish this Inuit Qaujisarvingat will provide education and training opportunities for a variety of audiences (both experienced and inexperienced, Inuit and non-Inuit) to support the process of knowledge exchange and capacity building.

Additionally, Inuit Qaujisarvingat will seek to secure key partnerships with foundations, governments, NGO's and private sponsors, and, towards this end, has already made several collaborative relationships with researchers and research institutions.

In short, Inuit Qaujisarvingat is designed to help Canada in building on its inherent advantages as stewards of remarkable human and natural resources that are of vital global importance, help Canada fulfill its international obligations, and become a leader in the exchange and use of Inuit and scientific knowledge.

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