December 6, 2019, Halifax, Nova Scotia – Members of the ArcticNet Inuit Advisory Committee presented the 2019 Inuit Recognition Award yesterday evening at the Annual Scientific Meeting in Halifax. The award recognizes Inuit who are contributing to meaningful involvement in Inuit Nunangat research. This year’s recipient is Dr. Robert Way of Nunatsiavut.
Way is an Inuk, born and raised in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Labrador, and Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography and Planning at Queen’s University. He has conducted research in Nunatsiavut for more than a decade. For his master’s work, he studied glaciers in the Torngat Mountains and his doctorate research looked at the relationship between permafrost and vegetation.
“Through his commitment to developing and implementing research projects with full and proper partnership with Inuit, Robert Way is helping to reshape the research dynamic in Inuit Nunangat. Academic researchers should take notice of the work that he is doing and learn from the way that he engages and works with Labrador Inuit,” said Antoni G. Lewkowicz, President of the Canadian Permafrost Association, who nominated Way for the award.
“Through the leadership of researchers like Robert Way, we come closer to our goal of Inuit self-determination in research and we build our capacity to bring about substantive change in the policies and processes that determine our relationship with research in Canada. I congratulate Dr. Way on this well-deserved recognition,” said Natan Obed, President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami.
The Inuit Advisory Committee also presents the Northern Travel Award, which provides funding for eight individuals to attend the ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meeting. The recipients are Kayla Wyatt of Nain, Nunatsiavut; Elena Berthe of Tasiujaq, Nunavik; Charlotte Irish of Tuktoyaktuk in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region; Karen Nutarak of Pond Inlet, Nunavut; Josiah Nakoolak of Coral Harbour, Nunavut; and Joe Tulurialik of Taloyoak, Nunavut; plus Chantal Emiktaut of Iqaluit and Tundra Kuliktana of Cambridge Bay, both students of the Environmental Technology Program at Nunavut Arctic College.