Nanuk Narratives has been a collaborative effort, involving a wide range of voices and perspectives from various communities, organizations, and disciplines. This project has been shaped by Inuit leadership and guided by input from wildlife co-management boards, Hunter and Trapper Organizations (HTOs), Elders, hunters, youth, and filmmakers. Each step of the process, from filming interviews to editing and storytelling, has been built on a collective process that ensures the narratives reflect the values and lived experiences of participating communities. Participant input has been integral, with continuous engagement ensuring the content is relevant, accurate, and meaningful to the people whose stories are being told.
The Nanuk Knowledge & Dialogue Project
In the context of Arctic wildlife management, the Davis Strait polar bear subpopulation is a strong example of the complexities that come with the stewardship of a transboundary and culturally-important species. For example, Inuit in Nunavut, Nunavik, and Nunatsiavut all rely on and have jurisdictional rights to this subpopulation, yet these regions rarely have the opportunity to come together to share knowledge and strategies to support Inuit and polar bears in the region.
Within this context, a unique co-management-led partnership was formed in 2022 among the Torngat Wildlife & Plants Co-Management Board, the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board, and the Nunavik Marine Region Wildlife Board, called the Nanuk Knowledge and Dialogue Project. This project aimed to enhance polar bear management and provide a high level of coordination and shared knowledge between the three regions, while at the same time respecting the sovereignty of Inuit in each region to utilize their respective management systems that have been negotiated through modern day land claim agreements. A core part of this project was to organize an Davis Strait Interdisciplinary Working Group that brought together people from different worldviews, regions, and disciplines. Discussions from this working group laid the foundation of cross-cultural thinking and teamwork that allowed the Nanuk Narratives project to emerge.
Thinking across cultures and disciplines
The Davis Strait Interdisciplinary Working Group was organized to think about new and innovative ways of conserving the Davis Strait Polar Bear Subpopulation, and to make recommendations to the wildlife co-management boards in Nunavut, Nunatsiavut, and Nunavik. Working group members came from diverse backgrounds and experiences, including Inuit Knowledge, wildlife biology, social sciences, public health, law and co-management policy, and various other perspectives.
Between spring 2022- spring 2024, the group met primarily online, with one in-person meeting at ArcticNet 2022. During these meetings, we heard from a variety of different groups and organizations about what they see as the current challenges relating to the Davis Strait polar bear subpopulation, including the Davis Strait 2017-18 Survey team, the Polar Bear Advisory Committee and Polar Bear Technical Committee, the Nunatsiavut Government, Makkivik Corporation, and the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board.
After multiple meetings, the working group identified a core focus: to explore how collective Inuit Knowledge can be more accessible, influential, and implemented for sustainable Inuit relationships with polar bears. To support this focus, documentary film and visual media were seen as valuable tools for sharing Inuit voices - which lead to the Nanuk Narratives project!
Working group members included (alphabetically): Solomon Awa, Stephen Atkinson, Amy Caughey, Douglas Clark, Sari Graben, Dominique Henri, Pitsiula Kilabuk, Iola Metuq, Derrick Pottle, Noah Pov
Working with community filmmakers
Nanuk Narratives has and continues to work closely with local filmmakers from communities across Nunavut, Nunavik, Nunatsiavut, and Greenland to carry out the creative work. Local filmmakers bring a deep understanding of cultural nuances, community dynamics, and traditional storytelling methods, which is essential for creating content that resonates with Inuit audiences while also educating external audiences.
By partnering with these filmmakers, the project not only benefits from their knowledge of the local context, but also supports Inuit filmmakers in developing their skills and strengthening their media presence. This approach is fundamental to the success of Nanuk Narratives, as it bridges cultural knowledge with modern filmmaking techniques, ensuring that Inuit voices are at the forefront of the project.
Nanuk Narratives has so far worked with multiple established and emerging Inuit filmmakers. Below are some behind-the-scenes images of our work.
Getting input from Inuit across the regions
Getting feedback and input from project participants and other community members was an integral part of co-creating this video series. The videos were shown across Nunavut, Nunavik, and Nunatsiavut, ensuring that community members from various regions had the opportunity to view and participate in discussions about the portrayal of polar bear stewardship and Inuit knowledge. In particular, videos were shared with youth in a variety of ways, including at Nunavut Sivuniksavut, where more than 40 youth shared their reflections on how the videos could be best used to support cultural continuity within their communities.
