Young Hunters Program and Climate Monitoring

Aqqiumavvik is a society dedicated to the support of community wellbeing through a variety of community-led programs that are grounded in Inuit cultural values and practices and which support capacity enhancement, skill building and the restoration of self-reliance and hope. Since becoming registered as a society in 2016, our mandate has been to establish programs of healing, cultural revitalization, prevention and supports to build family strengths. We have come to be recognized for expertise and programs in several areas, but all are embedded in the revitalization of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ) values, beliefs, practices and processes which are uniquely suited to the social needs of Inuit. Aqqiumavvik is committed to pursuing research to provide the most relevant evidence on which to base programs and operations.

The Young Hunters Program was started in 2012 as a food security project where we were taking kids on the land to teach them traditional hunting practices and Inuit values and beliefs around environmental stewardship. Over the years, we’ve added monitoring aspects, where they’re learning how to monitor the different animals, weather and the environment around them. Some examples of what we are monitoring include permafrost, water quality and fish, seal and caribou health, animal health including migratory geese, water and ice, among other indicators.

Participants in the program gain skills and knowledge through time spent with experienced elders and instructors by engaging in local hunting and monitoring activities. Through this, the youth also gain confidence and perspective that will aid them long after they leave the program.