Supporting hunting and on-the-land practices in the Arctic would be an effective and inexpensive way to enhance Inuit health, according to new research.
Supporting hunting and on-the-land practices in the Arctic would be an effective and inexpensive way to enhance Inuit health, according to new research.
Working with the people of Gjoa Haven, Nunavut, Northern researchers Sean Robertson and Gita Ljubicic explored Inuit relations to the land, especially in the context of the therapeutic landscape—the idea that healing and well-being can be found and created in specific sites.
They facilitated a series of three community-led Elder and youth land camps, which enabled an immediate transfer of Inuit knowledge within the community while allowing Robertson and Ljubicic to do research connected to the community’s priorities.
The interviews highlighted the Inuit conception that physical and emotional well-being is holistic, determined by factors including physical health, relationships with humans and non-humans, individual and collective identity, and political autonomy.
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