Learning from the Land: Nunavut Arctic College and Inuit-Led Research
Through Inuit-led research, language revitalization, and community-based programs, Nunavut Arctic College demonstrates how Northern post-secondary institutions can place Inuit knowledge and community priorities at the centre of education, research, and decision-making.
Nunavut Arctic College (NAC) serves students across five campuses and 25 Community Learning Centres in the Kivalliq, Kitikmeot, and Qikiqtaaluq regions, with its main campus located in Iqaluit. NAC is an educator, partner, facilitator, and leader in its field. Two of its divisions, NAC Media and the Nunavut Research Institute (NRI), showcase how Northern institutions can elevate Inuit science and knowledge within research and within community-identified priorities such as language and country food safety. This work is critical for communities, as it ensures that education and research are grounded in local knowledge systems, strengthens cultural continuity, supports community health and safety, and empowers Inuit to lead initiatives that directly impact their well-being and future.
NAC MEDIA
NAC Media is part of the Communities & Learning Program and operates out of the Nunavut Research Institute in Iqaluit. The unit publishes books and leads Inuktut language initiatives that support learning, research and revitalization. NAC Media also works with researchers and communities to return Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit and language knowledge to source communities in accessible and meaningful ways.
Notable projects include:
- Anijaarniq: a website presenting traditional wayfinding knowledge drawn entirely from the Igloolik Oral History Project, expanding access to community-held navigation knowledge in digital format.
- SIKU: a project that documents and preserves community-specific sea ice terminology, supporting safer travel and strengthening language tied to the land and ice.
NAC Media works closely with NAC’s Igloolik Oral History Project to increase access to rare and significant content for teaching, learning, and research purposes.
NUNAVUT RESEARCH INSTITUTE
The Nunavut Research Institute (NRI) is the science division of NAC and is responsible for administering Nunavut’s Scientists Act: anyone conducting research in health, social sciences, or natural/physical sciences must obtain a license from the NRI. Its mandate is “to develop, facilitate, and promote scientific research and Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit as a resource for the well-being of people in Nunavut.”
Isirvik research portal
In 2023-24, NRI launched Isirvik (Inuktitut for “an entrance”), a map-based portal that provides information about all research licensed by the NRI since 2004. The portal makes research searchable, comparable, and easily accessible to Nunavummiut. Its logo and illustrations were created by Sylvia Pewatooalook, an artist from Mittimatalik and a 2023 graduate of NAC’s Environmental Technology Program (ETP).
Research Associates Pilot Program
In 2023, NRI launched a new Research Associates Pilot Program to support community‑based research leaders conducting work that is inclusive, relevant, and meaningful to Nunavummiut, and who are committed to helping develop research capacity at Nunavut Arctic College.
In September 2023, NRI welcomed Dr. Amy Caughey, a longtime Iqaluit resident with a background in nutrition science and public health, as its first research associate. Her work focuses on country food sovereignty in Nunavut, documenting Inuit knowledge of food preparation, preservation, and food safety in a changing climate. Over the past few years, Amy helped develop training and mentorship opportunities for NAC staff, students, and faculty in social science and health research methodologies.
AC/MUN Research Partnership
In 2023-24, the NRI partnered with Memorial University to review 3,638 Nunavut‑focused research documents from 1996–2022. The study found that while NRI is widely known as a research regulator, NAC and NRI also play key roles in research infrastructure, resources, and capacity building. The review identified 41 themes describing how Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ) is mobilized in research. Since 1996, Inuit ways of knowing have gradually displaced harmful research practices, a shift the literature ties directly to NAC/NRI involvement. The project also produced a glossary of Inuktut research terminology to support clearer, community-relevant language in research practice.
The Trichinella Diagnostic Program
Since 2017, NAC and Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (NTI) have offered a unique trichinella diagnostic testing service for Nunavummiut. The NRI’s program detects Trichinella nativa, an Arctic-adapted parasite that can cause trichinosis (a serious illness linked to consumption of raw or undercooked meat from an animal infected with the parasite). Outbreaks have been documented in Nunavut and other Arctic regions.
The lab uses the Double Separatory Funnel Procedure, a technique developed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). Local analysts complete proficiency evaluations twice each year
with the CFIA. Many students in NAC’s Environmental Technology Program (ETP) have been trained on the procedure, and all diagnostic analysts are NAC alumni.
As of 2026, the lab had tested 463 walrus, 102 polar bears, and 1 Orca from 16 communities. Trichinella was detected in 14 walrus, 50 polar bears, and the orca, allowing the Department of Health to issue advisories and prevent outbreaks.
Beginning in 2023, NAC’s research laboratory in Rankin Inlet was equipped to provide trichinella detection services for Kivalliq communities. The NRI website states: “Having a diagnostic program in Nunavut operated entirely by community members allows for much faster return of test results to Nunavummiut.” The lab also delivers hands-on workshops and demonstrations to NAC students, researchers, and harvesters. NRI and NTI are now planning to utilize archived tissue samples for new research to better understand how walrus and bears become infected through their diet.
Ranging from the production of films and media in Inuktut, and the creation of a digital wayfinding tool, to the operation of a community-run Trichinella diagnostic lab, NAC demonstrates what is possible when a post-secondary institution places Inuit knowledge and community needs at the centre of its work.
Together, these initiatives demonstrate how NAC is not only advancing research and education, but doing so in a way that is deeply rooted in Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit and responsive to community needs. NACs work reflects a model where communities are not subjects of research, but leaders in knowledge creation and application. Through embedding cultural knowledge, building local capacity, and ensuring that research outcomes are returned to and benefit communities, NAC is contributing to stronger, more resilient Northern communities and shaping a more equitable and community-driven future for the Arctic.
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