Grant: Project Grant

Indigenous connections with the Land are essential and critical to cultural identity, sovereignty and well-being. The intergenerational loss of this connection and the harmful effects of colonial policies related to residential schools, foster care and the inequities in the Canadian health system has impacted the health and wellness of Inuit, Dene and Cree youth. Land-based learning and healing programs are opportunities for youth to reclaim and strengthen cultural practices and connections. The Land holds tangible evidence (archaeological sites and artifacts) of the thousands of years of Inuit, Dene and Cree presence along the coast of the Hudson Bay at Churchill, MB. The narratives, knowledge, evidence and experiences that cultural heritage retains can have a role in a strength-based approach for youths' repossession of the Land. This research will specifically explore what role cultural heritage and archaeological sites on the coast of Hudson Bay can have as part of Land-based programs. We will determine if cultural heritage in land-based healing programming can contribute to wellness and leadership development of Inuit, Dene and Cree youth, to cultural heritage sovereignty for Inuit, Dene and Cree communities, for the creation of processes and protocols for culturally appropriate cultural heritage management and to reconciliation work and increased knowledge among non-Indigenous cultural heritage managers and researchers. We will create, implement and evaluate a combined Land-based healing and cultural heritage program so that youth will discover for themselves how people engage and engaged with the Land. With community partners and organizations our research program will revitalize interest northern culture heritage to build social capital and Inuit, Dene and Cree sovereignty, promote knowledge sharing and create an environment ripe for systems change.