The Tuktoyaktuk Hunters and Trappers Committee is seeking six Inuvialuit community members for an international cultural exchange in New Zealand next spring.
Earlier this month, Māori knowledge holders from Aotearoa (New Zealand) visited Tuktoyaktuk for the first part of the exchange.
During next year’s trip to New Zealand, which takes place from April 26 to May 3, selected participants will learn about community-led monitoring of beluga whales and tītī – also known as sooty shearwater or muttonbird.
According to the Tuktoyaktuk Hunters and Trappers Committee, both species provide a good opportunity to understand regional connections as they “move across different regions and face pressures that require knowledge-sharing and coordination across communities, governments, and research organizations.”
“These species, along with many others in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region and Aotearoa NZ, are significant to the health and well-being of communities,” the committee wrote in a public notice.
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“As climate change, habitat loss and other pressures increase, communities that depend on these species are impacted.”
In New Zealand, participants will take part in activities on the land or water that are related to tītī harvest, along with wānanga – traditional spaces for knowledge sharing.
The notice stated that travel, accommodation and meals will be covered by Māori hosts. Moreover, each participant will receive a daily honorarium of $250 for the 10-day trip. A valid passport is required.
Those interested in participating in the exchange can email a letter of interest to the Tuktoyaktuk Hunters and Trappers Committee by August 13.
