Gyapay J (2022) Supporting Inuvialuit research capacity during COVID: Methods and experiences from virtual community researcher training in Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories. ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meeting (December 2022, Toronto). https://event.fourwaves.com/asm2022/abstracts/54c89088-1979-401a-9d4c-f8be7f6533e2

Canadian lockdown measures aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19 shifted how Participatory Action Research (PAR) studies with northern Indigenous communities were conducted given the predominant pause on research travel. Despite the inability of most researchers to collaboratively complete in-person research activities with community partners, the pandemic fostered greater research capacity within northern Indigenous communities. One such example was the hiring and training of local researchers to co-lead research activities in their community, promoting a PAR approach. Bridging the 'Learning from and enhancing Community Capacity for Climate Change and Food Security (C4FS) action in the NWT' and the 'Country Foods for Good Health: Developing a Country Food Database for the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (ISR)' studies, the present study sought to characterize and co-develop culturally relevant dietary messages about healthy and safe traditional and store-bought foods in the ISR. Given the study’s PAR approach and our inability to travel to Tuktoyaktuk in 2021, our team hired and trained a local Inuvialuk to lead qualitative storytelling and talking circle interviews in person with Elders, hunters, health professionals and residents from their community. This presentation will describe the methods employed to develop qualitative interview training materials for a community researcher in Tuktoyaktuk, the process of how virtual training was conducted, and the experiences of the academic and community researchers. Our creation of virtual training materials for a community researcher in Tuktoyaktuk has promoted increased research capacity within the ISR, supporting Inuvialuit self-determination in research both during and after the pandemic.

https://event.fourwaves.com/asm2022/abstracts/54c89088-1979-401a-9d4c-f8be7f6533e2