https://hdl.handle.net/10012/23661

Maria, R. P. (2026) Exploring Inuvialuit youth food security experiences and supports in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, University of Waterloo, https://hdl.handle.net/10012/23661

Background: The Inuvialuit Settlement Region (ISR) is in the Northwest Territories, Canada, and is the westernmost of the four Canadian Inuit regions. The ISR covers 906,430 km2 and includes six communities: Aklavik, Inuvik, Paulatuk, Sachs Harbour, Tuktoyaktuk, and Ulukhaktok. Today, Inuvialuit in the ISR are closely connected to and dependent on-the-land for physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional nourishment, which supports food security and well-being. Yet Inuvialuit youth face numerous barriers to participating in subsistence harvesting, and a growing body of literature documents a dietary shift away from country foods (CF) among younger generations. This is especially concerning as 69% of individuals aged 15 years or older in the ISR experience food insecurity. However, few studies have examined how Inuvialuit, including Inuvialuit youth, engage with CF and their relationships within the food web in relation to food security and well-being. While youth are the focus of the overall dissertation, Elders and families are also participants in this dissertation.
Objectives: The purpose of this dissertation is to explore the web of relationships and experiences that shape the participation of Inuvialuit youth in the CF system, including the connection to the natural world, culture, and others, in order to generate community-driven evidence that fills gaps in the literature. Moreover, this dissertation aims to centre Inuvialuit knowledge holders through the co-production of knowledge, and use community based participatory action research (CBPAR) to conduct equitable and community-driven research.

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