Another point of beginning Wayfaring method
I returned to Coral Harbour with high hopes of working with co-PI Leonard Netser on the development of a knowledge conciliation approach that would be based on western philosophies of knowing through wayfaring, and Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit on land-based wayfinding. We had started talking about such an approach after my last visit in the late summer of 2021 in our personal correspondences, and Leonard was very supportive and interested in the idea. He had told me that coming back in the spring would allow be good timing for him. I had furthermore anticipated that travelling to Coral Harbour alone, would also provide for a slower pace and less pressure from other project related activities like sampling.
Although Leonard was not much available in the 10 days that were meant to prepare the final workshops, he did connect me to three experienced hunters of the community to conduct a participatory mapping exercise, that would feed into the development of a wayfaring method towards knowledge conciliation.
We collaborated on developing a pilot interview guide that engages IQ through a focus on process, values, and land-based ways of doing/being, rather than outcomes or measurable data. The resulting interview guide focusses on understanding the land-based practice of navigating main routes and tracks across Southampton island.
We selected a specific route towards ‘Qakutaap’ to conduct pilot interviews. Four interviews were conducted with experienced hunters and skilled navigators (Jonathan Emiltowik - Innuapik Ell - Harry Gibbons – Leonard Netser) in the week between 24 and 28 october, 2022.
The information that was shared was processed by Saskia into a paper prototype of a seasonal calendar which could potentially be further developed into a future communicative/planning tool for Southampton Island residents and Southern researchers seeking community-based collaborations on polar bear monitoring.
Image calendar prototype
Return to Cut 3: Wayfaring the BearWatch Project