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Erin Keenan is a Master’s student in the Marine Affairs Program at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø. In June and July, she completed her internship in Iqaluit and Fish-WIKS partner community Naujaat, NU, with the Government of Nunavut Department of Environment, Fisheries and Sealing division.  As the Master’s student for the Arctic component of the Fish-WIKS Project, she is conducting research on behalf of Fish-WIKS through its existing partnership with the GN and the community of Naujaat, NU.  Her work addresses the relationship between government-based narwhal management programs and the use of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (Inuit traditional knowledge) in community-based decision making about narwhal hunting in Naujaat, NU. Her internship involved one week in Iqaluit, where she met with representatives from the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board (NWMB), Nunavut Research Institute, and fellow Fish-WIKS Arctic associates Janelle Kennedy and Sarah Arnold (in Rankin Inlet), followed by four weeks of field research in Naujaat.

During her time in Naujaat, Erin met with the hamlet council and Hunters and Trappers Organization (HTO), and conducted interviews with a range of local narwhal management stakeholders about their views on changes in narwhal harvesting over time, working with Lucy Tegumiar, Fish-WIKS Community Liaison Coordinator. She was also able to participate in community events, including Canada Day and Nunavut Day celebrations and the official change of the community’s name from Repulse Bay to its Inuktitut name, Naujaat. At the end of her visit, she shared her preliminary findings and gathered community feedback through a presentation on the local radio.

After a ten day journey back to Halifax involving at least three cancelled flights, Erin is now compiling her final report which will identify opportunities for improving the relationship among communities, government management programs, and Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit. Her project will culminate in specific recommendations for the relevant management bodies (including DFO, the NWMB, and HTO) and will be completed by November 2015.