This research looks at the causes of search and rescue (SAR) and more broadly unintentional injuries on the land in Nunavut. We focus on SAR because of the health and cultural importance to being on the land. Further, SAR costs the Government of Nunavut roughly $850,000 annually and in 2015 represented over 450 individuals requiring assistance.

What is PAWS?

The People, Animals, Water, and Sustenance (PAWS) Project is interested in gaining a better understanding of the relationships Iqaluit Inuit have with dogs, water, and food. Currently there are gaps in our understanding of the interactions between dogs, water, and food in a Northern context. In-depth interviews on these topics coupled with sampling of dog feces, water, and clams will help us understand how these relationships interact together and how these relationships may be changing.

In 2005, Sheila Watt-Cloutier and 62 Inuit elders and hunters from Canada and the United States joined forces with environmental lawyers in the US and submitted a petition before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.