The Arctic region is a testing ground for how societies, ecosystems, and species can adapt—or fail—in the face of rapid transformation. Climate change, overtourism, and shifting multispecies relations are reshaping landscapes, livelihoods, and cultures, often bringing them into conflict.
International and cross-cultural cooperation in Arctic research depends on mutual respect, ethical engagement, and the recognition of Indigenous knowledge as a knowledge system in its own right.
The Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) defines Indigenous knowledge as generational knowledge — passed from elders to younger generations through practice, stories, and lived experience. This form of knowledge is deeply rooted in doing and observing, not only in speaking or theorizing, emphasizing collaboration “with, not about” Indigenous communities, the sharing and co-production of data, and ensuring that Indigenous partners retain control over how knowledge is used. The Sámi Council encourages researchers to adapt methods, timing, and communication to local contexts — for instance, aligning schedules with reindeer herding seasons, supporting interpretation in Sámi languages, and building long-term trust. Knowledge that is place-based, such as sacred sites or foraging areas, must be handled sensitively and always under the control of local knowledge holders.
In this complex setting, the NordForsk-funded SPECIES project bring forward new ways of working with local and Indigenous knowledge. The project explores how multispecies conflicts, from reindeer management in Norway to polar bear encounters in Greenland, can be understood not only as ecological dilemmas but as cultural ones.
This effort represent a wider shift in Arctic research: from studying Indigenous communities to working with them as equal partners, ensuring that research strengthens Indigenous cultures, languages, and self-determination while deepening our understanding of the Arctic as a shared home.
Key questions:
- How can Indigenous and scientific knowledge systems work together to reframe conflicts over species, land, and resources?
- Can we create models of co-research and co-governance that are both sustainable and just?
- Whose knowledge counts when deciding the future of the Arctic?
This event is hosted in collaboration with UiT- The Arctic University of Norway.
Speakers
Sara Olsvig, Inuit Circumpolar Council
Aile Javo, Saami Council
Hanna-Máret Outakoski, Professor, Sámi University of Applied Scineces
Jørgen Berge, Pro Rector for Research, UiT The Arctic University of Norway
Moderator
Torjer Olsen, Professor, UiT The Arctic University of Norway
