Are you the first CAFF Arctic Indigenous Canadian Youth Fellow?

  • Are you an Indigenous member of an Arctic coastal community in Canada?
  • Are you familiar with SIKU, or willing and interested to learn about it?
  • Can you work with Excel files and/or databases?
  • Are you interested in working with Indigenous Knowledge and science to help better understand changes in Arctic coastal ecosystems?
  • Have you or your community noticed changes in geese, ducks, seabirds, seals, fish, walrus, whales, shellfish and/or sea ice?
  • Have you or your community observed animals moving to different places? Are they eating different things? Do they come and leave at different times?
  • Are you or your community finding differences in the taste, texture, smell or colour of harvested meats?
  • Are you or your community changing your harvest and hunting practices to react to these changes?

Your knowledge and your community’s knowledge are incredibly valuable to the ongoing work of CAFF!

Who are we?

We are the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF), a working group of the Arctic Council, and we are seeking candidates for the inaugural CAFF Arctic Indigenous Canadian Youth Fellowship. We are planning for this unique fellowship to run from November 2023-March 2024. CAFF’s Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program worked with scientists and Indigenous Knowledge holders to develop an Arctic Coastal Biodiversity Monitoring Plan to monitor selected animals in the Arctic environment. We are now working to implement the plan in Canada and are looking for your help.

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for a young* Indigenous Canadian from an Arctic coastal community who is interested in working with SIKU to explore data from observations where permissions have been obtained. SIKU is the Indigenous Knowledge Social Network that facilitates self-determination in research, education and stewardship for Indigenous communities.

Information from hunters, people who process country foods, and others on the land is essential to understand how the environment is changing, and SIKU is one tool to explore how these valuable contributions could inform national and international efforts to understand how the Arctic’s animals, plants, and coasts are changing.

We are looking for someone who is interested in:

  • working with data from projects in SIKU where permissions have been obtained from project members,
  • cooperating with international partners, and
  • sharing recommendations about how Indigenous Knowledge and community observations could be used in international efforts while respecting data sovereignty.

What work will the Fellow do?

The Fellow will work with an advisory team to explore data from projects in SIKU where permissions have been obtained from project members. Data could include information on: geese, ducks, seabirds, seals, fish, walrus, whales, caribou, berries, shellfish, and other parts of the environment such as sea ice. The Fellow will explore these contributions and make recommendations to CAFF’s Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program to understand how the Arctic’s animals, plants, and coasts are changing.

The Fellow will develop a document which will be shared with the Arctic Eider Society, SIKU, the Inuit Circumpolar Council-Canada and CAFF.

How will the fellow be supported?

The Fellow will be guided by an advisory team which will be there to support the Fellow in their efforts and help make sure their experience is positive and enriching. Members of the advisory team include representatives from the Arctic Eider Society/SIKU, the Inuit Circumpolar Council-Canada, the CAFF Secretariat, and CAFF’s Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program. The Fellow is welcomed to join the Inuit Circumpolar Council’s CAFF work more broadly.

Payment and Travel

The Fellow will be compensated for their participation ($10,000 CAD) and join online meetings. Therefore, access to internet is needed.

The Fellow will kick-start their Fellowship with a two-day in-person workshop/training session with project partners in Ottawa on November 15-17, 2023.

The Fellow will also have the opportunity to attend and present their work in international gatherings such as at the Third International Conference on Ecosystem Approach to Management (EA) in the Arctic Large Marine Ecosystems in Tromsø, Norway April 16-18, 2024. International travel will require a passport. Travel will be supported.

Who can apply?

This opportunity is open to young* Indigenous members of Arctic coastal communities in Canada. Formal education is not a requirement; it is more important that you are passionate about being on the land, value Indigenous Knowledge, are interested in working with data and are interested in sharing with our organizations.

To apply please complete the application form below by November 1, 2023. If the form does not appear below then click on this link to apply

If you have any questions about the Fellowship please contact

We are happy to talk with you!

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