The project explores seven conflicts surrounding iconic Arctic species in three representative countries: 1) Reindeer, King crabs, and Wild ducks in Norway; 2) Lapland cattle and Baltic seals in Finland; and 3) Polar bears and Muskoxen in Greenland. In each case, we bring together several researchers from diverse fields (anthropology, biology, ecology, technology studies, genetics, audio-visual art) and put them in dialogue with local and/or indigenous stakeholders connected to each site.
Together, they will co-research the conflicts and highlight the similarities and differences between their perspectives, connecting this to different environmental and multi-species ontologies. We will create a framework for the co-creation of knowledge through interdisciplinary co-research, to facilitate the mutual understanding of each conflict, share knowledge across perspectival boundaries, and identify common points of agreement to impact sustainability.
Building upon indigenous and decolonial methodologies, we will host a series of participatory workshops to identify common goals. These will be led by our local and indigenous partners highlighting the relevance of their knowledge and practices for sustainable resource management, while the researchers will show the potential of their findings for local solutions. We will facilitate mobility of researchers and local/indigenous partners between sites to facilitate communication and knowledge exchange adding Arctic, Nordic, and Indigenous Value. In the process, we will build alliances between science, art, and local/indigenous stakeholders to better promote sustainability and encourage more culturally sensitive multi-species relations in the Arctic.
