“We don’t have the space”: Understanding the 'where' of community-based research in Arctic Canada

In this evolving era of community-engaged research, the knowledge, skills, and leadership of Arctic-based people and organizations are extremely sought after by visiting researchers. Many conversations have established the ‘what’, ‘how’, and ‘why’ of community-engaged Arctic research, leaving the ‘where’ as a much less understood area. While some aspects of research take place in the ‘field’ (the ice, the water, the land), a great deal of research activities require functional indoor workspaces (the office, the community centre, the library). Despite their involvement being in high demand, Arctic-based researchers often do not operate with the same infrastructure offered in traditional research institutions such as universities. Though sophisticated research spaces do reside in the Arctic, many are owned by southern-based institutions or governments. It is therefore important to understand where community-led research activities take place in the absence of access to formal research spaces. This case-study sought to explore and document the spaces in which community-based research activities take place in Pond Inlet, Nunavut, and how these spaces impact the community’s ability to take part in, and lead, research. Through interview, workshop, and photovoice methodologies, participants reported that a great deal of their research activities take place in the home. With Nunavut holding the highest rate of inadequate housing in Canada, this overlap implies a direct correlation between research activities, overcrowding, unaffordability, and insufficient infrastructure. This research presents a much-needed understanding of the current state of, and relationship between, physical research spaces and community-based research activities in Arctic Canada.