Ɂehdzo Got’ı̨nę Gots’ę́ Nákedı
Sahtú Renewable Resources Board

2014-2015 Health and Climate Change Print Email

The Sahtú Renewable Resources Board has partnered with the Tulít’a Ɂehdzo Got’ı̨nę, Chief Albert Wright School, and the Pembina Institute to identify how climate change is affecting people’s health, and what the community of Tulít’a and other communities in the Sahtú can do about it. The project is funded by Health Canada.

The project is intended to empower the young people of Tulít’a to lead the community in exploring these issues. Youth are being brought together with Elders, harvesters and other knowledge holders, to learn traditional knowledge and stories about dealing with climate, risk and change. Other elders and youth from Délı̨nę, Fort Good Hope, and Norman Wells will be sharing learnings from their own climate change and health adaptation projects, so the region can build some positive momentum towards a healthier and safer Sahtú. Youth will also have the chance to learn from climate scientists, and health practitioners/experts.

The communities of the Sahtú are experiencing climate change more rapidly and severely than most other parts of the world.  In Tulít’a, climate change impacts people’s health through warmer and more unpredictable weather patterns, by threatening harvesting practices and food security, by making travel out on the land more dangerous, and through risks to cultural health and people's relationship with the land generally.

Not only will the youth research these issues, they will come up with a strategy and concrete actions for the community to take to protect itself from health risks associated with climate change. The youth will also develop their creative abilities to communicate their proposed strategy to the rest of the community and beyond.

Project Team

Funder

Health Canada

Total Budget

$120,000