Can DNA technology help the indigenous people of the Arctic improve their lives?

More than three quarters of adults in Inuit Nunangat are facing food shortages, a proportion that is more than six times the national average in Canada. This statistical data not only reflects the scarcity of food supply in the market, but also the impact of the destruction of the Arctic ecosystem on traditional food supply.

First of all, the main food source for many indigenous people in this area is Arctic wildlife, such as musk oxen and reindeer. The connection between the Inuit people and the land, the ocean and animals is crucial to their physical, mental and spiritual health. However, climate change has not only disrupted the Arctic ecosystem but also threatened the traditional food sources and well-being of the Inuit people. Climate change also affects the health, sustainability and safety of major species in the Arctic, such as musk oxen, beluga whales and other land and Marine animals. The migration of southern species to the north, the arrival of invasive species and winter rainfall are just a few examples of climate-related phenomena that change the health and distribution of Arctic species.

Currently, scientists are exploring how to use DNA to ensure food security for Arctic wildlife and indigenous people. By holding workshops, they aim to create Spaces in Arctic communities for the elderly, hunters, animal hunters, and other community members and stakeholders, including scientists, to share knowledge, stimulate dialogue, and guide research. Based on the community-based seminar model, it has been expanded with the Arctic Genomics Team in a hybrid format, which prioritizes face-to-face, cultural-based conversations while also enabling remote connections with Western scientists from all over the Arctic. This approach enables a more in-depth discussion of DNA-based tools, including listening to experts' opinions, reviewing their usage examples, discussing their applicability to priority concerns, assessing cultural relevance and acceptance, and determining methods for protecting biological and cultural properties.

Furthermore, genomics and DNa-based approaches provide powerful tools for understanding biodiversity and emerging diseases. However, without the participation of the community, these methods might be divorced from the actual needs. At the seminar, the elders recalled how their ancestors interpreted the land through the behaviors of animals such as the Uminmak (musk ox) and the Tuktu (reindeer), and used generations of observations to predict environmental changes. Nowadays, hunters have to travel increasingly long distances to find musk oxen, which reflects the deepening impact of climate change. These dialogues and questions are precisely the ways through which traditional knowledge, values and life experiences can be shared. People thus realize that understanding not only transcends language, cultural and geographical barriers, but also exists between traditional knowledge and Western science.

For a long time, Western scientists have provided insufficient consultation, conducted excessive research and exploited indigenous communities. Meaningful cooperation requires a long-term mutually beneficial partnership. Holding community workshops is one way to establish such partnerships, and collaborating with other scientists who are actively involved in community affairs is another way. However, like any relationship, building trust takes time. Community collaborative DNA research not only ensures that knowledge is put into practice through cooperation, but also ensures that the concepts of genomics and genetics become part of the autonomous decision-making of the Inuit people. At the seminar, by integrating different knowledge systems and knowledge holders, other species such as Arctic willows, ravens, slugs and mosquitoes were linked to the health and well-being of musk cattle.

Meanwhile, the symposium generated a list of species whose genomes were prioritized for sequencing, which are beneficial to the health of musk cattle populations. It has helped establish new connections among hunters, animal catchers and scientists to collect samples for genomic sequencing. This is an example of the outcome of the seminar, which clarifies how DNA-based tools can assist in wildlife monitoring and co-management. This process helps ensure that the research is relevant to the local area and rooted in the research region.

Overall, the DNA research led by the Inuit and based on communities, which integrates traditional and Western knowledge, provides a powerful and scalable model for addressing the changing food security issues in the Arctic region. This research combines culture-based science with an indigenous perspective, aiming to protect the Arctic ecosystem and dietary structure, maintain cultural identity, and empower future generations.