Polar Knowledge Canada wants your input on research plan

These large sculptures of a polar bear and an Inuk hunter are on their way to being installed at the Canadian High Arctic Research Station in Cambridge Bay. A public call-out from Polar Knowledge Canada offers you the chance to provide direction to the federal agency that manages CHARS. (PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA)

What do you think Polar Knowledge Canada’s research should focus on? That’s what the federal agency responsible for the Canadian High Arctic Research Station in Cambridge Bay wants to know.

Polar Knowledge Canada’s online survey, available in English and French, asks you to answer such questions as “What do you think Polar Knowledge Canada can do better to support the documentation, archiving and sharing (when appropriate) of Indigenous knowledge?” and “How can Polar Knowledge Canada better support and assist in removing barriers that may limit the full and respectful recognition of Indigenous knowledge as a valid way of knowing?“

The results are intended to help Polar Knowledge Canada develop its next five-year research plan and guide its future funding, programs and activities from 2020 to 2025, the agency said.

Overall, Polar Knowledge Canada says it wants to:

• Advance knowledge of the Canadian North in order to improve economic opportunities, environmental stewardship and the quality of life of its residents and all other Canadians.

• Promote the development and dissemination of knowledge of the other circumpolar regions, including the Antarctic.

• Strengthen Canada’s leadership on northern issues.

• Provide a research hub at CHARS.

If you want a say in how Polar Knowledge Canada can do that, you have until May 31 to provide your ideas.

You can access the call for input online or send a message to info@polar.gc.ca or call 1-613-943-8605.