Plastic Pollution: Ottawa Funds Indigenous Research in the North

Eye on the Arctic
Posted: Wednesday, May 13, 2026 at 14:18
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A file photo of plastics in the ocean. Plastics are becoming an increasing concern around the globe. (iStock)

Minister of Environment Julie Dabrusin has announced a $2.4 million investment to study the impact of plastic pollution on Indigenous communities. Three of the six selected projects directly concern the Yukon, Nunavut, and the Canadian North.

Conducted over two years in partnership with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, this work aims to document the social, cultural, and environmental repercussions of plastic waste while drawing on traditional knowledge.

Initiatives Rooted in the Arctic

The funding will support specific projects aimed at protecting Northern ecosystems:

In the Yukon: Memorial University will collaborate with the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation to establish a community-led program to monitor plastic pollution in their waters and on their lands.
In Nunavut: In Arviat, a mapping project will assess the impact of plastics on food security and local well-being. The goal is to create an Inuit-led action plan that can serve as a model for other Arctic regions.
In the Circumpolar North: The University of Victoria will work with knowledge keepers and Northern artists to better understand the cultural significance of this pollution.

A blue microplastic fiber turned up on this glass fiber filter from the lung tissue of a beluga whale. (Greg Merrill Jr./Duke University Marine Lab)

Strengthening Local Autonomy

This investment fosters partnerships that combine scientific systems and Indigenous knowledge, stated Minister Dabrusin.

According to Environment and Climate Change Canada, the results of this research will guide the federal government’s future policy decisions as it works toward its goal of zero plastic waste by 2030.