5 projects vie for $1M Arctic Inspiration Prize

Five projects from across the North have been named finalists for a $1-million investment through the 2025 Arctic Inspiration Prize.

The finalists were announced in a news release Tuesday.

The Arctic Inspiration Prize awards millions of dollars each year to projects in education, health, culture, arts, language, science, traditional knowledge, climate change and the economy. Aside from the $1-million prize, it also awards up to four prizes of up to $500,000 each and up to seven youth prizes of up to $100,000 each.

In total, the prize will be awarding $3.7 million in funding this year.

In the $1-million category, there are two projects from Nunavut, one from the N.W.T., one from the Yukon and one that spans Nunavut, Nunavik and Nunatsiavut.

The Qajuqturvik Community Food Centre in Iqaluit is proposing a food sovereignty project that would employ Inuit hunters so the food centre could offer locally harvested country food.

In the Kivalliq, a project nominated by Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. would train people to collect environmental DNA — referring to the genetic material creatures leave when they move through an environment — in an effort to have more Indigenous experts monitoring the environment in the territory.

AsSearch-and-rescue project for Nunavut, Nunavik and Nunatsiavut is another that’s vying for the top prize. Called the Ujjiqsuiniq Search and Rescue Readiness Training Program, this would focus on reducing the amount of youth involved in search-and-rescue cases by offering them training.

A project from Yukon First Nations called Bibia Nàtsät Ku would open a house in Whitehorse where Yukon First Nations and midwives could offer sexual and reproductive health care, including birthing services. It would also offer training for Indigenous students.

The fifth project, Tłı̨chǫ Worlds, would be a virtual reality project for youth in Whatì, N.W.T., to learn language, traditions and land-based skills.

The winner will be announced on May 13.

Related stories from around the North: 

Canada: Northern projects net $3.2 million funding boost from Arctic Inspiration Prize, CBC News

Finland: Everyone encouraged to boost Sami language visibility in Finland, Norway and Sweden this week, Eye on the Arctic

United States: Inuit leaders applaud UN move to designate International Decade of Indigenous Languages, Eye on the Arctic