The ice has memory: food sovereignty, country food and land-based practices explored through resilient architecture in Gjoa Haven, Nunavut

Abstract

Land in the Arctic is dynamic, with its seasonal changes of freeze and thaw, light and dark, it is a transformative being. However, over the past decade, land has been shifting drastically in the north, global warming has begun to strip away the layers of, history, geology and culture, revealing an unfamiliar terrain to navigate for residing Inuit communities. The frozen terrain that makes up the permafrost and sea ice are beginning to thaw rapidly. And the physical ground, once thought to be stable, is becoming increasingly fluid. These radical transformations and conditions have created a cultural displacement for Inuit communities, who have relied generationally to be on the land to hunt, harvest, travel and live. As a result, the dire impacts of climate change have displaced the traditional ways of life and being on the land, specifically concerning the right to access culturally appropriate and nutritious food. Therefore, this thesis aims to explore how architecture can culturally respond and accommodate spaces for traditional land-based hunting, harvesting and wellness practices through resilient design frameworks.