Relationships First: Listening, Learning and Exploring the Ethics of Community Engagement
- Dylan Seidler
- Feb 20
- 6 min read
Updated: Apr 10
I came to Dalhousie’s as Master of Marine Management program with a strong desire to build upon my interests in collaborating with Indigenous communities to protect culturally significant species. As an environmental history major my undergraduate research had focused on the history and cultural significance of the southern resident orcas and Chinook salmon to Indigenous tribes in Washington state. That experience gave rise to my desire to continue focusing my work on supporting community-based initiatives to conserve and protect culturally significant species in partnership with Indigenous communities. As a Master of Marine Management student, I hoped to gain additional interdisciplinary skills related to science, policy and marine management to conserve and protect culturally significant species.
When I took a fisheries management course, I met Hekia Bodwitch who introduced me to a broad scale initiative known as the Sustainable Nunatsiavut Futures (SNF) Project. This 75-person project, co-led by the Nunatsiavut Government, and Dalhousie and Memorial Universities aimed to bring together Inuit research coordinators, outside researchers and partners to address marine based concerns surrounding a changing climate. What appealed to me most about the project was its emphasis on building relationships that would support marine-based research focused on specific concerns identified by both the Nunatsiavut Government and Inuit Research Coordinators from each Nunatsiavut community.
Caption: From Seidler et al., 2025 Nunatsiavut in relation to other Inuit territories (Oceans North, Inuit Nunangat, 2022). Right, a closeup of the five communities of Nunatsiavut in relation to neighbouring provinces (Arctic and Northern Studies: Nunatsiavut (Labrador), 2024).
Caption: The attendees of the first in person Sustainable Nunatsiavut Futures Project meeting, 2021 Halifax, Nova Scotia.
In Nunatsiavut, the Nunatsiavut Government has full authority over the research process. As noted in figure 3, it requires outside researchers to submit a proposal and obtain permission from the to the Nunatsiavut Government Research Advisory Council (NGRAC) for review prior to conducting research. This encourages more relationship-based approaches whereby the research decisions are made by, and for, the Inuit. As a result, areas of focus are more relevant to Nunatsiavut-specific concerns. Arctic research has a problematic, extractive history with researchers often arriving in the region with predetermined ideas. I was brought on board to address how we can form ethical and meaningful research partnerships. I hoped my work would also help illuminate ways to build meaningful relationships overall. As I describe the process below, I will outline key takeaways from my master’s project that I am applying to my work on Arctic char.
Caption: Screen capture of research application page of the Nunatsiavut Government. (Nunatsiavut Government 2025, https://nunatsiavut.com/research-applications/)
Flexibility: Shaping the Research to Fit the Context
The first thing I learned is the importance of being flexible with one’s research questions to ensure a project benefits the region. Without understanding the regional context, the questions become irrelevant. Therefore, open conversations are crucial. My initial research focus was on the term “knowledge co-production”, but during a project-wide meeting, it became clear that it did not resonate. A member of the Nunatsiavut government noted that knowledge is not produced; it is inherited and already exists. Following this initial presentation, I had a collective conversation with members of the Nunatsiavut Government staff and some professors at Dalhousie about how to ensure my project was relevant and beneficial to the region. It was decided that I would conduct a broad-scale project assessment by interviewing individuals involved or associated with the SNF project about community engagement and the extent to which this large initiative is connecting with community members.
By being open and willing to learn, I was able to shape my research effectively. Throughout this project I had to adapt. For example, I was conducting this project while COVID restricted travel to the region and consequently conducted all of my interviews virtually. This required a certain level of flexibility and required me to reduce the number of people interviewed due to technical limitations. Ultimately, I conducted 27 interviews Figure 4 provides a breakdown (Seidler et al., 2025, in press).
Caption: A break down of interview participants (Seidler et al., 2025)
Different Types of Projects will Require Different Levels of Engagement
Determining the level of involvement in your research requires key discussions with both government officials and community members. This also requires understanding the regional governance process. These interactions foster a deeper comprehension of the regional context, both historically and in the present. Understanding this context allows for reflexivity as a researcher and helps ensure that studies have tangible benefits. Much of the regional background depends on governance structures.
It is important to educate yourself about the history of the region within the particular area you will do research in. In my case, it was important to read The Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement and understand the history of Nunatsiavut's establishment. I was encouraged to take this step to gain additional knowledge due to the research process established by the research advisory council within the Nunatsiavut Government.
Relationship Building: A People First Approach
The most significant lesson I learned, both through the interviews and my own experience was the value of relationships. While this involves mutual respect, it should go even deeper. Having the humility to ask questions and be open is essential. At the end of the day, as a member of the Nunatsiavut Government noted, “Just talk to people.” This includes making time to build informal connections. If you are invited on the land, go and be open to new opportunities.
Within a large-scale project such as SNF, it became particularly important to focus on individual relationships and make time for informal connections. Building relationships determines project relevance for the community or communities involved in the research process. A project will not be meaningful if it is not connected to the people who live in the region. Relationships should be based on mutual understanding and trust.
It’s Not About the Research Project: Community Engagement is not Linear
It may sound counterintuitive, but relationships are more important than project completion. While academic institutions push students toward publication milestones, the impact on the community is paramount. Projects will be completed, but don’t hesitate to push back against formulaic methods. REBs and institutional funding can hinder students' engagement due to time or financial constraints (Seidler et al., 2025 in press). Following up, even remotely, and sharing results beyond publications is crucial. The NGRAC outlines the obligation to share results, but key community members and government officials should be involved throughout all research stages. Your personal connections will determine the impact you have on the community. Figure 5 provides some key themes, barriers, and solutions:
Caption: An outline of community engagement and broad takeaways (Seidler et al., 2025).
Working Around Academic Barriers
Funding and academic timelines can be significant barriers for students adopting flexible research approaches. This highlights the need for continued restructuring of funding institutions and academic processes to accommodate more on-the-ground community-based projects. While these structural challenges can seem insurmountable at times, it is essential to push back and adapt your project within given constraints. For instance, this interview project was conducted virtually due to COVID-19, and the limited timeline required the project's scale to be reduced accordingly.
Persistence
You may reach a point where you feel your research is complete. I urge researchers to take an additional step and ask whether the community has also benefited from their work. Consider how to develop collaborative outputs, which can take various forms such as radio shows, open houses, or joint papers.
The publication of my project took several years because I wanted to involve co-authors, including members of the Nunatsiavut Government staff and project members. The paper, entitled Reshaping Research Paradigms: Insights from a Large-Scale Project Based in Nunatsiavut, Labrador, Canada, synthesizes the interview findings and suggests broader applications for this work beyond Nunatsiavut (Seidler et al., 2025, in Press).
Carrying it Forward: Tying Values into Arctic Char and the Power of Partner Driven Research
Currently, my work focuses on integrating various data types to monitor Arctic char populations and support Inuit food security. However, the foundation of this work lies in relationships. The values of flexibility, persistence, humility, and creating tangible outputs for my project partners are key lessons I learned from my master’s studies.
Caption: My first time in Nunatsiavut during our knowledge sharing session. (© John Winters, Sustainable Nunatsiavut Futures Project 2023)
Bringing it Forward
Whether you are just beginning your career as a researcher or have been conducting research for years, self-reflection is always crucial. Research is fundamentally a learning process, and the more open and transparent you can be in your communication, the more valuable your project will become. This principle applies to any discipline. Even if you are merely taking a water sample, your actions will still affect the surrounding community. Additionally, you will find a more fulfilling experience in interacting and building relationships with community members while sharing knowledge.
For instance, during my first visit to Nunatsiavut at a knowledge-sharing session, I had the opportunity to ask Inuit fishers about perceived char colorations and the reasons behind them. They provided me with the knowledge that char likely vary in color due to their diet—the more shrimp they consume, the redder they appear.
Take the time to build relationships, because ultimately, the success of the project depends on the people who shape it. I am continuously learning, and that is the essence of research.
References
Sustainable Nunatsiavut Futures (SNF). 2020b. Academic slide deck—Full.
Nunatsiavut Research Centre. 2021. Nunatsiavut Government research advisory committee.
D. Seidler et Al. 2024. Reshaping Research Paradigms: Insights from a Large-Scale Project Based in Nunatsiavut, Labrador, Canada. Arctic, 77, 3 https://doi.org/10.14430/arctic80841
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