Indigenous Resilience and Self-Governance: Evaluating the Efficacy of Inuit Community-Led Search and Rescue Protocols
Authors
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Kate Anderson
Metropolis University
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Leo Thomas
Apex Research Institute
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Mia Jackson
Quantum Solutions Ltd.
https://orcid.org/0009-0000-0000-0000
Abstract
Conventional government-led disaster response models often suffer from slow mobilization and a critical deficit of local environmental knowledge when operating in Arctic regions. This research evaluates the efficacy of Inuit-led Search and Rescue (SAR) protocols in responding to marine and land-based emergencies across the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Through semi-structured interviews with 75 local SAR coordinators and a comparative analysis of historical response data, we demonstrate that local, culturally-attuned teams—drawing on Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ)—significantly outperform external federal agencies in initial response speed (by up to 60%) and resource-to-outcome effectiveness. The observed success is attributed to intimate geographical knowledge and established social trust networks. The study concludes that effective disaster aid policy must move beyond simple capacity-building and instead prioritize and formally integrate Indigenous sovereignty and leadership into official emergency response planning to ensure truly immediate and life-saving systems in the Arctic.
Copyright (c) 2025 Kate Anderson, Leo Thomas, Mia Jackson (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.