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A Call to Action

Dr. Robert Way’s research program addresses the pressing need to understand climate change impacts within Indigenous Protected Areas. Protected areas are crucial for ecosystem stability and as refuges for vital species in the context of global change. Dr. Way’s work focuses on two alpine national parks in coastal Labrador—Torngat Mountains National Park (TMNP) and Akami-Uapishkᵁ-KakKasuak Mealy Mountains National Park Reserve (AUKMMNP)—which are stewarded by Labrador Inuit (TMNP & AUKMMNP) and Labrador Innu (AUKMMNP). These parks are vital for studying environmental changes in Arctic and Subarctic ecosystems and their effects on Indigenous cultural heritage and community resilience.

Dr. Way’s research program has three main objectives. It will investigate how culturally important landscapes and ecosystems used by Indigenous communities are threatened by environmental changes. Secondly, it will evaluate drivers of historical and ongoing changes to these sensitive areas within these parks. Thirdly, it will aim to anticipate and co-develop strategies to assess and mitigate future risks associated with environmental changes in TMNP and AUKMMNP. As the Canada Research Chair in Northern Environmental Change, Dr. Way employs field investigations, environmental modeling, remote sensing, and a network of remote climate stations across Labrador to monitor climate change and support climate adaptation initiatives. The research will integrate Indigenous knowledge with Western scientific methodologies to create a comprehensive understanding of regional environmental changes and contribute to community-led adaptation and resilience strategies that will empower communities and safeguard cultural heritage.