Northern Narratives: Building Co-Management Networks Through Storytelling
The goal of this project is to contribute to relationship-building and communication between the academic and
practitioner co-management communities in two northern regions: the Yukon and Labrador. It will result in a co-
produced series of twelve podcasts featuring co-management experts across the Yukon, alongside their
counterparts in Labrador. The podcasts will be a collaboration between Yukon University, Labrador Campus of
Memorial University, and the Torngat Secretariat, a co-management board in the Labrador Inuit Settlement Area.
For the academic and co-management institutions featured on the podcast, the opportunity to learn from one
another through meaningful discussions in an accessible setting offers a unique opportunity for truly authentic
relationship-building. The podcast aims to feature northern voices and share approaches, challenges, and
solutions, further contributing to the building of a northern co-management network of practitioners and
researchers. The project will result in twelve podcasts, each approximately 1 hour long. They will be posted to the the Co-
management Commons website and the following podcast platforms; Spotify, YouTube, Amazon Music, and Apple
Podcast, as well as the Yukon University website.
The tangible outcomes of the proposed activities are twelve, jointly produced podcasts featuring discussions with
Yukon based co-management experts. These podcasts will elevate the profile of the three partner institutions as
trusted sources of information and knowledge on co-management, strengthening their role as northern leaders in
co-management. This in turn is expected to contribute to future relationship-building opportunities with other
northern and Indigenous co-management institutions, as well as other UArctic members interested in co-
management.
The intangible outcomes of the proposed activities are equally significant. The process of creating and hosting a
podcast involving three institutions – YukonU, the Labrador Campus, and the Torngat Secretariat – is a
collaborative effort, the success of which relies on forming a strong relationship. Because the project partners each
bring their own network of relationships to the podcast, the cross-pollination of these networks will contribute to
strengthening relationships across academic and co-management institutions in different geographic regions. The
Yukon co-management institutions identified as proposed guests represent a broad range of Indigenous and non-
Indigenous communities, regions, and Indigenous authorities, each with their own unique insights and experiences
to share. Bringing these guests together with the podcast host(s), as well as with topic-specific co-management
experts in Labrador, broadens their opportunities for connecting through peer-based learning. Moreover, because
the podcast builds on an established podcast platform, there may be opportunities for continued collaborations
and relationship-building beyond the scope of the proposed twelve podcast series.
David Silas, Faculty Indigenous Governance will be the main YukonU participant in this project. He will work directly with the other partners (Dr. Jamie Snook) to select and interview Yukon guests involved in co-management and produce the podcasts. Dr. Bronwyn Hancock and Hillarie Zimmermann will provide administrative support to the project.