Search and rescue (SAR) operations on the water, land, and ice of Nunavut are challenging and complex. The austere environment, limited local resources, and close cooperation, coordination, and communication often required between a wide array of actors at the local, regional, provincial, and federal levels all create unique difficulties. The region’s vast size – over 3 million square kilometres – and cold climate combine to make time the enemy of all responders. The substantial distances involved in responding with Canadian Coast Guard icebreakers or Royal Canadian Air Force aircraft based in the South mean that the arrival of federal resources on the scene can take significant time.

Yet it is not only the vast space and distances involved that define search and rescue in Nunavut, but also its intimacy. The burden of search and rescue in the region largely falls on the shoulders of community responders who usually know the people for whom they are searching. Almost all have found loved ones deceased – from the cold, from accidents, or from self-harm. The toll of this trauma and tragedy on the mental health of community responders is extreme. These responders form the cornerstone of search and rescue in the region – but cracks are forming in this foundation that will only worsen without sustained attention, funding, and support.

The Nunavut SAR Project, which builds off the work of the Kitikmeot SAR Project, is a partnership between community responders, government practitioners, and academics with the objective of strengthening SAR prevention, preparedness, and response in Nunavut. To do so, we are exploring:

• SAR strengths and challenges
• SAR best practices and lessons learned
• Policies, plans, and procedures
• Mass Rescue Operations
• Infrastructure needs
• Future requirements
• Solutions and new approaches

ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ, ᓄᓇᓕᒥ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᖅᑎᑦ (SAR) ᑭᐅᔨᔩᑦ ᑲᒪᓲᑦ ᐊᒃᓱᕈᕐᓇᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᓂᒃ: ᐱᔨᑦᑎᕋᖅᑐᑦ 24/7 ᐅᓪᓗᑕᒫᑦ ᑭᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ  ᐱᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ, 365 ᐅᓪᓗᐃᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᒥ ᐊᑲᐅᙱᑦᑐᒥ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓱᒃᑲᔪᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᓯᙳᐃᓐᓇᖅᑐᖅ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᑎᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᕙᑎᒥ. ᐊᑦᑕᕐᓇᖅᑕᐃᓕᒪᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᑖᒃᑯᓄᖓ ᑭᐅᔨᔨᓄᑦ ᐱᔨᑦᑎᕋᕐᓂᐊᖅᑐᑦ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᕋᐅᑎᓄᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥᐅᓄᑦ ᐃᓅᓗᑎᒃ, ᐃᖏᕐᕋᓗᑎᒃ, ᐊᖑᓇᓱᓪᓗᑎᒃ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᓕᕆᓗᑎᒃ ᓄᓇᒥ, ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑐᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᒥᐅᑕᓄᑦ ᓱᖏᐅᑎᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᓯᓚᐅᑉ ᐊᓯᙳᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᓂᖓᓄᑦ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑐᓂᓯᓗᑎᒃ ᐃᓄᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓄᓇᓕᒥᐅᑕᓄᑦ ᐋᓐᓂᐊᖅᑐᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᓅᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ.

ᒫᓐᓇᓵᖅ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕐᓂᖅ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂ, ᐱᔾᔪᑎᖃᖅᑐᑦ ᐊᒥᓱᑦ ᑲᑎᙵᔪᑦ ᐊᒃᓱᕈᕐᓇᖅᑐᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᒥ ᑭᐅᔨᔨᑦ ᐱᔨᑦᑎᕋᖅᑐᑦ ᕿᓂᖅᑎᐅᓂᕐᒥᑦ ᓯᑯᒥ, ᐃᒪᒥ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓄᓇᒥᓗ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ: ᐊᒥᓲᓕᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᔪᓂᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᖅᑎᑦ  ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᐃᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᐅᑎᒋᓂᐊᕐᓗᒋᑦ ᐱᖃᓗᐊᙱᓐᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ, ᐃᑲᔪᕐᓗᓂ ᐊᑭᓕᖅᑕᐅᓇᓂ ᓴᐱᓕᕐᓂᖅ, ᓱᒃᑲᐃᔪᒃᑯᑦ ᑭᐅᓂᖅ ᑭᕙᑎᒥ−ᓇᔪᕐᕕᒃ ᕿᓂᖅᑎᑦ ᑎᒻᒥᓲᖅ. ᐊᑐᐃᓐᓇᐅᔪᒃᓴᐃᑦ ᓴᖅᑭᑎᑦᑎᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐅᐸᒃᑐᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐅᖅᓱᖅᑐᖅᑐᑦ ᐊᓯᙳᐃᓐᓇᖅᑐᖅ ᐸᕐᓇᐅᑕᐅᒍᓐᓇᙱᑦᑐᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᕚᓪᓕᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅᑐᖅ ᓯᓚᒥ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᐃᑦ − ᐅᒥᐊᖅᑐᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅᑐᑦ ᐅᐸᒃᑐᓕᕆᔨᓂᑦ, ᐃᖃᓗᒃᓯᐅᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ, ᐅᒥᐊᕐᔪᐊᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ − ᐱᕚᓪᓕᕈᑕᐅᔪᑦ ᐊᒥᓱᓂᑦ ᐊᑦᑕᕐᓇᖅᑐᓂᑦ ᐊᖏᔪᑦ ᑕᕆᐅᒥ ᐱᕋᔭᒃᑐᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᒥᓲᕙᓪᓕᐊᔪᑦ ᕿᓂᖅᑎᑦ ᐊᑐᐃᓐᓇᐅᔭᕆᐊᖃᖅᑐᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᒥ.

ᒥᐊᓂᕆᔭᐅᔪᑦ ᐃᓄᓐᓄᑦ ᓯᕗᓪᓖᑦ ᑭᐅᔨᔨᑦ ᕿᓂᖅᑎᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᓐᓄᑦ, ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅ ᕿᑎᕐᒥᐅᑦ ᕿᓂᖅᑎᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᐃᑦ (2019-2021) ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᒫᓐᓇ ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᕿᓂᖅᑎᑦ ᒫᓐᓇᐅᔪᑦ (2022-2025) ᑐᕌᖅᑐᑦ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᒋᓂᐊᕐᓗᒋᑦ ᑖᒃᑯᓄᖓ ᐊᒃᓱᕈᕐᓇᖅᑐᓄᑦ ᓴᙱᓕᖅᑎᑦᑎᓗᒋᑦ ᕿᓂᖅᑎᑦ ᐸᕐᓇᒃᓯᒪᓂᕐᒧᑦ, ᓴᖅᑭᑎᑦᑎᑦᑕᐃᓕᓂᕐᒧᑦ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑭᐅᔾᔪᑎᓄᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᒥ. ᐱᓕᕆᐊᕆᓂᐊᕐᓗᒋᑦ, ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑎᒋᓂᐊᖅᑕᕗᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᒥᐅᑕᐃᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᒐᕙᒪᑦ ᑭᐅᔨᔨᑦ ᕿᒥᕐᕈᐊᕐᓂᐊᕐᓗᒋᑦ:

• ᕿᓂᖅᑎᑦ ᓴᙱᓕᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᒃᓱᕈᕐᓇᖅᑐᑦ
• ᕿᓂᖅᑎᑦ ᐱᐅᓂᖅᐹᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᔪᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕈᑕᐅᔪᑦ
• ᓯᕗᓂᒧᑦ ᐊᑐᐃᓐᓇᐅᔭᕆᐊᖃᖅᑐᑦ ᕿᓂᖅᑎᓄᑦ
• ᐃᓱᒪᒃᓴᖅᓯᐅᕐᓂᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓄᑖᑦ ᐱᒋᐊᕈᑎᑦ
• ᓴᓇᓪᓕᕆᕕᓐᓄᑦ ᐱᔭᐅᔭᕆᐊᖃᖅᑐᑦ

Tahamani Nunavumi, Nunaliitni Kinniktiit (SAR-kut) kinnikhiayiiuyut arhuuknaktumik havaakakpaktot: upalungairhimainarhutik 24-nik ikakninik 7-nik ublut tamaat hatiomainaktot tamaaktokagangat, 365-nik ublunik ataohikmi ukkiumi tahamani ayurhaknaktomi kilaminoaklu hila alanguhakataktomi nunami. Hamna kayangnagaluaktitlugo hapkua kinniktiit hatkiumainaktot tatva taimatot hapkua Nunavumiut innutiagiangita munagivlugit, aullakatagiangita, tatvalo havakatagiangita nunainakmi, ikayokatagiangita nunakatimingnik ikpingnarhivaliatitlugo hilaap alangukpalianinga, tatvalo taimatot ikayotaovaliangmingmat inuknun nunaliitnun anniaktailitjutaitnik uvalu innutiakutirhaitnik.

Kangahaak naunaiyaiyut, kihiani, naunaiyaihimaliktot amihuyunik ayurhautigivagaitnik hapkua nunaliitni SAR-kut kinnirhiayokagangat hikkumi, imakmi nunamilu tahamani Nunavumi nunaitni: hapkuavalaat SAR-kuni amigaikpalianginaktitlugit tatvalu amigakpaliktitlugit ingilgatjutait, kinniktiit akiliktaohimaitomik havainarhutik unnagukatakmata, ungniitpalakatakmatalu hapkua kaplunaat nunainingaakataktot SAR-kut tingmitjutait. Nungulaitunik pivalialikiyiuyut hapkualo pulakataktulikiyiuyut havagiyait nallunakatalikmata tatvalu aklivalianginaktitlugit havagiyait – hapkuavalaat pullagiakataktut umiakpait, ikalurhiuktiit umiangit, hapkualu urhukjualikiyiit umiangit uhiiyut urhukjuarhaitnik nunaliit – taimaitmata amigaikutihimaliktot angiyunik tariukmi uiitayaaknaktunik ayurhaotaokataktoniklo tatvalo taimavalaak angiyumikpaliayot hapkua SAR-kut havagiyagiakaktait tahamani avikturhimayoni.

Hivuniktaovlutik hapkunanga Inuinait kinniktiuyuniit, ukkua Nunavumi Kinniktiit SAR-kut Havagiyat (2022-2025) tunnirhimayut ihuarhakpaliayumavlogit hapkua ayurhaotaokataktot pivaligahuaklogit hapkua SAR-kut hannaiyaotait, tammaktailitjutirhat, tatvalo kinnigiakakat kiutjutirhait tahamani avikturhimayoni. Taimaitniakat, tatva havakatigiyagiakaktavut hapkua nunaliit tatvalo kavamatkuni kinniktiuyut iliitkugivaligahuaklogit hapkuninga: 

• Kinniktiit SAR-kut hakkugingningit ayurhaotigikataktaitniklu
• Kinniktiit SAR-kut nakunirhauyot aturhimayait tatvalu illiitkugivaliotigiyait
• Hivunirhami piyagiakaktait havarhat hapkua Kinniktiit SAR-kut
• Ihuarhitjutikhait tatvalo notanik uktoktarhait
• Pikutaitnun ihoakutikhait ihagiagiyaoyut