A recognized need for growing Northern economies and safer personal protective equipment for Government of Canada employees: research for the National Research Council of Canada’s Indigenous clothing ensemble project

From National Research Council Canada

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Author	Search for: Schnell, Autumn¹
Affiliation	Western Arctic Youth Collective
Format	Text, Technical Report
Physical description	28 pages
Subject	Northern economies; Indigenous people; Arctic; clothing; craft producers; Indigenous knowledge
Abstract	This research examines the importance of Indigenous Knowledge for outdoor clothing in the Arctic. Government of Canada (GoC) employees are issued clothing such as Gore-Tex outerwear, boots, rainwear, underpants, cargo pants, and more as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to keep them warm while working in the North. These employees feel as though their issued clothing could be improved by the addition of Indigenous Knowledge, through incorporation of Indigenous-made clothing with their PPE. Through interviews with Indigenous craft producers in the Arctic, volunteers with the Canadian Rangers and the Coast Guard Auxiliary, as well as a survey to GoC employees, this project examined personal preferences for PPE, and construction, care and longevity for Indigenous-made clothing. This was carried out to see if clothing handmade by northern Indigenous craft producers provided superior protection in harsh weather, from personal experience with the clothing, versus issued / commercially-available clothing. This research argues that by the purchasing of Indigenous clothing by Canadian Government departments, Northern economies will be bolstered, GoC employees can be better supported in their work and the economies for artists and craft producers in the North can also be improved. This, in turn, could improve the quality of life for northern communities.
Publication date	2023-03-31
Publisher	Western Arctic Youth Collective
Note	Running title: Growing Northern Economies and Safer Personal Protective Equipment Prepared for: National Research Council of Canada and the Aurora Research Institute
Language	English
Peer reviewed	No
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Record identifier	877f0552-084c-4875-bb19-dedaaee89f50
Record created	2024-11-05
Record modified	2024-11-07

Date modified:: 2026-01-14