IJCH – COVID-19 in the Arctic: special issue

ABSTRACT

The Circumpolar region, comprising the Arctic territories encircling the North Pole, is home to diverse Indigenous cultures facing unique socio-economic challenges. Indigenous communities such as the Inuit, Sámi, Athabaskan, Gwitchin, and Russian Arctic groups exhibit rich traditions and adaptive practices tied to their environments. Environmental diversity, from icy tundra to boreal forests, influences livelihoods and biodiversity, while significant socio-economic disparities persist, impacting access to healthcare, education, and economic opportunities. Against this backdrop, the global COVID-19 pandemic accentuated the intersection of environment, culture, and health in remote Arctic regions, presenting distinct challenges and opportunities. Initiated by a collaborative research project led by Fulbright Arctic Initiative Alumni, this special issue of the International Journal of Circumpolar Health explores the impacts of COVID-19 on Arctic Indigenous and rural communities. Building on previous work and recommendations, the issue features community case studies, highlighting community experiences and collaborative approaches to understand and address the pandemic’s effects. The authors highlight both positive and negative societal outcomes, presenting community-driven models and evidence-based practices to inform pan-Arctic collaboration and decision-making in public health emergencies. Through sharing these insights, the special issue aims to privilege local and Indigenous knowledge systems, elevates community responses to complex and multifaceted challenges, and contributes to the evidence base on global pandemic response.

KEYWORDS:

• Indigenous
• inuit
• sámi
• Arctic
• COVID-19
• Community-based research
• collaborative approach
• local knowledge
• case study
• pandemic

Introduction to the issue

The Circumpolar region encompasses the Arctic territories surrounding the North Pole. Diverse Indigenous cultures, languages, and socio-economic conditions thrive within this vast expanse, including regions of North America, Europe, and Asia. Indigenous communities, such as Inuit, Sámi, Athabaskan, Gwitchin, and Russian Arctic Indigenous groups, exhibit unique traditions, languages, and adaptive practices embedded in place and environment [1]. Environmental conditions vary widely, from icy tundra to boreal forests and coastal regions, influencing livelihoods and biodiversity [2]. Socioeconomic factors, including access to healthcare, education, and economic opportunities, also exhibit significant disparities. Acknowledging this heterogeneity is crucial for crafting inclusive policies and sustainable development in this ecologically vital region.

In the vast Arctic, where communities are scattered across landscapes and waters, the impact of pandemics reverberates with unique intensity. The intersection of environment, culture, and health in remote regions presents distinctive challenges and opportunities, particularly in the face of the global COVID-19 pandemic [3–5]. As we gather insights from diverse corners of the Circumpolar North, this special issue of the International Journal of Circumpolar Health delves deep into community case studies, exploring the intricate tapestry of experiences and responses to COVID-19 among Arctic peoples.

This special issue was initiated as the result of a collaborative research project proposed to the Sustainable Development Working Group of the Arctic Council early in the COVID-19 pandemic, to track and explore the impacts of COVID-19 outbreaks and related public health policies on Indigenous and rural communities in the Arctic. The collective of scholars leading the project built on previous work by the Fulbright Arctic Initiative Cohort II publications on monitoring health and well-being in the Arctic and their collective recommendations across nations and communities [6,7]. The special issue also builds on the IJCH special issue on Collaborative Approaches to Wellness and Health Equity in the Circumpolar North published in 2019, by privileging articles with collaborative approaches at the forefront of the work [8]. The project brought together 16 scholars in the 8 Arctic countries in the first phase of the project and 14 scholars across 7 Arctic countries continued in later phases of the project with the addition of community researchers, students, and early career investigators.

Focus of special issue

Historically, Indigenous communities in the Arctic have borne the brunt of pandemics, experiencing disproportionately higher mortality rates compared to southern counterparts. Yet, embedded within these communities is a wealth of knowledge honed over generations, offering invaluable guidance in navigating the complexities of infectious diseases. It is this resilience, rooted in Indigenous and local knowledges, that was the catalyst for the studies featured in this special issue, which aims to present research on programmes and policies that impacted Arctic peoples during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The goal of the special issue is to share a series of papers highlighting the positive and negative societal outcomes associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in Arctic communities. Specifically, the authors highlight community-driven models and evidence-based promising practices and recommendations to inform pan-Arctic collaboration and decision-making in public health during times of global emergencies.

Editorial team

The editorial team consists of three Fulbright Arctic Initiative (Cohort II) scholars from Canada and the United States.

• Dr Gwen Healey Akearok, Qaujigiartiit Health Research Centre, Nunavut (Canada). Healey Akearok is originally from and continues to raise her family in Iqaluit, NU. She has more than two decades of experience as a community health researcher, advocate, and educator, working in service to her home community in Nunavut, and collaboratively across the Arctic and throughout the Circumpolar Region. As the Executive and Scientific Director of the Qaujigiartiit Health Research Centre, she works to elevate Inuit methods and pathways to wellbeing into systems and spaces.

• Dr Elizabeth Rink, Department of Health and Human Development, Montana State University (USA). Rink is a Professor of Community Health who conducts mixed methods, community-based participatory research with Indigenous communities in Montana and Greenland to address the social determinants of reproductive health. She focuses on diverse systems in the human ecology and influences on reproductive health, ethical practices in research, and developing innovative intervention models.

• Dr Josee Lavoie, Director of Ongomiizwin Research, University of Manitoba (Canada). Lavoie is a researcher with over 30 years of experience working in partnership with Indigenous communities and organisations to improve Indigenous peoples’ access to health services. Lavoie’s research partners include First Nations, Inuit, and other Indigenous Peoples across Canada, in Alaska, Norway, Colombia, Australia, and New Zealand.

Papers were invited that answered the following questions:

1. How has Indigenous and/or local knowledge been integrated with recommended/mandated public health measures to address the COVID-19 pandemic?

2. What coping strategies did Arctic communities engage to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic?

3. What can we learn from community case studies to inform policy and programme implementation now and in the future?

Articles were submitted and independently peer-reviewed for the issue. The article about public health measures in the Arctic countries was additionally reviewed by leading public health professionals and policymakers in each of the regions discussed in the paper.

These articles build on previous pan-Arctic collaborative research conducted before the pandemic [7], in which a framework was presented that encouraged knowledge keepers, community members, researchers, and decision-makers to identify factors operating below the surface of epidemiologic indicators – to ‘dive deeper‘ to understand the strengths and contextual factors that support health and well-being in Arctic communities [6].

Public health measures and approaches implemented across the Arctic

Across the Arctic, the pandemic unveiled a diversity of responses shaped by a myriad of factors. National policies, ranging from social distancing mandates to travel restrictions, were implemented with the aim of curbing the spread of the virus. An overview of these policies is shared in the first article in this issue. The effectiveness of these measures, however, was dependent upon their alignment with the unique socio-cultural contexts of Arctic communities as explored in the paper presented by Peterson et al. Countries saw varied case rates associated with local protocols, governance, and population. Still, almost all regions maintained low COVID-19 case rates until November of 2020. This review details the various restrictions, health mandates, and transmission mitigation strategies imposed by governments in eight Arctic countries (the United States, Canada, Greenland, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Iceland, and Russia) during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, through 31 January 2021.

Diverse and mixed-method approach to multi-site case studies

At the heart of this inquiry lies the imperative of amplifying community voices and elevating narratives that capture the lived experiences of Arctic residents amidst the pandemic. Through a series of case studies that build on several diverse methodologies which are described separately in an article in this issue, the contributors to this special issue focused on communities across the Arctic, delving into the intricate web of challenges and successes encountered during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mixed-method approaches are vital in Indigenous and community-based research approaches in the Arctic for several reasons including (but not limited to) the flexibility to be responsive to cultural protocols and worldviews, the potential to develop a more comprehensive understanding of complex and multifaceted issues, ensuring community engagement and empowerment in study design, addressing current and historical power imbalances in research design, analyses, and data ownership, and ensuring ethical considerations are addressed throughout the project.

Exploring impacts of national policies at the local level

Historically, top-down approaches from nation-states failed to consider the nuanced needs of Indigenous peoples, imposing blanket policies that did not resonate with local realities. The delicate balance between safeguarding public health and respecting the autonomy of remote and Indigenous communities underscores the complexities inherent in pandemic response efforts. The articles in this issue seek to shed light on the tensions between centralised directives and community-driven initiatives, offering insights into pathways for collaborative decision-making rooted in mutual respect and understanding.

The papers by Timlin et al. shed light on communication pathways during the pandemic, as well as geopolitics of border control and impacts of such policies on family relationships and livelihoods in northern Finland. These papers highlight how national policies are felt and experienced at the community level, which can help inform future decision-making in the region.

The article by Nilsson et al. highlights the challenges experienced by Sámi in Sweden during the pandemic, particularly diminished language revitalisation, fewer cultural gatherings, and increased burden of land use from populations leaving urban areas for rural communities, while also highlighting some emerging innovations in communication and digital platform use to fill in the gaps.

Local knowledge systems and resilience

The articles in this special issue draw upon and honour local knowledge systems and highlight where communities embraced flexibility and adaptability as cornerstones of their response strategies. Whether through the revitalisation of ancestral practices or the harnessing of modern technologies, Arctic residents demonstrated a remarkable capacity to weather the storm, emerging stronger and more resilient in the face of immense global upheaval. Strong themes throughout the articles include communication, close cooperation, and relation to the land, environment, or nature. Universally, local adaptation strategies and community solidarity were critical for mitigating the pandemic’s impact.

The article by Rana et al. highlights community perspectives on challenges, strengths, and resilience during lockdowns and the revitalisation of Inuit knowledge and practices that protected the community while also shedding light on underlying determinants of health in Nunavut, Canada.

Cueva et al. discuss the experiences of people in two Southwestern Alaska communities, highlighting grief and a loss of social cohesion due to the pandemic integrated with resilience and thriving, such as appropriate and responsive local governance, revitalisation of traditional medicines, and coming together as a community to survive.

Johansdottir et al. explore the repercussions of COVID-19 in Iceland’s Westfjords region and the community’s response. They highlight how the pandemic affected local economies, healthcare systems, and social dynamics and showcased resilience through collaborative efforts, such as volunteer initiatives and adherence to public health guidelines.

Conclusion

The shared vision statement for the Lancet Commission on Arctic Health, which is co-lead by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars states:

Those of us living in the Arctic have adapted to our unique environment due to a profound, intimate relationship that we have to the lands, territory, and diverse resources. The lands, coastal seas, sea ice, and animals reflect highly complex, interrelated, interconnected and indivisible ecosystems that have sustained Indigenous peoples of the Arctic for centuries and form the basis of our way of life and world perspective, including spiritual dimensions. When one is impacted, all are impacted.

• Lancet Commission on Arctic Health And Wellbeing Shared Vision Statement [9]

In conclusion, addressing the impact of COVID-19 in the Arctic and preparing for future emergenices require a multifaceted and collaborative approach that recognises the unique strengths and vulnerabilities of the region. This special issue highlights several key considerations for effective Arctic responses to emergency preparedness and response. By building on previous research and focusing on priority areas, policymakers and stakeholders can work towards mitigating the immediate and long-term consequences of the pandemic in the Arctic and building resilience for future crises. As we embark on a continued journey of understanding, we are guided by a commitment to amplifying Indigenous voices, fostering dialogue, and cultivating cross-cultural understanding. By centring community narratives, we aim to illuminate the path forward, forging new alliances and charting a course towards a healthier, more resilient Arctic. In doing so, we honour the rich tapestry of cultures that call the Circumpolar North home, celebrating the resilience, strength, and ingenuity that define the human spirit in the face of adversity.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

Funding for the special issue and the collaborative research project highlighted in these articles was provided by the Government of Canada.