ONKN and SILA Partner to Bring Hunters’ and Fishers’ Knowledge into Biology Education

| 28. August 2026

Oceans North Kalaallit Nunaat (ONKN) and the SILA programme at Ilisimatusarfik, the University of Greenland, have entered into a new partnership to strengthen the role of fishers’, hunters’ and Indigenous knowledge in the education of future biologists in Greenland

As part of the partnership, ONKN is providing funding to support the 2026 PUISI course on seals. The funding will enable the course to place greater emphasis on working directly with hunters, providing compensation for their contributions, and developing new teaching materials.

It is essential that hunters and fishers are not simply treated as subjects of research, but are recognised as active contributors to education. That is why we have chosen to prioritise compensation and the logistics around the fieldwork

Jenseraq, Director of ONKN

The partnership is founded on mutual respect for academic knowledge, the experience-based knowledge of fishers and hunters, and Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge. The purpose is to bring these different knowledge systems together in the education of the next generation of Greenlandic biologists.

Both organisations recognise that different knowledge systems are equally valuable and complementary, and that bringing them together can strengthen both research and management. The partnership will therefore explore how different knowledge systems can coexist and be integrated, contributing to a more holistic and collaborative approach to knowledge creation and decision-making.

Thanks to funding from ONKN, SILA can put additional focus on those course activities that involve compensating participating fishers and hunters, supporting the logistics of fieldwork, and developing new teaching materials

Aviâja Lyberth Hauptmann, Head of SILA Department

ONKN will also contribute to the SILA programme through lectures and professional input on the sustainable management of marine resources, co-management, and the integration of Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge into research and resource management.

In 2026, the partnership will primarily focus on the PUISI course, which centres on seals. The course addresses current discussions among Arctic Indigenous Peoples about the use of seals and research related to seals.

Students will also take part in fieldwork alongside hunters, exploring topics including seal hunting, weather and ice conditions, seasonal variations, species identification and knowledge, and safety in the field.

The partnership will give students an opportunity to explore the anatomy and physiology of marine mammals alongside Indigenous knowledge, while also gaining an understanding of the cultural and economic significance of sealskin.

ONKN will further contribute expertise and experience from its work to integrate Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge into community-based monitoring and management, co-management processes, the development of management plans drawing on multiple knowledge systems, and the development of ethical guidelines for working with Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge.

Through the partnership, students will develop the skills needed to:

Recognise and respect different knowledge systems
Work ethically and respectfully with fishers, hunters and local communities
Integrate different knowledge systems into scientific research
Apply participatory and co-creative approaches
Contribute to interdisciplinary management informed by multiple knowledge systems

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