The Quebec Indigenous Science Fair (QISF) brought 80 students from 21 Indigenous communities to the Cree and Inuit communities of Whapmagoostui and Kuujjuaraapik March 18-20, an event co-hosted by the Cree School Board and Kativik Ilisarniliriniq.
This year marked the event’s 25th anniversary, which has been organized by the Quebec Aboriginal Science and Engineering Association (QASEA) since 1998. The science competition aims to foster innovation and scientific interest among Indigenous youth while promoting public speaking.
“I am really impressed by the quality of the projects,” said QASEA president Marc Lalande. “We see more and more projects related to culture and history. Students are proud to talk about their Elders’ knowledge. We need visibility for the good things happening in communities.”
Each school in Quebec’s First Nations or Inuit communities can register one team to advance from their local science fairs in five age categories ranging from Grade 5 to Secondary 5. Up to four grand winners from the QISF are chosen to move on to the Canada-Wide Science Fair, which will bring about 500 students from across the country to Fredericton at the end of May.
One of this year’s QISF winners, 13-year-old Ashton André Gauthier from the Naskapi community of Kawawachikamach, won second prize at last year’s national event. His current project was inspired by a report that poorly managed landfills have been traced to cancer in Indigenous community members.
“We took soil samples from the Schefferville landfill and by the local lake,” explained Gauthier. “Doing preliminary pH tests with water strips, we found more traces of heavy metals in the landfill’s soil and snow samples. When they burn tires in the summertime, you can smell the smoke on the wind.”
Errol Mianscum and Mark Petawabano, Secondary 3 students from Voyageur Memorial High School in Mistissini, were also selected to advance to the Canada-Wide Science Fair for their project called “Niibii: The Source of Life”. They found water sourced from Mianscum’s family trapline compared favourably to commercial water bottles.
“Out of all six samples, the cleanest was the water from Errol’s camp,” Petawabano told the Nation. “We had testing strips for various metals, minerals and gases. Kirkland water had above the limit of alkalinity – it showed how contaminated it is compared to our sources.”
The Cree students were proud to validate the assertion by Elders that water from some local lakes can be safely consumed without filtering. Before taking their project to New Brunswick, they plan to practice their presentation skills and may conduct more tests of bottled and lake water.
Petawabano said that “lots of places have clean water; you just have to know where to find it.” Through their project, the pair hopes more people will be encouraged to seek fresh water from local sources.
“Errol and Mark’s project was really evidence that traditional knowledge complements western scientific concepts,” said Cree School Board chairperson Sarah Pash. “They brought traditional knowledge about water that has been important to their families for generations into their project and produced really great results.”
Master of Ceremony Matt Iserhoff congratulated participants on their ability to take a fresh look at the science behind Indigenous knowledge. The other grand prize winner was Kawawachikamach’s Aiden-James Einish for his project analyzing Labrador tea’s anti-inflammatory power in arthritis management.
Ouje-Bougoumou’s Raylene and Kaylene Martinhunter won the Université du Québec Scientific Development Special Award, a community prize that supports scientific knowledge benefiting the entire student population of Waapihtiiwewan School.
Chisasibi student Henry Grimstead won first prize in the Grade 6 category for his project called “Exoplanets: The Search for New Worlds”. He searched for planets outside our solar system using NASA transit photometry software. Exoplanet detection has intensified interest in the search for extraterrestrial life.
“I found two possible exoplanets, the closest one is four light years away,” said Grimstead. “When there’s a light curve there could be a planet present. The curves weren’t that big, so they could be medium-sized or small.”
Among the other Cree entries were volcano projects from Nathania Brown and Piper Kawapit, Gilbert Swallow and Junayshia Voyageur’s chess project, Rory Henry-Felstead and Andrew Kitchen’s analysis of fires, and Nathaneal Brown’s study of the impacts of climate change on Arctic fox migration patterns.
“Hands-on science projects offer a powerful learning experience, allowing students to engage with Indigenous knowledge and recognize it as science,” stated CSB director general Caroline Mark. “I hope this process inspires our youth to explore their passion for science and pursue it further.”
The science fair was also an opportunity to explore the Cree and Inuit cultures of the host communities. Along with sports, crafting and movie activities, participants stood on the frozen Hudson Bay, tasted Arctic char and caribou, and watched the northern lights.
The closing ceremony featured Cree and Inuit traditional music, including throat singers, Inuit drumming and local fiddlers, while highlighting cultural innovations like the qulliq oil lamp. Pash noted that Indigenous people have always been scientists and researchers.
“We have our own technologies, medicines and knowledge that have been developed over generations of observation, innovation and experimentation,” said Pash. “It is wonderful to see our young scientists knowing they can empower themselves with their identity. Looking into culture for inspiration and strength is so important.”
With growing regional needs in health care, water planning and other science-based industries, the school board has expanded programming in coding, robotics and experimentation. Additional exam preparation support and higher-level math and science courses are encouraging more students to pursue specialized postsecondary programs.
“The provincial science fair allows our children a safe, nurturing and supportive opportunity to express themselves and get out of their comfort zones to share something that’s important to them,” Pash said. “It gives our children the opportunity to show their potential.”