BIRGEJUPMI: bridging knowledge systems for inclusive, resilient, and prosperous Arctic coastal futures

The BIRGEJUPMI project aims to strengthen community engagement and relational environmental decision-making in Arctic coastal regions by bringing together diverse knowledge systems (Indigenous, Western, and local), grounded in a holistic, ethical, and equitable community-based approach to research with strong Indigenous leadership.

Empowering communities to use and develop their own knowledge is vital for fostering resilience, cultural preservation, socio-ecological well-being, and mobilizes coastal communities to address local challenges effectively while promoting social cohesion.

To this end, BIRGEJUPMI focuses on three Arctic areas: western Sápmi, northern Sápmi, and Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland), following three objectives: 1) document, revitalize, and integrate Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge-informed practices connected to marine and coastal resources management and conservation in fjord socio-ecosystems, and inform decision-making processes for coastal management and governance models rooted in Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK); 2) assess the environmental, socio-economic, cultural, and demographic changes experienced by Arctic coastal communities in relation to climate change adaptation and mitigation measures, focusing on young people's visions for a sustainable future and their involvement in regional, national and EU-level environmental decision-making; 3) investigate the transformative potential of sea- and landscapes as living archives to inform TEK-rooted resource governance and empower local institutions and knowledge centers to become open spaces for dynamic community-led research.

The role of Indigenous art, handicraft, and art-based methods is highlighted as they contribute to healing, reconciliation, and environmental coping mechanisms in Arctic coastal regions.

BIRGEJUPMI is grounded in Indigenous methodologies and adopts a Co-Production of Knowledge (CPK) and Two-Eyed Seeing approach to advance decolonial research and responsible policy.