Inuit, Facebook and Identity: challenges and opportunities - Alexander Castleton

Recently, political actors, scholars and companies have pointed out that the use of information and communication technology (ICT) by Indigenous people is fundamental for a diverse range of issues, such as for interpersonal communication, self-determination, or for fighting colonialism (e.g., Duarte, 2017; Carlson, 2017). Kevin Chan, Facebook Canada’s head of public policy, as well as Aluki Kotierk, president of Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, recently stated that Facebook is an important means of communication for Inuit. For instance, Facebook appears to be an important channel through which Inuit youth access rich hunting images that connect them to the land through their devices (Castleton, 2018). Furthermore, the discipline known as Science and Technology Studies (STS) has stressed for the last four decades that people and technology

mutually constitute each other, namely, that it is impossible to comprehend social reality without considering technology. In a world of increasing, ubiquitous ICT, in what ways does digital technology mediate Inuit culture and practices? This panel brings together a group of observers and researchers interested in exploring this question.