AMMASSAK – project part 2

Research leader: Aviaja Lyberth Hauptmann, Associate Professor, Ilisimatusarfik, Institute of Health & Nature

In collaboration with: Carsten Egevang, PhD, independent photographer and science disseminator

Research area, purpose, and research question:
In AMMASSAK, project part 2, the focus is on documenting the cultural-historical significance of the capelin (ammassaat) in Greenland. Through fieldwork carried out in Disko Bay in the summer of 2024, the contemporary use and cultural importance of capelin, as food, as well as dog food and bait for longline fishing, will be recorded.

The field work has two main activities:

1) Qualitative interview studies about the cultural significance of the capelin, and
2) Photographic documentation of ecological importance and methods used during the catching and drying of the capelin.

The results from project part 2, together with the other research in the AMMASSAK project, form the framework for the project’s disseminating activities to make visible the value of capelin as a Greenland food.

Methods for capacity building in Greenland:
Capacity building takes place through research and dissemination of social relevance, as well as the inclusion of students from Ilisimatusarfik, who are assigned a leading role in the project.

Dissemination plan:
The project’s plan for dissemination takes place on many different levels (academic, aimed at decision-makers, broad dissemination, etc.) and by using different platforms, including conference participation, articles, and book publication.

Granted: 99.600 DKK