Important Terms

Understanding policy issues and proposals can be hard! Here are some important terms we use throughout the website and their definitions.

 

The Arctic: the northernmost region of the world. The Arctic has many different boundary definitions, but the most popular one is everything above the 60th parallel north latitude.

Inuit: the group of peoples native to the Arctic regions of Canada.

Hard infrastructure: a facility or building that can be physically built that is necessary for the operation of society. ex: roads, power grids, hospitals, etc.

Soft infrastructure: non-physical services, like knowledge or trainings, that are necessary for a functioning society. ex: suicide prevention training, doctors, doulas, etc.

Traditional knowledge: the centuries-long, collectively built understanding among indigenous communities regarding how best to care for themselves and the world around them.

Legibility: the ability of states to govern and monitor their land, especially more remote territory.

Telehealth: a way for doctors and other medical professionals to conduct visits and consultations over the phone or internet.

Infant Mortality Rate: often referred to as IMR, it’s the number of infant deaths per one thousand live births.