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ABSTRACT New approaches to microbiology education are needed to ensure equitable representation in microbiology and to build literacy in microbiology and science broadly. To address this goal, we developed a course held at the collegiate level that uniquely integrated microbiology, Indigenous studies, science and technology studies, and arts and performance. The course participants included students in 12 majors across science, engineering, humanities, and arts. The different disciplines of the course intersected around Inuit fermented foods as the basis for discussions on fundamental microbiological principles, the scientific method, food sovereignty, and Indigenous peoples’ rights. A diverse array of activities was included, ranging from lectures in microbiology and fermentation, a sauerkraut-making lab, a walk through the Native American contemplative garden, a workshop on Inuit drum making and dance, as well as a performance by Inuit-soul group Pamyua. We propose that a radically interdisciplinary approach and a human rights framework in microbiology education can be a way to enhance microbiology and science literacy for a diverse group of students. 

Inuit communities have sustained themselves in the Arctic for millennia through systematic knowledges about and relationships with the ecosystem of which they are a part. Because of increasing reliance on global industrial food systems there is a growing lack of access to sufficient quantities of affordable, culturally significant, and nutritious food. Arctic food insecurity stems from multiple factors, including the loss of Inuit knowledges regarding traditional food production due to negative, deficit-based stereotypes that label those foods as unsafe or disgusting. Fermented foods are among those traditional foods that have been the most criticized, even though they provide a valuable source of nutrition and health benefits. The overarching long-term goal of the planning grant project is to support the resurgence of Inuit fermented foods by generating positive, desire-based messages that recognize and value the knowledge of Indigenous fermenters, thereby improving food security in Inuit communities. The planning grant performed activities to build foundations for an Inuit-led, self-sustaining, and collaborative network in Greenland to promote Inuit fermented foods and food safety. These efforts were also intended to lead to improved scientific questions that address the future and present needs of people in the Arctic from an Indigenous perspective. Data collected for this planning grant include images, interviews, audio recordings, video recordings, and transcripts from 17 individual interviews and group discussions. These data were collected during three trips to Greenland, including two trips to South Greenland (Nanortalik, Narsarmijit, and Nunarsuaq) and one to Nuuk, spanning May 2022 to August 2024. Stakeholders included community members (elders, children, tourists, chefs, fishers, and other community members), a director of a cultural center, and a food authority supervisor. The interviews and recordings were conducted to identify key themes and to assess the desire and need for additional research and resources. The summary enclosed explains the trips, meetings and interactions, and major project findings. Key findings include how Greenlanders connect foods and land (place) together. Another finding is the expressed need for more resources and support for Greenlandic food researchers who are rooted in their communities and recognize the value of local knowledge.