2010-2011 Nunavut Implementation Panel: Annual Report

Building Understanding of the NLCA

In the course of the year, a number of presentations were made on the negotiation and implementation of the NLCA. These included a speech by NTI Acting President James Eetoolook on the topic of improving intergovernmental relationships. The speech was given at the Yukon Assembly of First Nations' Conference in Whitehorse in September 2010. Acting President Eetoolook also made a presentation during that conference about relations with industry. As well, NTI staff delivered a joint workshop presentation on Aboriginal public government.

Acting President Eetoolook and other Coalition representatives took part in an Environment Canada (EC) treaty awareness session in Ottawa, February 2011.

NTI staff delivered a presentation about meeting the objectives of modern treaties at the 17th Inuit Studies Conference that took place in Val d'Or, Québec in November 2010.

Land Claims Agreements Coalition

The Land Claims Agreements Coalition leadership met in Ottawa in February 2011. Discussions covered a range of issues, including federal fiscal financing arrangements and the requirement for more advocacy work. Assembly of First Nations Grand Chief Sean Atleo attended the meeting and indicated his interest in working with the coalition. NTI's president was re-appointed to the position of co-chair. Coalition leaders and staff took part in a series of advocacy meetings with a number of Members of Parliament and Senators to build broader political support for full implementation of land claims agreements.

The possibility of a review of the implementation of land claims agreements by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development was discussed. A letter to Bruce Stanton, Chair of that Committee, was sent by the Coalition advocating for the review.

Circumpolar Inuit Dimensions

NTI's president and vice-president and the Qikiqtani Inuit Association's (QIA's) president attended the Inuit Leaders' Summit on Resource Development, hosted by Inuit Circumpolar Council in Ottawa in February 2011. On the first day of the summit, presentations were delivered in the following areas: government perspectives; offshore drilling and exploration; mining; and environmental and social impact assessments. On the second day, Inuit leaders discussed the issues and agreed to finalize A Circumpolar Inuit Declaration on Resource Development Principles in Inuit Nunaat, the intentbeing to release this document in conjunction with the 2011 Arctic Council Ministerial meeting in Nuuk, Greenland.

The Declaration is attached to this chapter as Appendix I.

Sovereignty and Security

The House of Commons National Defence Committee tabled its report on Canada's Arctic Sovereignty in June 2010. The committee's recommendations included:

• That a Cabinet committee be established on Arctic affairs.
• That the Cabinet committee engage Indigenous Peoples in developing future Arctic policies.
• That Indigenous Peoples be included in scientific research programs relating to the Northern environment.
• That the federal government do more to recognize the historic contributions of Indigenous peoples to Canadian Arctic sovereignty.
• That the federal government ensure the development of viable Indigenous communities in the Arctic.

Inuit from around the circumpolar world had, in 2009, adopted A Circumpolar Inuit Declaration on Sovereignty in the Arctic. That Declaration isattached to this chapter as Appendix II.

Off-Shore Oil Drilling

The April, 2010 oil drilling rig explosion and discharge in the Gulf of Mexico raised concerns about the risks of future drilling in Nunavut's offshore and in such adjacent areas as the Greenlandic side of Davis Strait. Raymond Ningeocheak, NTI's former Vice-President of Finance, gave a presentation to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Natural Resources advising that NTI's position is that offshore oil and gas drilling should not proceed without assured environmental protection. The National Energy Board also announced a public review of offshore Arctic drilling requirements. NTI forwarded comments to the Board's secretary regarding the scope of this review, indicating the need for the review to examine infrastructure and training requirements, response time in relation to possible oil spills and discharges, and protection of the Arctic marine habitat and species.

Nunavut Marine Council

NTI hosted a Nunavut Marine Council workshop in Iqaluit, in May 2010. The workshop was attended by representatives from Nunavut Planning Commission (NPC), Nunavut Impact Review Board (NIRB), Nunavut Water Board (NWB), the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board (NWMB), Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC), the Government of Nunavut (GN) and experts in the fields of shipping, Inuit marine rights, and fisheries conservation. The two-day meeting resulted in an agreement to move forward with a business plan to identify the resource requirements of the Council. NTI continued the provision of in-kind staff support.

DEW-Line

A meeting of the Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line Steering Committee attended by the Department of National Defence (DND) and NTI was held in Edmonton in February 2011. Kitikmeot Inuit Association (KitIA) and QIA also were involved. The Steering Committee was advised that NTI's restructuring would not change its representation on the Committee. NTI provided the Committee with a copy of the Report on the Clean-Up of the DND DEW-Line Sites in Nunavut which first was made availableto NTI's Annual General Meeting in December 2010.

The DEW-Line Clean Up Contracting Working Group met on February 28, 2011, to determine the recommended value for minimum Inuit employment contracting and minimum Inuit content for contracting for FOX-4 and Fox-5 maintenance repairs. The working group recommended the following levels: 66 per cent minimum Inuit employment content and 67.5 per cent minimum Inuit contracting content.

Litigation

• Implementation Lawsuit: In November 2010, NTI completed the oral examination of the Crown's witness with the exception of clean-up items and questions arising out of the production of remaining documents. NTI continued other preparatory work in anticipation of trial.
• Manitoba/Saskatchewan Dene Overlaps: The federal negotiation team finally received its mandate in June 2010, and met with the Aboriginal parties in November 2010, indicating plans to re-open formal negotiation sessions with Aboriginal groups in 2011. NTI and Kivalliq Inuit Association (KivIA) representatives began negotiations with the province of Manitoba to settle Inuit claims in Northern Manitoba.
• Firearms Lawsuit: NTI sent a letter to the Prime Minister inviting further negotiation. NTI did not receive a response.
• Residential Schools: Work continued on implementing the Residential School Settlement Agreement, including assisting generally withthe public on Common Experience Payment and Independent Assessment Payment related issues.
• Narwhal: In January 2011, NTI filed an application for judicial review challenging the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) decision to issue a negative Non-Detriment Finding with respect to the export of narwhal tusks from 17 Nunavut communities. The DFO decision essentially attempted to ban the export of narwhal tusks and related products from those communities.
• Court Interventions: NTI filed an intervener factum and appeared before the Supreme Court of Canada in May 2010, in the case of Rio Tinto v. Carrier Sekani Tribal Council. NTI also filed anintervener factum and appeared before the Supreme Court of Canada in Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nation v. Yukon in 2009. The Supreme Court released its decision in 2010, holding that the Crown may have a duty to consult and accommodate beyond what is expressly stated in a land claims agreement.

Negotiation/Consultation on Legislation

Policy and Planning Division

In September 2010, NTI underwent a reorganization which created the Policy and Planning division within the Department of Executive Services. The division has the responsibility for leading NTI's overarching policy requirements, as well as responsibility for specific policy areas including economic development, commercial fisheries, and environmental policy development.

ArcticNet

Through ArcticNet, NTI participated in two integrated research impact studies, the goal of which is to utilize all available science or data and to develop an assessment of the Canadian Arctic with respect to climate change. The resulting document will be useful for scientists and policy makers.

Climate Change

Following the Copenhagen climate change conference, NTI began work on developing a Nunavut climate change strategy.

Devolution

There was little progress on devolution in 2010-2011, due to the absence of a federal negotiator or a federal Cabinet negotiating mandate.

NTI President Cathy Towtongie met with Nunavut Premier Eva Aariak in January 2011, to discuss devolution and subsequently sent a joint letter to AANDC Minister John Duncan. The letter stated that, despite the signing of the Lands and Resources Devolution Negotiation Protocol in 2008, the federal government had not appointed a chief negotiator as required by the Protocol. The letter requested a meeting with Minister Duncan to discuss the issue further. Premier Aariak subsequently met with Minister Duncan.

Fisheries

Nunavut Fisheries Training Consortium was expected to finish its current funding arrangements in 2012. There were hopes for a new round of federal funding from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada to focus on Inuit recruitment and retention in the commercial fishing industry.

NTI took part in consultations to amend the NWMB's Nunavut Allocation Policy on commercial marine fisheries. The Nunavut Fisheries Allocation Committee met to review four applications for northern shrimp and forwarded the recommendations to the NWMB. NTI has two representatives on the Committee.

Inuit Firm Registry

There are now 243 firms on the registry. In 2010, NTI registered 36 more Inuit firms.

Marine Transportation

NTI advocated for an increase to investment in marine infrastructure and hydrographic mapping for Nunavut. Three ships ran aground in separate areas of Nunavut's waters in the reporting period, illustrating the pronounced need for extensive hydrographic mapping.

Nunavummi Nangminiqaqtunik Ikajuuti Policy

NTI and the GN completed the five-year comprehensive review of the Nunavummi Nangminiqaqtunik Ikajuuti (NNI) Policy. FromNTI's perspective, the review highlighted the data issues facing GN contracting. However, NTI was unable to analyze the bid adjustment components with the available data. This critical component is the backbone of the NNI Policy and has arguably the most impact on Inuit firms. For any future comprehensive review to be successful, the data deficiency problem requires a solution. It was impossible to substantiate any possible positive or negative impacts to Inuit or Nunavut firms if changes were made to the current bid adjustment breakdown of 21 per cent – or more specifically, 7 per cent for Inuit firms, 7 per cent for Nunavut businesses, and the additional 7 per cent for local businesses.

The report had four key recommendations:

1. That the review committee identifies and review specific areas of data deficiencies and produce recommendations to address the difficulties that currently exist in collecting and utilizing GN contracting information.
2. That the review committee conducts an audit on the implementation of the NNI Policy with regard to GN contracting.
3. That the terms of reference for the review committee reflect changes to the reporting requirements and committee composition. The reporting requirements would be changed from annual to biannual production. The annual reports were non-existent due to GN staff turnover and the backlog of requirements. The composition of the review committee would change from a potentially 12 person committee with six each from NTI and GN, to a six-person committee with three representatives each.
4. That research be conducted into existing national standards or best practices for the NNI appeals process, specifically focusing on the timelines used for identifying and conducting appeals.

The report contained recommendations and revisions to NNI definitions. Most of the changes were made for greater clarity, including changes to definitions of Local Business, Nunavut Business, Local Supplier, Nunavut Resident, Resident Manager, and Qualification Committee.

National Economic Development Committee for Inuit Nunangat

With NTI's participation, the National Economic Development Committee in Inuit Nunangat developed research papers that led to an Inuit implementation plan for AANDC's Aboriginal Economic Development Programs. The implementation plan sought approximately $79 million over five years, divided between the four Inuit regions in Canada. This represented an increase of approximately $13 million over current allocations.

North Warning System

NTI participated in industry and government meetings with DND and Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) to advocate for the continuation of the procurement provisions and to ensure that direct benefits from the North Warning System contract continue to flow to Nunavut's Inuit.

Questions surrounded renewal of the North Warning System contracts. The System is a vital contract that provides an opportunity for collaboration between Inuit and the federal government. The contract is large (approximately $600 million or $20 million annually) and is currently held by Nasittuq, through Pan-Arctic Inuit Logistics, a partnership between the four Inuit treaty groups.

The federal government conducted regional meetings with Inuit groups and provided an opportunity to make presentations. NTI highlighted Nunavut Inuit concerns and offered to continue to participate in developing a procurement design that is consistent with past practices and ensures that the continuation of benefits flow directly to Nunavut Inuit.

Northern Contaminants

NTI attended a meeting of the Northern Contaminants Program Management Committee in April 2010. Final approval of $4.4 million in funding was confirmed for all contaminant research projects in the three territories and Nunatsiavut for 2010-2011.

Nunavut Economic Forum

NTI participated in the Nunavut Economic Forum's Board of Directors and provided in-kind and financial support for 2010-2011. The Forum published the 2010 Nunavut Economic Outlook. The document highlighted the economic status for Nunavut and provided useful data for analysis.

Utility Rates Review Council

In January 2011, NTI made a submission to the Utility Rates Review Council concerning the Qulliq Energy Corporation's (QEC's) General Rate Application that proposed an increase to the territorial power rates. NTI's submission noted the rate application covered losses already incurred. NTI recommended that procedures be established before QEC brings forward another General Rate Application prior to operating at a loss. NTI also raised questions regarding the funding of QEC's apprenticeship program, which covers 17 apprentices. NTI argued that apprenticeship training should be directly funded by government, not through a rate increase paid by the users. In March 2011, URRC recommended a rate increase of 18.8 per cent, with removal of a fuel rider, resulting in a net increase of 12.8 per cent. This was approved by the GN.

NTI Communications

• NTI implemented IT hardware upgrades in its offices. Upgrades were completed in the Ottawa and Iqaluit offices and upgrades in the Rankin Inlet office were in progress.
• NTI designed, purchased, and implemented a new records and information management system for users in the Iqaluit office.
• NTI began planning for NLCA 20-year anniversary work, including a NLCA monument, writing contest, and promotional items.
• NTI completed a third phase of the NLCA oral history project: making it available on the website and preparing for the 2013 launch.
• NTI began digitally archiving Tungavik Federation of Nunavut recordings.

Human Resources

After an Inuit restructuring process in the fall of 2010, there were 75 full-time established positions in NTI. There continued to be an average 80 per cent Inuit employment rate in the year of 2010.

The human resources assistant was granted a seat in the career development practitioner program being delivered by Nunavut Arctic College and the Canadian Career Development Foundation based in Ottawa. The program is aligned with core competencies in Canadian Standards and Guidelines for Career Development. It allows for the certification of a career development practitioner that is consistent with provincial voluntary certifications and the International Association for Educational and Vocational Guidance's International certification.

The professional development and training of NTI employees was coordinated through the director and human resources assistant. Responsibilities include coordination of general and specialized training, arranging for funding requests and reports, the summer student employment program, employee orientation, the employee recognition program, employee wellness, and exit interviews.

In 2010, discussions began with the Nunavut Literacy Council to involve NTI in the Embedding Literacy in Workplace Training in Northern Canada. NTI was the second organization within Nunavut to participate in the program.

Implementation of the National Wildlife Area/Migratory Bird Sanctuaries Inuit Impact and Benefit Agreement

The Inuit Impact and Benefit Agreement (IIBA) for the National Wildlife Area/Migratory Bird Sanctuaries was negotiated over several years between NTI, the RIAs, and the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS). The IIBA created an Inuit tourism fund of $4 million, and a $1 million fund for cultural and interpretive material. NTI and the RIAs agreed there should be three major projects and money set aside for secondary projects.

After an initial study, NTI and the RIAs selected Gjoa Haven, Cape Dorset, and Arviat as the most feasible communities to provide tourism because of their diverse community backgrounds.

In the previous three years, Arviat undertook different types of training to start fully engaging and taking advantage of tourism. Arviat is a ready market because of the polar bears, caribou, geese, and the rich cultural heritage in the community. It is also in close proximity to Churchill, which already has an established tourism market.

The National Wildlife Area/Migratory Bird Sanctuaries IIBA provided Arviat with, among other things, training for hospitality, an eco-guide course, small craft safety, cooking for visitors, and bookkeeping for small businesses.

Inuit Lands and Resources

NTI was involved in the following activities in relation to Inuit lands and resources:

• Promoted NTI mineral properties at the Canadian Aboriginal Mining Association Annual Conference, the Yellowknife Geoscience Forum, the Vancouver Exploration Roundup, the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada in Toronto, and at the Nunavut Mining Symposium.
• Made presentations regarding the NTI uranium policy at GN's uranium forums in Iqaluit, Baker Lake, and Cambridge Bay.
• Entered into two new mineral exploration agreements, an expansion of an existing mineral exploration agreement, and two Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) for new mineral exploration agreements.
• Made significant progress in amending Agnico-Eagle Mines Ltd.'s mineral exploration agreements and production lease for the Vault deposit at the Meadowbank Gold Mine.
• Participated in the development of NTI's resource revenue policy.
• Updated all mineral exploration agreement mapping.
• Reviewed and analyzed NPC's draft Nunavut Land Use Plan (NLUP).
• Updated and expanded the online mapping service to include leases and geo-friendly mineral applications.
• Rebuilt the Inuit-owned land subsurface agreement management system to accommodate quarter cell production leases.
• Created production quality Subsurface Agreement Portable Document Files (PDFs) and production quality Subsurface Application GeoPDFs (geo-registered PDF format).
• Consulted with KivIA and QIA regarding collaborative web services.
• Deployed ArcGIS version 10 software.
• Deployed Deepfreeze operating system integrity solution.
• Updated Blue Marble satellite imagery has been processed, and it is now part of our data repository.

Nunavut Social Development Council Annual Report

NTI participated in the development of the 2009-2010 Annual Report on the State of Inuit Culture and Society. Focusing on Inuit language, the reportgave an overview of the history and current status of Inuit language needs and advocacy, and discussed ways to improve and enhance the status of Inuit language in Nunavut.

Suicide Prevention

In October 2010, NTI partnered with the GN, RCMP, and the Embrace Life Council to create the Nunavut Suicide Prevention Strategy. A three-year action planwas developed by the partners to aid implementation.

Education

NTI continued work on the regulatory process to guide implementation of the Education Act. NTI also participated in the development of the National Inuit Education Strategy.

Piqqusilirivvik

NTI co-chaired with the GN the steering committee responsible for the creation of the Piqqusilirivvik Cultural School. Major milestones included completion of construction of the main campus in Clyde River and the finalization of policies and procedures for the learning institution. The grand opening of the facility was scheduled for May 2011, in Clyde River.

Language

NTI continued to work with the GN to implement the Official Languages Act and the Inuit Language Protection Act. NTI worked with the Inuit Uqausingiit Taigusiliuqtiit to develop the Language Award Policy, which will give an award annually during Language Week. NTI also continued to engage the Inuit Uqausingiit Taigusiliuqtiit through various sub-committees and working groups. NTI helped convene the Nunavut Language Conference held in Iqaluit in January 2011, which was dedicated to the late Jose Kusugak and which focused on the standardization of Inuktitut.

Health

NTI, in partnership with the GN and the federal government, concluded the three-year Nunavut Community Wellness Project pilot project. Igloolik, Arviat, Clyde River, Kugluktuk, Kugaaruk, and Coral Harbour participated in the initiative.

Social and Cultural Research

NTI participated in many research projects in 2010-2011, including the TAIMA TB Project, the Inuit Health Survey, the Nunavut Child Health Surveillance Project, the Nutuqqavut Surveillance System, and Gathering Community Perspectives on Infant Sleeping Practices in Nunavut. The Naasautit: Inuit Health Statistics project, which collected and made public all available Inuit health data, was launched in March 2011. NTI participated in the web-based tool that allows greater access to Inuit health statistical information. NTI partnered with the University of Prince Edward Island to undertake a bio-prospecting project in Frobisher Bay. NTI also worked toward the creation of the Inuit Knowledge Centre National Committee.

Justice

NTI participated in meetings to discuss the review of the current Child and Family Services Act. Facilitated by consultants, community meetings took place to develop recommendations for the review. NTI was in contact with the GN Department of Justice to track the number of Family Abuse Intervention Act applications made, and gathered information on integration and release plans for inmates from the territory.

Nunavut Poverty Reduction Strategy

As a co-sponsor, NTI participated in the Nunavut Poverty Reduction Strategy. Community dialogues were undertaken in each community across Nunavut during the reporting period. The Strategy is scheduled to be completed in November 2011.

Arnait Nipingiit Women's Summit

NTI participated in the planning committee that brought together women from all over Nunavut to participate in the Arnait Nipingiit Women's Summit. This gathering was led by QIA with the participation of the Qulliit Nunavut Status of Women Council and the GN, and was held in Iqaluit, in September 2010.

Support of Hunters and Trappers
Organizations and Regional
Wildlife Organizations

• Research priorities workshops were held for the Kitikmeot, Kivalliq, and Qikiqtaaluk regions. Wildlife staff provided feedback and support for community representatives in an effort to establish research priorities for the next four years.
• Representatives at the Davis Strait Polar Bear User to User Meeting in Kuujjuaq in July 2010 discussed recent scientific information and management of polar bears in Davis Strait. Representatives from Nunavut, Nunavik, Nunatsiavut, Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Government of Canada attended the meeting.
• In Davis Strait, the polar bear population has increased to approximately 2,150 bears. The GN supports an increase in the harvest. NWMB will hold a public hearing in May 2011.
• A workshop to plan and design the polar bear aerial survey in western Hudson Bay was held in Churchill in July 2010. The pilot survey took place in late summer with Inuit participation.
• NTI wildlife staff attended the GN's regional workshops on the Nunavut Caribou Conservation Strategy Consultations. The GN also consulted residents and Hunters and Trappers Organizations (HTOs) in each Nunavut community.
• The Kitikmeot Hunters and Trappers Association and Kivalliq Wildlife Board made further progress with management of muskoxen in their regions. Changes to boundaries and an increase in the Total Allowable Harvest were implemented.

Environment

The restructuring of NTI created the new Department of Wildlife and Environment. The department now has two staff based out of the NTI office in Cambridge Bay.

NTI addressed the environmental review of the Kiggavik Project with KivIA and the Baffinland Iron Mines – Mary River Project, and took part in uranium public forums in Iqaluit, Baker Lake, and Cambridge Bay.

Inuit Representation on National and International Wildlife Issues

• NTI staff made a presentation on wildlife management in Nunavut at the 24th International Congress for Conservation Biology that took place in Edmonton, Alberta.
• The 13th North American Caribou workshop was held in Winnipeg, Manitoba in October 2010. Inuit delegates made presentations on Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ) and wildlife management of caribou in Nunavut.
• Participants at the CircumArctic Rangifer Monitoring and Assessment Network meeting discussed ongoing research projects and results such as the Caribou Anatomy Project. The status and management of declining herds were also discussed in a special one-day workshop.
• DFO issued a negative Non-Detriment Finding report for narwhal, which restricted the export of narwhal parts from Canada. NTI wrote to the DFO Minister highlighting the concerns with the lack of consultation with Inuit and subsequently filed for Judicial Review of the Minister's decision in the Federal Court.

Bowhead

Pond Inlet and Repulse Bay each harvested bowhead whales. The hunts were well planned and carried out by the HTOs and communities. Kugaaruk also planned a hunt, but the community was not able to land a whale before ice conditions became too heavy to hunt safely.

The allocations for the 2011 bowhead whale hunts were made to HTOs in Iqaluit and Coral Harbour.

Muskoxen Survey

A Kivalliq muskoxen survey was conducted. All HTOs in the region were involved in the design of the survey.

Seals

The National Marine Fisheries Service of the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration proposed the listing of four subspecies of ringed seal and two distinct population segments of bearded seal as threatened under the US Endangered Species Act. The organization had notpresented any evidence suggesting that ringed seal populations are in decline. Rather, the proposal was based on trying to predict what the future will look like because of climate change.

The GN's Department of Environment and the Government of Canada negotiated a trade agreement with China to open new markets for Canadian seal products.

Celebration of the Seal took place during Toonik Tyme in Iqaluit. Visitors had a chance to see the importance of seal for Inuit and Inuit had a chance to enjoy seal meat.

Walrus

NTI, DFO, and HTO representatives met in Iqaluit to finalize terms of reference for a working group on walrus. DFO reported on the science on each population. There is not enough scientific information to determine the exact population, but the population is considered healthy. The working group also discussed walrus habitat.

Inuit Heritage Trust

Nunavut Implementation Training Committee

Nunavut Implementation Training Committee (NITC) provided $540,000 in total training funds to NTI, RIAs, Institutions of Public Government (IPGs), and the Nunavut Inuit Wildlife Secretariat. One of the most successful programs over the previous four years provided funding from NITC for training for the Nunavut Inuit Wildlife Secretariat and all HTO boards and staff. In cooperation with NTI, NITC also funded a trainee position for a Nunavut Sivuniksavut instructor.

• NITC awarded 84 scholarships to post-secondary NLCA Beneficiaries in the amount of $143,000.
• NITC continued to seek additional funds to carry out programs as the initial grant of $13 million would be spent by April, 2012.
• Over the past 17 years, NITC provided over $9 million in training funds to stakeholder organizations and $2 million in scholarship funds to Nunavut Inuit.

PREAMBLE

Recognizing the Arctic's great resource wealth, the increasing global demand for the Arctic's minerals and hydrocarbons, the scope and depth of climate change and other environmental pressures and challenges facing the Arctic; Mindful of the core rights of Inuit as recognized in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, as provided for ina variety of other legal and political instruments and mechanisms, including land rights settlement legislation, land claims agreements (treaties), and self-government, intergovernmental and constitutional arrangements, and as asserted in A Circumpolar Inuit Declaration on Sovereignty in the Arctic; and

Respectful of the ingenuity, resilience and wisdom of previous generations of Inuit, confident of the ability of every generation of Inuit to adapt to change, and determined to provide for the material and cultural well-being of Inuit into the future;

WE, THE INUIT OF Inuit Nunaat, DECLARE :

• Healthy communities and households require both a healthy environment and a healthy economy.
• Economic development and social and cultural development must go hand in hand.
• Greater Inuit economic, social and cultural self-sufficiency is an essential part of greater Inuit political self-determination.
• Renewable resources have sustained Inuit from the time preceding recorded history to the present. Future generations of Inuit will continue to rely on Arctic foods for nutritional, social, cultural and economic purposes.
• Responsible non-renewable resource development can also make an important and durable contribution to the well-being of current and future generations of Inuit. Managed under Inuit Nunaat governance structures, non-renewable resource development can contribute to Inuit economic and social development through both private sector channels (employment, incomes, businesses) and public sector channels (revenues from publicly owned lands, tax revenues, infrastructure).
• The pace of resource development has profound implications for Inuit. A proper balance must be struck. Inuit desire resource development at a rate sufficient to provide durable and diversified economic growth, but constrained enough to forestall environmental degradation and an overwhelming influx of outside labour.
• Resource development results in environmental and social impacts as well as opportunities for economic benefits. In the weighing of impacts and benefits, those who face the greatest and longest-lasting impacts must have the greatest opportunities, and a primary place in the decision-making. This principle applies between Inuit Nunaat and the rest of the world, and within Inuit Nunaat.
• All resource development must contribute actively and significantly to improving Inuit living standards and social conditions, and non-renewable resource development, in particular, must promote economic diversification through contributions to education and other forms of social development, physical infrastructure, and non-extractive industries.
• Inuit welcome the opportunity to work in full partnership with resource developers, governments and local communities in the sustainable development of resources of Inuit Nunaat, including related policy-making, tothe long-lasting benefit of Inuit and with respect for baseline environmental and social responsibilities.

IN FURTHER DETAIL, WE DECLARE :

1. Candour, Clarity and Transparency

1.1 The world's peoples and their social, cultural and economic systems are becoming more interconnected, the pace of change is accelerating, the challenges faced by the world are escalating in complexity, and the risks associated with human activities are of increasing significance.

1.2 To prosper under these circumstances, the peoples and states of the world must conduct their relations cooperatively with candour, clarity and transparency – an approach in keeping with Inuit culture and custom.

1.3 It is our desire to declare our key understandings, positions and intentions in relation to resource development, recognizing that doing so will benefit Inuit and the global community.

1.4 While the focus of this Declaration is on the development of non-renewable resources, it must be understood that (a) issues surrounding the appropriate use of non-renewable and renewable resources are inextricably linked, and (b) the principles set out in this Declaration are, in many ways, applicable to the use of renewable resources.

2. United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

2.1 Resource development in Inuit Nunaat must be grounded in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. 

2.2 The UN Declaration recognizes the right of indigenous peoples to self-determination. Under that right, Inuit have the right to freely determine collectively our political, social, economic, and cultural development. Resource development in Inuit Nunaat directly engages our right to self-determination, and many other provisions of the UN Declaration.

2.3 Our rights as an indigenous people, including our right to self-determination, may be exercised in a practical way through governance structures that combine both Inuit and non-Inuit constituents. No matter what level or form of self-determination the Inuit of any particular region have achieved, resource development in Inuit Nunaat must proceed only with the free, prior, and informed consent of the Inuit of that region.

2.4 Private sector resource developers, and governments and public bodies charged with the public management of resource development, must all conduct themselves in concert with the UN Declaration. Respect for the UN Declaration should be open and transparent, andbe subject to independent and impartial review.

3. A Circumpolar Inuit Declaration on Sovereignty in the Arctic

3.1 Resource development in Inuit Nunaat must be grounded in A Circumpolar Inuit Declaration on Sovereignty in the Arctic, adopted bythe Inuit Circumpolar Council in April 2009.

3.2 A Circumpolar Inuit Declaration on Sovereignty in the Arctic identifiedmany principles that arerelevant to the governance and carrying out of resource development in Inuit Nunaat, including the importance of the rule of law and recognition of the rights of Inuit as an Arctic indigenous people under both international and domestic law.

4. Inuit as Partners in Policy Making and Decision Making

4.1 Central to A Circumpolar Inuit Declaration on Sovereignty in the Arctic is the requirement thatInuit must be active and equal partners in policy-making and decision-making affecting Inuit Nunaat.

4.2 Partnerships with Inuit in relation to resource development will have different characteristics depending on the circumstances, but the spirit and substance of partnership must extend to both public sector governance and private sector enterprise.

4.3 Partnerships must include the meaningful engagement and active participation of Inuit in local communities who are most directly affected by resource development in Inuit Nunaat.

4.4 Partnerships must draw upon the growing capacity and aspirations of Inuit businesses and enterprises through use of vehicles such as joint ventures, commercial mechanisms for facilitating equity participation, and the issuance of land and resource rights through licences, leases and similar instruments.

4.5 Inuit recognize the need within Inuit Nunaat to create and implement inter-Inuitconsultation mechanisms to ensure that approval of major resource development projects in one Inuit region, with major environmental and other implications for one or more adjacent Inuit regions, is accompanied by sufficient opportunity for an informed exchange of information and opinion between or among the Inuit regions.

5. Global Environmental Security

5.1 Inuit and others – through their institutions and international instruments – have a shared responsibility to evaluate the risks and benefits of their actions through the prism of global environmental security.

5.2 Resource development in Inuit Nunaat must contribute to, and not detract from, global, national and regional efforts to curb greenhouse emissions and should always be seen through the reality of climate change.

5.3 In their implementation of mechanisms for adaptation to climate change, states and the international community as a whole must commit to paying the cost of climate change adaptation measures and the upgrading of fuel-related infrastructure in Inuit Nunaat regions and communities.

5.4 Resource development projects must not exacerbate the climate change-related stresses on the survival of Arctic wildlife.

5.5 To minimize risk to global environmental security, the pace of resource development in the Arctic must be carefully considered.

6. Healthy Communities in a Healthy Environment

6.1 The physical and mental health of human communities and individuals cannot be separated from the health of the natural environment.

6.2 Resource development proposals for Inuit Nunaat must be assessed holistically, placinghuman needs at the centre.

6.3 Resource development in Inuit Nunaat must promote the physical and mental health of communities and individuals within Inuit Nunaat.

6.4 Resource development must enhance, not detract from, Inuit food security.

6.5 In a contemporary context, healthy communities in the Arctic require the establishment, maintenance and improvement of core infrastructure needs, including housing, education, health care and social service delivery infrastructure, and core transportation and communications networks that facilitate both public sector activities and private sector entrepreneurship.

7. Economic Self-Sufficiency and the Sustainable Development of Resources in Inuit Nunaat

7.1 Inuit seek to make use of the economic opportunities available through long-term development of the resources of Inuit Nunaat.

7.2 Resource development in Inuit Nunaat must be sustainable. It must serve the needs of Inuit today without compromising the ability of Inuit meet their needs of tomorrow.

7.3 The proponent of a resource development project bears the burden of demonstrating that the proposed development is sustainable.

7.4 In determining the sustainability of a resource development initiative, the best available scientific and Inuit knowledge and standards must be determined and employed.

7.5 International standard-setting bodies must seek and secure direct and meaningful input from Inuit. National, regional and local bodies, such as offshore and land management regimes, must be designed and operated to be effective, transparent and accountable, thereby gaining and sustaining the confidence of the Inuit public at all times.

7.6 Sustainability standards must emphasize the need for the demonstrated support of those communities directly affected by a resource development proposal.

8. Impact Assessment, Prevention and Mitigation

8.1 Notwithstanding property rights or government rights-granting regimes, there is no free-standing or unqualified "right" to proceed with non-renewable resource development in Inuit Nunaat. Projects must be scrutinized byInuit and proved to be in the best interests of Inuit and the wider public.

8.2 Land and offshore management regimes must include (a) long-term land use plans that set out ground rules for development applicable to specific projects, and (b) robust impact assessment processes to gauge the likely impacts of specific projects.

8.3 Management, land use planning and impact assessment regimes must address the cumulative impacts of existing and potential projects and, where prudent, limit the number and scope of projects permitted.

8.4 Impact assessments covering broad geographic areas are important and necessary management tools, and their completion in advance of specific project proposals should be encouraged.

8.5 Impact assessments should examine all potential environmental, socio-economic and cultural impacts anticipated both during the project and after the project is completed or abandoned.

8.6 In accordance with relevant provisions of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, the precautionary principle and thepolluter pays principle must be applied in all stages of project planning, assessment, implementation and reclamation.

8.7 Reclamation and recovery of habitat and affected lands and waters must be thoroughly planned and fully funded in advance of and throughout project implementation.

8.8 All development in Inuit Nunaat must adhere to the most developed and demanding environmental standards ta king Arctic conditions fully into account. (For example, mining operations and offshore hydro-carbon development should entail zero-volume discharge onto land and into Arctic waters.)

8.9 Preventing spills offshore and eliminating release of toxic substances to land and waters are paramount. Prevention efforts should be viewed as investments that pay dividends in cost avoidance.

8.10 Response to spills, contamination of lands or waters, and mining emergencies must meet the highest technological standards and be anchored in proven cleanup technologies with full Inuit participation.

8.11 Proposals for spill response in Arctic waters must include a proven demonstration of the industry's ability to retrieve spilled oil in frozen, broken and refreezing ice conditions. Allowing resource development without such a demonstration would be fundamentally irresponsible.

8.12 Effective oil spill prevention and response in Arctic waters requires active monitoring of vessel traffic and swift and effective emergency response in the event of mishap. Public authorities and developers with relevant responsibilities must commit to increased investment in navigation aids, vessel traffic management, ship compliance inspections, security considerations, emergency response capability, and overall port and harbour infrastructure.

8.13 Standards and requirements for Arctic marine pilots must be carefully conceived and strictly applied.

8.14 An international liability and compensation regime for contamination of lands, waters and marine areas resulting from offshore oil exploration and exploitation must be established.

8.15 Respecting the Arctic Council's "Arctic Offshore Oil and Gas Guidelines" as minimum standards.

9. Improving Inuit Living Standards and Expanding Inuit Governance

9.1 Inuit expect that new resource development projects will contribute to an improvement in our material well-being. This expectation is well-rooted in the fundamental features of relevant international indigenous and human rights laws and standards, in the underlying constitutional constructs and political values of the four Arctic States in which Inuit live, and in the application of fairness and reason.

9.2 Through a variety of mechanisms – land rights settlement legislation, land claims agreements (treaties), self-government arrangements, and intergovernmental and Constitutional provisions – Inuit have acquired critical means and levels of control over the governance of Inuit Nunaat. Many of these mechanisms provide for direct Inuit participation in specialized resource management bodies, including planning, project review, and regulatory bodies.

9.3 While this trend is primarily a result of Inuit effort and determination, it has often been assisted and welcomed as healthy and normative by and within the four Arctic States.

9.4 Accordingly, resource development projects must take into account the trend toward greater Inuit self-governance and, to the extent possible, advance it.

9.5 Public sector revenues derived from all phases of resource development should be distributed in a fair and visible way according to the following hierarchy of priorities: (1) providing security against unplanned or unintended environmental consequences, (2) compensating for negative community and regional impacts, (3) contributing to the improvement of community and regional living standards and overall well-being, and (4) contributing to the fiscal health and stability of institutions and mechanisms of Inuit governance. Only after the legitimate needs of the Inuit of Inuit Nunaat are met, should public sector revenues contribute to the coffers of central State treasuries.

9.6 Inuit employment at all levels must be maximized in resource development activities in Inuit Nunaat.

9.7 Independent of the rate of resource development, Inuit must derive direct and substantial employment income benefit from resource development projects. Accordingly, an Inuit education fund should be established in each of Canada, Greenland, Russia and the U.S.A. with public sector investments.

10. Promoting and Accommodating a Dynamic Inuit Culture

10.1 Many international law principles and standards in relation to indigenous peoples are rooted in the b conviction that the development and preservation of human cultural diversity is both a responsibility and a benefit for all humanity. The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples acknowledges thatindigenous peoples have the right to maintain, control, protect and develop their language, traditional knowledge and cultural heritage and expressions.

10.2 Inuit culture is both well-rooted and dynamic. Inuit are committed to ensuring that resource development projects must be planned and implemented in such a way as to support and enhance Inuit culture, rather than subvert or overwhelm it.

10.3 Inuit are committed to safe-guarding Inuit culture against excess adverse pressures and impacts that could be brought on by an overly ambitious, ill timed, or poorly planned and implemented staging of major resource development projects, particularly insofar as such a scenario precipitated a major influx of non-Inuit while failing to impart the technologies, skills and training, and business opportunities needed by Inuit.

10.4 Governments, public bodies and private sector actors in Inuit Nunaat must share in these commitments.

We, the Inuit of Inuit Nunaat, are committed to the principles on resource development in Inuit Nunaat set out in this Declaration. Inuit invite – and are entitled to expect – all those who have or seek a role in the governance, management, development, or use of the resources of Inuit Nunaat to conduct themselves with inthe letter and spirit of this Declaration.

• www.inuit.org
• www.inuitcircumpolar.com
• www.iccalaska.org

Aqqaluk Lynge - Chair, Inuit Circumpolar Council
Jim Stotts - Vice Chair, Alaska
Tatiana Achirgina - Vice Chair, Chukotka
Duane Smith - Vice Chair, Canada
Carl Christian Olsen - Vice Chair, Greenland

1.  Inuit and the Arctic

1.1 Inuit live in the Arctic. Inuit live in the vast, circumpolar region of land, sea and ice known as the Arctic. We depend on the marine and terrestrial plants and animals supported by the coastal zones of the Arctic Ocean, the tundra and the sea ice. The Arctic is our home.

1.2 Inuit have been living in the Arctic from time immemorial. From time immemorial, Inuit have been living in the Arctic. Our home in the circumpolar world, Inuit Nunaat, stretches from Greenland to Canada, Alaska and the coastal regions of Chukotka, Russia. Our use and occupation of Arctic lands and waters pre-dates recorded history. Our unique knowledge, experience of the Arctic, and language are the foundation of our way of life and culture.

1.3 Inuit are a people. Though Inuit live across a far-reaching circumpolar region, we are united as a single people.  Our sense of unity is fostered and celebrated by the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC), which represents the Inuit of Denmark/Greenland, Canada, USA and Russia. As a people, we enjoy the rights of all peoples.  These include the rights recognized in and by various international instruments and institutions, such as the Charter of the United Nations; the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action; the Human Rights Council; the Arctic Council; and the Organization of American States.

1.4 Inuit are an indigenous people. Inuit are an indigenous people with the rights and responsibilities of all indigenous peoples.  These include the rights recognized in and by international legal and political instruments and bodies, such as the recommendations of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the 2007 UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), and others.

Central to our rights as a people is the right to self-determination. It is our right to freely determine our political status, freely pursue our economic, social, cultural and linguistic development, and freely dispose of our natural wealth and resources. States are obligated to respect and promote the realization of our right to self-determination. (See, for example, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights [ICCPR], Art. 1.)

Our rights as an indigenous people include the following rights recognized in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), all of which are relevant to sovereignty and sovereign rights in the Arctic: the right to self-determination, to freely determine our politicalstatus and to freely pursue our economic, social and cultural, including linguistic, development (Art. 3); the right to internal autonomy or self-government (Art. 4); the right to recognition, observance and enforcement of treaties, agreements and other constructive arrangements concluded with states (Art. 37); the right to maintain and strengthen our distinct political, legal, economic, social and cultural institutions, while retaining the right to participate fully in the political, economic, social and cultural life of states (Art. 5); the right to participate in decision-making in matters which would affect our rights and to maintain and develop our own indigenous decision-making institutions (Art. 18); the right to own, use, develop and control our lands, territories and resources and the right to ensure that no project affecting our lands, territories or resources will proceed without our free and  informed consent (Art. 25-32); the right to peace and security (Art. 7); and the right to conservation and protection of our environment (Art. 29).

1.5 Inuit are an indigenous people of the Arctic. Our status, rights and responsibilities as a people among the peoples of the world, and as an indigenous people, are exercised within the unique geographic, environmental, cultural and political context of the Arctic.  This has been acknowledged in the eight-nation Arctic Council, which provides a direct, participatory role for Inuit through the permanent participant status accorded the Inuit Circumpolar Council (Art. 2).

1.6 Inuit are citizens of Arctic states. As citizens of Arctic states (Denmark, Canada, USA and Russia), we have the rights and responsibilities afforded all citizens under the constitutions, laws, policies and public sector programs of these states.  These rights and responsibilities do not diminish the rights and responsibilities of Inuit as a people under international law.

1.7 Inuit are indigenous citizens of Arctic states. As an indigenous people within Arctic states, we have the rights and responsibilities afforded all indigenous peoples under the constitutions, laws, policies and public sector programs of these states.  These rights and responsibilities do not diminish the rights and responsibilities of Inuit as a people under international law.

1.8 Inuit are indigenous citizens of each of the major political subunits of Arctic states (states, provinces, territories and regions). As an indigenous people within Arctic states, provinces, territories, regions or other political subunits, we have the rights and responsibilities afforded all indigenous peoples under the constitutions, laws, policies and public sector programs of these subunits.  These rights and responsibilities do not diminish the rights and responsibilities of Inuit as a people under international law.

2.  The Evolving Nature of Sovereignty in the Arctic

2.1 "Sovereignty" is a term that has often been used to refer to the absolute and independent authority of a community or nation both internally and externally.  Sovereignty is a contested concept, however, and does not have a fixed meaning.  Old ideas of sovereignty are breaking down as different governance models, such as the European Union, evolve.  Sovereignties overlap and are frequently divided within federations in creative ways to recognize the right of peoples. For Inuit living within the states of Russia, Canada, the USA and Denmark/Greenland, issues of sovereignty and sovereign rights must be examined and assessed in the context of our long history of struggle to gain recognition and respect as an Arctic indigenous people having the right to exercise self-determination over our lives, territories, cultures and languages.

2.2 Recognition and respect for our right to self-determination is developing at varying paces and in various forms in the Arctic states in which we live. Following a referendum in November 2008, the areas of self-government in Greenland will expand greatly and, among other things, Greenlandic (Kalaallisut) will become Greenland's sole official language.  In Canada, four land claims agreements are some of the key building blocks of Inuit rights; while there are conflicts over the implementation of these agreements, they remain of vital relevance to matters of self-determination and of sovereignty and sovereign rights. In Alaska, much work is needed to clarify and implement the rights recognized in the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) and the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA). In particular, subsistence hunting and self-government rightsneed to be fully respected and accommodated, and issues impeding their enjoyment and implementation need to be addressed and resolved. And in Chukotka, Russia, a very limited number of administrative processes have begun to secure recognition of Inuit rights.  These developments will provide a foundation on which to construct future, creative governance arrangements tailored to diverse circumstances in states, regions and communities.

2.3  In exercising our right to self-determination in the circumpolar Arctic, we continue to develop innovative and creative jurisdictional arrangements that will appropriately balance our rights and responsibilities as an indigenous people, the rights and responsibilities we share with other peoples who live among us, and the rights and responsibilities of states. In seeking to exercise our rights in the Arctic, we continue to promote compromise and harmony with and among our neighbours.

2.4  International and other instruments increasingly recognize the rights of indigenous peoples to self-determination and representation in intergovernmental matters, and are evolving beyond issues of internal governance to external relations. (See, for example: ICCPR, Art. 1; UNDRIP, Art. 3;  Draft Nordic Saami Convention, Art. 17, 19; Nunavut Land Claims Agreement, Art. 5.9).

2.5 Inuit are permanent participants at the Arctic Council with a direct and meaningful seat at discussion and negotiating tables (See 1997 Ottawa Declaration on the Establishment of the Arctic Council).

2.6 In spite of a recognition by the five coastal Arctic states (Norway, Denmark, Canada, USA and Russia) of the need to use international mechanisms and international law to resolve sovereignty disputes (see 2008 Ilulissat Declaration), these states, in their discussions of Arctic sovereignty, have not referenced existing international instruments that promote and protect the rights of indigenous peoples.  They have also neglected to include Inuit in Arctic sovereignty discussions in a manner comparable to Arctic Council deliberations.

3.  Inuit, the Arctic and Sovereignty: Looking Forward

4.  A Circumpolar Inuit Declaration on Sovereignty in the Arctic

4.1 At the first Inuit Leaders' Summit, 6-7 November 2008, in Kuujjuaq, Nunavik, Canada, Inuit leaders from Greenland, Canada and Alaska gathered to address Arctic sovereignty. On 7 November, International Inuit Day, we expressed unity in our concerns over Arctic sovereignty deliberations, examined the options for addressing these concerns, and bly committed to developing a formal declaration on Arctic sovereignty. We also noted that the 2008 Ilulissat Declaration on Arctic sovereignty by ministers representing the five coastal Arctic states did not go far enough in affirming the rights Inuit have gained through international law, land claims and self-government processes.

4.2 The conduct of international relations in the Arctic and the resolution of international disputes in the Arctic are not the sole preserve of Arctic states or other states;  they are also within the purview of the Arctic's indigenous peoples.  The development of international institutions in the Arctic, such as multi-level governance systems and indigenous peoples' organizations, must transcend Arctic states' agendas on sovereignty and sovereign rights and the traditional monopoly claimed by states in the area of foreign affairs.

4.3 Issues of sovereignty and sovereign rights in the Arctic have become inextricably linked to issues of self-determination in the Arctic. Inuit and Arctic states must, therefore, work together closely and constructively to chart the future of the Arctic.

We, the Inuit of Inuit Nunaat, are committed to this Declaration and to working with Arctic states and others to build partnerships in which the rights, roles and responsibilities of Inuit are fully recognized and accommodated.

On behalf of Inuit in Greenland, Canada, Alaska, and Chukotka
Adopted by the Inuit Circumpolar Council, April 2009

Patricia A.L. Cochran,
ICC Chair

Edward S. Itta
ICC Vice-Chair, Alaska

Tatiana Achirgina
ICC Vice-Chair, Chukotka

Duane R. Smith
ICC Vice-Chair, Canada

Aqqaluk Lynge 
ICC Vice-Chair, Greenland

Wildlife Research and Management

DOE Wildlife Management Section has a legislated mandate for managing terrestrial wildlife species in Nunavut. In addition to the Wildlife Act, the Wildlife Management Section is responsible forfulfilling GN responsibilities under a wide range of federal legislation and both national and international agreements and conventions. This includes ongoing responsibility for the co-management of wildlife as obligated under the NLCA.

The DOE Wildlife Management Section issues permits for wildlife research under the Wildlife License and Permits Regulations, section 16(3). In 2010-2011, the section issued over 30 permits for studies related to terrestrial animals and plants. These permits were issued following consultation with HTOs and the NWMB. Permitees are required to provide any reports or publications resulting from their research to DOE and the NWMB. They were also encouraged to employ individuals from the communities and to make information acquired during the research available to the communities.

Wildlife research includes scientific research, wildlife monitoring and the collection, analysis, dissemination, and archiving of IQ. Development of management plans, regulations, and conservation recommendations for consideration by the NWMB are achieved through extensive community and stakeholder consultations. Wildlife Research works with HTOs, Regional Wildlife Organizations (RWOs), the NWMB, parks, co-management committees, as well as national and international management bodies. This section also reviews land-use applications, monitors land use impacts, provides expert scientific and IQ advice related to project environmental assessments, and develops recommendations with respect to wildlife and wildlife habitat.

Use of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit in Wildlife Research and Species Management

The Wildlife Management Section uses both IQ and science in research and management of the wildlife species under its jurisdiction. IQ includes Inuit Traditional Ecological Knowledge, Inuit Ecological Knowledge, Inuit public opinion, and Inuit values.

The use of IQ is mandated through Tamapta, the mandate of Nunavut's Third Legislative Assembly. Tamapta requires that the government adheres to Inuit Societal Values and the NLCA. The NLCA creates a wildlife management system that invites public participation and promotes public confidence, particularly amongst Inuit, and serves and promotes the long-term economic, social, and cultural interests of Inuit harvesters. Incorporation of science and IQ is a major challenge that DOE is working to resolve collaboratively with all of its co-management partners.

DOE Wildlife Management Section released two papers in 2010-2011 which documented Inuit elder, hunter, and public knowledge of Davis Strait Polar Bears and climate change. This work was conducted to support decisions on the total allowable harvest for this sub-population by the NWMB.

Polar Bears

In the 2010-2011, some 445 polar bears were harvested across the territory, an increase from a total of 418 bears in 2009-2010. Approximately 2250 samples were collected from harvested bears, including 884 teeth, 475 tissue, 292 baculum, 475 fat, and 30 liver samples. The samples also include ear tags and lip tattoos that were retrieved from previously captured bears. Hunters were compensated financially for providing the samples. The tissue, liver, and fat samples were collected as part of long-term EC - GN Contaminants Study and a body condition monitoring study between Dr. Greg Thiemann of York University and the DOE.

The DOE Wildlife Management Section, together with EC and others, completed an analysis of 35 years of capture and harvest data for polar bears in Davis Strait to quantify its current demography. This major undertaking concluded that the population size had likely increased to approximately 2158 bears by 2007 but that this is no longer occurring. It also concluded that current harvest levels are sustainable.

The development of an alternative less invasive method than the capture, collar, and release approach used to estimate polar bear populations was a priority due to Inuit concerns with the handling and drugging of the bears. The second of two comprehensive aerial surveys of the Foxe Basin polar bear population was completed during August and September with assistance from HTOs. This was the first time such methods have been used for polar bear assessment in Nunavut. The results from the survey will be carried forward in 2011 to serve as the basis for community consultations on the development of a revised management scheme for the population. Test aerial surveys also were conducted to assess the feasibility of this method in Baffin Bay as well as the Nunavut portion of the Western Hudson Bay population. Before the test aerial survey was conducted for the Western Hudson Bay, a consultation took place in Churchill, Manitoba with members from Nunavut communities on the range, Manitoba Conservation, EC, and NTI.

Several populations of polar bears are shared with other Canadian or foreign jurisdictions hence the need for coordinated research and management. The GN, represented by DOE and the NWMB, has been, and continues to be, involved with international and domestic inter-jurisdictional agreements (as per Article 9 of the NLCA). Nunavut and Greenland share the Baffin Bay and Kane Basin polar bear populations. In 2009, an agreement established the Greenland-Canada Joint Commission to make coordinated recommendations on the sustainable harvest of these two populations. The commission met twice to discuss management objectives, harvest levels, and research plans for the two populations. This led to commitments by the parties to undertake new, collaborative research to assess the size and status of these populations. Fieldwork is scheduled to commence in 2011. In Hudson Bay, DOE has been working with Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec to design and undertake joint research programs to document the bear populations and current harvest levels. The aim is to reach agreements on sustainable harvest levels and an equitable sharing amongst the hunting communities. Inuit participation in inter-jurisdictional discussions continued during 2010-2011. This included the attendance of two representatives from Designated Inuit Organizations (DIOs) as members of the Canada-Greenland Joint Commission, the attendance of HTO board members at a Western Hudson Bay workshop in Churchill in July 2010, inter-jurisdictional meetings on the Davis Strait Polar Bear sub-population, and a recent meeting about Southern Hudson Bay held in Quebec City.

Wolverines

Wolverine carcasses were collected to study feeding habits, reproduction, and natality of the animals in Nunavut. The carcasses enable the Wildlife Management Section to obtain information on geographic distribution, age and sex composition, feeding habits, health, and reproductive characteristics. In each community, conservation officers collect the carcasses from hunters and paid a $50 subsidy per carcass. DOE also initiated a hair snagging study in order to estimate the size of the wolverine population in the vicinity of Baker Lake. Wooden posts wrapped with barbed wire collect hair samples suitable for DNA analysis.

Grizzly Bears

A hair snagging study to obtain DNA samples was initiated to assess the distribution and abundance of grizzly bears. This work was co-funded by the NWMB and undertaken by DOE and the Kugluktuk HTO. Grizzly Bear Management Plan consultations were started in February 2011 with communities in the Kivalliq as well at the Kivalliq Wildlife Board spring meeting.

Raptors

The goal of the multi-year Raptor Project is to collect demographic and ecological data on raptors – primarily peregrine falcons and rough-legged hawks. The research results will be used to provide recommendations to the NWMB regarding a total allowable harvest of peregrine falcons. During the summer of 2010, a crew consisting of DOE staff, a locally hired guide, and a graduate student from the University of Alberta conducted fieldwork northwest of Igloolik. All work was done after consulting with, and receiving approval from, the HTO in the community.

Caribou

Muskoxen Research and Management

Nunavut's current muskoxen management system was adopted from the NWT. It is very successful in supporting the recovery of muskoxen, particularly in the Kivalliq Region. To improve the current system the RWOs, HTOs, NTI, and the Wildlife Management Section have worked cooperatively to draft a new Muskoxen Management Plan for the Kivalliq Region. The draft plan will be finalized following completion of a GN survey and IQ study. The plan has been presented to the NWMB for information and will require the Board's approval prior to implementation. To support communities, DOE has been issuing exemption permits that increase harvester opportunities by removing the season and increasing the Total Allowable Harvest.

DOE research on High Arctic Muskoxen has been partnered with the Resolute and Grise Fiord HTOs, and Parks Canada. This multi-year program to survey and estimate muskoxen across their Arctic Archipelago range was carried out in conjunction with research on Peary caribou. Since 2001, DOE and the HTOs from Resolute Bay and Grise Fiord have completed joint ground/aerial surveys on the Bathurst Island Group, Cornwallis Island, western Devon Island, the islands of Prince of Wales, Somerset, Ellesmere, Graham, Axel Heiberg, Ellef Ringnes, Amund Ringnes, Lougheed, Cornwall, King Christian, and Meighen, and on the entire non-glaciated portions of Devon Island. Many of these islands had not been surveyed since 1961. The survey results are published in a comprehensive report that has been distributed to each of the communities and is available on the GN web site.

A satellite telemetry program for High Arctic Muskoxen was initiated in 2003 to collect animal location data over a three-year period. These data reveal movement patterns and space use and assist in the delineation of populations and evaluation of habitat selection. Analysis and reporting is ongoing.

IQ on population changes and ecology of Peary caribou and muskoxen has been collected for the high arctic islands. This work documents changes in the distribution and abundance of muskoxen over approximately 50 years and provides background and local information for interpretation of scientific data.

A comprehensive genetic study of muskoxen across the entire Arctic Archipelago to evaluate population structure is under way.

Work is ongoing to update management units and harvest regulations that are currently applied to muskoxen populations in the Baffin Region. Workshops have occurred in Resolute Bay and Grise Fiord to detail research findings and to work collaboratively towards management and monitoring plans for each of the populations within the Baffin Region.

Parks and Conservation

Articles 8 and Article 9 of the NLCA (Parks and Conservation Areas, respectively) establish DOE's responsibility for the implementation of an IIBA for all territorial parks, and for negotiating and implementing of IIBAs for conservation areas that are under either shared or sole jurisdiction of the territorial government. Co-management is a cornerstone of both the NLCA and IIBAs as it relates to territorial parks and conservation areas.

The DOE's Research Section supports initiatives for parks and conservation areas through research, reporting, and review efforts. In 2010, staff participated in the Bathurst Island Park Negotiating Team to provide both background and current information on wildlife and its habitat. Research initiatives included the analysis of existing data to evaluate space use and movement of Peary caribou and muskoxen within the Bathurst Island Complex. In 2010 and 2011, the Section provided review comments and research information on territorial park initiatives across the territory.

Land Use and Environmental Assessment

Under NLCA Articles related to Land and Resource Management Institutions (Article 10), Land Use Planning (Article 11), Development Impact (Article 12), and Water Management (Article 13), DOE is mandated to work with IPGs to ensure that Nunavut's natural resources are protected and enhanced.  This involves effective co-management of land use planning, development impact reviews, water management, and other forms of support to land and resource management institutions. DOE also has ancillary or secondary responsibilities for obligations under Articles 15, 16, 20, 21, 40, and 42 of the NLCA, which are part of the day-to-day operational mandate of the Department.

Energy and mineral exploration and development proposals increased significantly in 2010 and as a result, the Wildlife Management Section reviewed and provided comments on numerous applications to the NIRB through the Environmental Protection Division. These included initial NIRB screenings, Part 4 Reviews, and multiple stage review of Baffinland Iron Mines through a Part 5 Environmental Impact Assessment. The Section also was involved in the NIRB review for the proposed Areva Resources Kiggavik uranium mine proposal near Baker Lake.

Parks and Special Places

NTI and the Government of Canada requested that the GN be made a party to the umbrella IIBA for Heritage Rivers under section 8.4.3 of the NLCA. The GN agreed to be a Party to the IIBA on the condition that Canada would fund any additional obligations. Formal negotiations began in November 2004 with the exchange of a framework and an outline for the IIBA. The negotiation sessions held in April 2005 were the first that included the GN as part of the Canada caucus. Negotiations continued throughout the 2008-2010 reporting period.

Since the formal approval of the Territorial Parks IIBA on May 13, 2002, the then Department of Sustainable Development (now DOE), along with NTI and the three RIAs, have been working towards implementing the agreement. Efforts have been hampered due to a lack of funding. Nevertheless, the parties to the IIBA moved the process forward during the 2008-2010 reporting period. Progress includes:

• Parks Contracts have been written in keeping with Article 5 of the IIBA.
• The GN invited NTI participation in the screening and interviewing of potential new hires of GN Park full-time employees.
• GN Parks summer and casual employment policies give preferential treatment to NLCA Beneficiaries.
• Interpretative and signage programs are consistent with language requirements in the IIBA.
• Two staff were hired to assist in implementing NLCA and IIBA requirements including management plans, a communications strategy, school visits, trade shows, Parks Day, etc.
• DOE began negotiations with QIA and NTI on IIBA Article 8.3.11 respecting Katannilik Territorial Park boundaries.
• Work significantly advanced on the Nunavut Parks Program and Heritage Appreciation Strategy (IIBA Article 14.2.1) as well as on the Inventory Framework (IIBA Article 14.4) and Master Planning Framework (IIBA Article 14.3).
• DOE commenced communications with the Department of Economic Development and Transportation (ED&T) to satisfy requirements of IIBA Article 10 and 14.4.2(e) on Mineral Assessment of Park Proposals.

Co-management is a cornerstone of both the NLCA and IIBAs as they relate to territorial parks. The Territorial Parks IIBA provides for territory-wide and local involvement in the development and management of territorial parks. Under the terms of the IIBA, the GN, along with NTI and the three RIAs, appoints representatives to co-management committees. Appointments to the territory-wide committee have been completed. However, these appointments presume federal support by way of Implementation Contract funding. Implementation of the IIBA, and the co-management of the territorial parks, is now at a critical juncture. However, if adequate funding is not received through implementation contracts, it will not be possible for DOE to implement components of the IIBA.

The federal government has an underlying and ongoing responsibility to provide adequate incremental funding to the GN to meet its obligations under the NLCA, yet, to date, the federal government response in negotiations to update the Implementation Contract for the second planning period has been less than adequate. In the last response from AANDC to the GN funding proposal for the new planning period, Canada stated that:

The GN and NTI have indicated that IIBA implementation funding must be based on identified amounts and appropriate to the developmental nature of the territorial park system. Taking this into consideration and in further review of the information provided previously, Canada is prepared to provide a contribution of $230,000 annually to the GN to help provide opportunities for Inuit to see real benefits from Nunavut's park system now and over the coming years.

The funding amount identified by AADNC is insufficient and falls far short of those identified in the GN proposal, leaving the parties to the IIBA unable to implement successfully the IIBA fully.

The NLCA requires the federal government to make certain that adequate funding is available to ensure all government obligations under the NLCA are properly carried out and not just to "help" or "contribute to" the obligations as stated in AANDC's May 4th, 2004 response the GN's proposal.

DOE continues to ensure that all publications, signs, kiosks, and interpretation material related to parks are produced in Inuktitut and one or both of Canada's official languages. DOE worked closely with Parks Canada, the CWS, and other federal and territorial partners to promote and communicate the roles for parks and conservation areas in Nunavut.

The Implementation Branch

Land Administration

• Article 7: Crown lands were made available to clients without fees for outpost camps that were approved by the local HTOs and screened by the Land Advisory Committee.
• Article 12: Forwarded applications to the NIRB for 5 Crown land dispositions, 19 land use permits, and 67 quarry permits for review and screening.
• Participated in NIRB's processes for Part 5 reviews of Baffinland's Mary River Project and AREVA's Kiggavik Project. Also active in two land exchanges identified in Article 8.2.5 and 8.3.11 of the NLCA where Agreements were reached between the parties involved.
• Worked with NWB in reviewing and approving the closure and reclamation plan for Polaris Mine, Nanisivik Mine, and the Cullaton Lake Mine.
• Article 14: Worked with the GN's CGS and Natural Resources Canada to assist with the administration of Municipal Lands, involving transfers of beds and bodies of water for community development purposes as well as updating of the Inventory of Government and Crown Agency Lands in Municipalities (known as the GEL list).
• Article 19: Continued to review legal survey plans of selected parcels of Inuit Owned Land. While a few plans have yet to be received, to date, there have been no disputes.
• Article 21.7.2: approximately 60 leases were administered by the Mining Recorder's Office.
• Field Operations conducted a total of 243 inspections to ensure compliance of activities that have been authorized under Federal/ Territorial Legislation.

Environment Division

AANDC has coordinated input on behalf of Canada to work with the NPC, and the other NLCA planning partners, to promote effective drafting and implementation of Article 11 of the NLCA.

The Division:

• Continued to hold meetings between NTI, the GN, the NPC, and federal government departments with the goal of building a NLUP. Building from Article 11.4.1(a), all Parties have agreed to the broad planning policies, objectives, and goals that will guide the development of the land use plans.
• Coordinated comments from other divisions for submission to the NIRB for the following projects: the Baffinland Mary River Iron Ore Project (several), the AREVA Kiggavik Uranium Project (several), the Agnico-Eagle Meadowbank Gold Project, and the Hope Bay Minerals Ltd. Doris North Project.
• Participated in a guidelines development workshop for the Kiggavik project and participated in public consultation sessions for both the Kiggavik and Baffinland projects.
• Administered the selection panel and contribution agreements for participant funding for the environmental review of the Kiggavik Uranium Project.

Water Resources Division

The Water Resources Division provides comments, recommendations, and support to the NWB by reviewing and providing interventions to water licensing and implementation processes for any activity, including municipal, mineral exploration, and mining activities, which involves the use of water or the disposal of wastes into water.

As part of the interventions to the water licensing process, AANDC provides a cost estimate for the abandonment and reclamation of each project so the NWB can set the amount of water-related financial security to be held by the Government of Canada. A b working relationship has been developed and maintained with the NWB.

• Provided comments on 120 submissions for Type B water licences and 14 for Type A water licences. Public hearings were held in Rankin Inlet and Arviat for the renewal of each community's municipal water license, and a site visit was conducted at Cullaton Lake. A visit to the Polaris site was unsuccessful due to bad weather.
• Funded (along with AANDC NWT Region) EC – Water Survey Canada to monitor water quantity through Hydrometric Monitoring in Nunavut.
• Saw the draft Nunavut Water Regulations under Section 82 of the Nunavut Waters and Nunavut Surface Rights Tribunal Act completed and havecompleted the community consultation phase.

Nunavut General Monitoring Plan

Significant progress was made during the reporting period to lay the foundation for NGMP. The accomplishments of NGMP can be credited to the NGMP Steering Committee and the expanding partnerships that have provided ongoing support, dedication, and ownership over Nunavut general monitoring.

• Article 12.7.6: The NGMP was developed and has four key activity areas: facilitating governance and partnerships; collect, analyse, and synthesize data; develop and maintain an information management system; and report and communicate. All contribute toward an accessible knowledge base of ecosystemic and socio-economic monitoring information which is central to supporting sustainable development decision-making in Nunavut.
• NTI, the NPC, the GN, and AANDC held the inaugural meeting of the NGMP Steering Committee on July 20-21, 2010, in Iqaluit. The meeting reaffirmed the partnerships that remain at the heart of NGMP. Its next planning session will be held in early April 2011.

Minerals Division

With respect to Article 19.9.1 of the NLCA, the Minerals Division is responsible for notifying the DIOs of the discovery of any deposits of carving stone on Crown lands. Discoveries of carving stone could be reported to the Minerals Division either verbally or through annual assessment reports submitted to AANDC by exploration companies working on Crown land. During the period under review, no new discoveries or occurrences of carving stone were reported.

Contaminated Sites

For the purpose of maximizing opportunities for Inuit and Northern firms in Nunavut, the Contaminated Sites Program undertook the following project specific activities:

Corporate Services

The Nunavut Regional Office's (NRO) Inuit Employment Plan (IEP) highlights the current state of Inuit employment in the regional office and guides the obligations and commitment to Article 23 of the NLCA. A major challenge is to increase Inuit representation in the scientific, professional, and technical employment categories. The NRO's Inuit representation rate continues to fluctuate, as staff turnover in the region is high. By March 31, 2011, the Inuit employment rate was at 27%. In efforts to increase the Inuit employment rate, the NRO focused on:

• Implementing various initiatives in the areas of recruitment, retention, and improved cultural sensitivity of the workplace, which are detailed in the NRO's IEP.
• Continuing recruitment efforts by ensuring that all job postings include provisions in the Statement of Merit Criteria that support Article 23 objectives, such as giving staffing preference to qualified NLCA beneficiaries as well as seeking candidates who have knowledge of Inuit culture and society and/or can communicate in Inuktitut.
• During the summer of 2010, through the Inuit Summer Student Initiative^{Footnote 1} , four Inuit students were hired to take on exciting and challenging jobs in the main office in Iqaluit. Steps will be taken in the coming year to recognize formally the program with the Public Service Commission in order to create bridging opportunities for full-time employment once students complete their studies.
• The NRO is looking to pilot an internship program with the Nunavut Arctic College which will allow students in the environmental technology, office administration, and management studies programs to gain job experience.
• The region has a 'continuous job posting' open to beneficiaries of the NLCA, which seeks to build an inventory of qualified Inuit to fill current and future vacancies in entry-level positions such as Administrative Assistants and Land Administration Clerks. Steps will be taken to include a greater range of positions in this inventory.
• Language training (beginner, intermediate, and advanced) continued to be offered to all NRO employees on an ongoing basis to allow staff to gain knowledge of a new language (Inuktitut or French) or further develop their language skills.
• Renewal of the IEP to guide activities over the next five years. Emphasis shifted from multiple discrete activities to focused efforts in key areas in order to better achieve a representative workforce. An IEP Committee has been established to lead the region in implementing the key activities detailed in section 6.0 of the renewed plan. Notably, an Inuit Employment coordinator position will be established in the regional office.

Article 5: Wildlife

• The CWS continues to work on nominations for appointment of the CWS member to the NWMB, which expired in 2009.
• CWS staff members often attend NWMB meetings to provide briefings, information, and requests for decision on topics related to migratory birds and recovery and/or listing of species under SARA.

Article 9: Conservation Areas

Large parts of EC's current implementation efforts involve the Inuit Impact and Benefit Agreement (IIBA) for National Wildlife Areas and Migratory Bird Sanctuaries in the Nunavut Settlement Area. IIBA-related implementation activities include:

• In June 2010, an Order-in-Council created the Ninginganiq, Akpait, and Qaqulluit National Wildlife Areas off the eastern coast of Baffin Island. The areas protect bowhead whale summering habitats and internationally important seabird colonies.
• Two Area Co-management Committees (ACMC) – the Nivvilaik [McConnell River Bird Sanctuary] ACMC and the Ahiak [Queen Maud Gulf Bird Sanctuary] ACMC – underwent training in 2010. Four ACMCs have been established to date under the IIBA, and five more will be established by 2014.
• The IIBA's Inuit Field Research Assistant Program received 56 applications, and a total of 20 placements were made for research assistants into EC-CWS field camps.
• Two students were hired under the IIBA's Inuit Student Mentor Program. One student worked in EC's Yellowknife office for four months, and the other worked in the Iqaluit office for seven months.
• The Parties to the IIBA (EC-CWS, the three RIAs, and NTI) met three times and developed an annual reporting template to track the Parties' implementation of obligations.

Article 11: Land Use Planning

• EC continued its active participation in the development of the NLUP through a federal working group led by AANDC.

Article 23: Inuit Employment within Government

• EC has permanent staff in Iqaluit and Resolute Bay, and itinerant staff in Eureka and Alert. Of the staff at the main EC office in Iqaluit, 30% are NLCA beneficiaries.

Article 24: Government Contracts

• A total of 60% of EC contracts for services within, or materials delivered to, Nunavut engaged Inuit firms.
• EC continued to send comprehensive land claim agreement notifications for all contracts in affected areas (within the NSA) and utilized the Inuit Firms Registry database, maintained by NTI.

Article 32: Nunavut Social Development Council

• The Aboriginal Affairs Branch consulted with Inuit organizations in Nunavut on the renewal of the Aboriginal Languages Initiative and on changes to Northern Aboriginal Broadcasting (both of which are part of the Aboriginal Peoples Program). The feedback received was taken into consideration in the further development of these cultural programs, including their method of delivery.
• An intergovernmental and interdepartmental working group was created to address cultural infrastructure development in Nunavut. In addition to bi-annual meetings which focus on information sharing and coordination, the group hosted a two-day meeting with stakeholders in March 2011, supported by the Canada Council for the Arts and the Inuit Relations Secretariat of AANDC, to encourage collaboration among funders and to promote a vision at the community level for shared, multi-use cultural spaces.

Canada Council for the Arts (Portfolio Agency)

In 2010, the Council identified Nunavut as a priority and developed a Nunavut Arts Strategy, which focuses on increasing access by Nunavut artists to the Council's programs and services. Three objectives for the Nunavut Arts Strategy were identified, as follows:

1. Offer more accessible and relevant services to all artists living and working in Nunavut with a focus on serving Inuit artists;
2. Participate as an active and vital part of the arts funding infrastructure in Nunavut, and, by its presence, strengthening that infrastructure; and
3. Act, across the organization, with sensitivity to and knowledge of the culture, languages, peoples, and artistic practices in offering services to artists in Nunavut.

Key activities undertaken in 2010-2011 include:

• Collaboration on cultural infrastructure issues;
• Production of a roundtable – Kattutiniq Nunavut – in Iqaluit involving Canada Council employees, artists, and arts support representatives to exchange ideas on increased collaboration in Nunavut;
• Support of the Iqaluit-based Qaggiavuut Society to develop a database of performing artists in Nunavut; and
• Signature of a three-year agreement with the GN's Culture, Language, Elders and Youth Department to share an Inuktitut-speaking liaison officer based in Iqaluit to deliver services and programs for both agencies.

Funding to Third Party Organizations

A range of third-party organizations successfully applied for grants and contributions to deliver various services in Nunavut, such as human resource development, arts presentation, heritage preservation, Aboriginal culture and language programming, and Canada Day and National Aboriginal Day celebratory events in communities across the Territory, among others.

Introduction

Service Canada has three offices located in Iqaluit, Rankin Inlet, and Cambridge Bay, providing services to 14 other communities across Nunavut on a quarterly basis through outreach visits. Both the Rankin Inlet and Cambridge Bay offices are fully staffed by NLCA beneficiaries who offer services in Inuktitut and Inuinnaqtun.

Recruitment

• The Federal IEP has been updated to reflect changes over the past five years. The department anticipates some growth over the coming years. Data collected in 2002 set the baseline for Inuit employment at 52%. Notably, the department's Inuit employment rate in Nunavut was 70% in 2011. A process is underway in accordance with the IEP and the Public Service Employment Act tostaff two positions.
• The General Equivalency Diploma program was created to allow the recruitment of Grade 9 and up students, who are no longer in school but have the potential to complete their Grade 12 equivalency exam. HRSDC worked with Nunavut high schools to identify potential candidates. One student has successfully completed this program and has continued on to further studies. Between 2009 and 2012, Service Canada has hired two additional term employees who are working to complete their Grade 12 education.
• Service Canada participates in the Federal Public Sector Youth Program, an internship program lasting approximately 9 months. It gives young beneficiaries opportunities to develop skills that improve their employability. Through a structured learning experience with a mentor three NLCA beneficiaries have successfully completed this program. One candidate has since found indeterminate employment with the GN and the other two candidates are in term positions with the Government of Canada.
• To help promote the Federal Student Work Experience Program, Service Canada ensured that students were aware of the registration requirements in an effort to provide an opportunity for students to participate in the program and to help bridge successful candidates for employment with other federal departments.
• Worked with the Nunavut Federal Council and the Public Service Commission to establish a program of career fairs, school visits, and processes designed to capture the interest of young people in the territory and help them make wise career decisions.
• Every effort continued to be made to ensure that position advertisements appear in appropriate languages in all Nunavut communities and that education requirements are appropriate. "Preparing for a Process" sessions were offered to help external candidates understand the assessment process and to increase the success of local candidates. In addition, candidates may respond in the language of their choice, including in Inuktitut.

Purchasing Goods and Services

• Service Canada also purchases most of its supplies and travel requirements from local service providers. This has been ongoing since 2009. Supplies that are not available in Nunavut are purchased in the south.

General

As per Article 24, PWGSC continued to notify NTI and eight other Inuit organizations of bid opportunities involving the delivery of goods, services, and/or construction within the NSA that it handles on behalf of federal departments and agencies. Whenever practical and consistent with sound procurement management, PWGSC included evaluation criteria in its bid documents to maximize socio-economic opportunities for Inuit firms in the NSA. PWGSC also continued to provide information on government contracts awarded in the NSA.

PWGSC Participation in the Nunavut Trade Show and Conference

• The PWGSC Western Region Office of Small and Medium Enterprises participated in the annual Nunavut Trade Show and Conference in Iqaluit from September 22-23, 2010.

Northern Contaminated Sites

• The remediation of PIN-D (Ross Point) and PIN-E (Cape Peel) DEW lines sites was combined into a single contract awarded for $11.4 million. This contract has an Inuit employment target of 75% and Inuit sub-contractor/supplier target of 80%.
• The four remediation projects referenced in the 2008-2010 Annual Report are in the final stages of activity:
  1. The Cape Christian LORAN site is complete and the contract is in the closing stages.
  2. The Roberts Bay/Ida Bay Mine Sites is complete, and the Contractor achieved 63% Inuit employment.
  3. The PIN-B (Clifton Point) DEW Line site is complete, and the Contractor achieved 73% Inuit employment.
  4. On-site activities at the CAM-D (Simpson Lake) DEW Line site are complete, and the contractor will begin demobilization from the site in the summer of 2012.
• Two remediation projects within the NLCA are currently out for tender, and both tenders contain evaluation criteria intended to maximize socio-economic opportunities for NLCA beneficiaries. One is for the former mine exploration site at Hope Lake. The other is for the FOX-E (Durban Island) DEW Line site and a former weather station on Padloping Island.

Support Services for DND in Ellesmere Island

A meeting was held in October 2010 between NTI, PWGSC, DND, and AANDC. PWGSC and AANDC developed an Inuit benefits strategy that includes:

• Mandatory Inuit benefits of 7.5% of total dollar value and 7.5% of total resources.
• Rated Inuit benefits with a total score worth 10% of total points available for the evaluation of the quality of the benefits, stressing achievability, skills development, lasting benefits, etc.

In March 2011, a Letter of Interest was issued on MERX that included the final Inuit benefits strategy. An Industry Day was held in Winnipeg to inform industry of the overall requirements which saw the participation of a representative from Arctic College. A second Industry Day is planned for early April 2011 in Iqaluit.

Implementation Activities^{Footnote 2}

• Refocused the implementation of a second Nunavut Wildlife Harvest Study towards a Community-Based Monitoring Network Pilot Study by issuing a Request for Proposals and entering into negotiations with the top ranking contractor for the conduct of the pilot study.
• Continued towards the introduction of the Total Allowable Harvest-Basic Needs Level-Surplus management regime by working with co-management partners on the implementation of this regime for wildlife species.
• Continued to make appropriate decisions with respect to maintaining, establishing, modifying, or removing Total Allowable Harvests, other restrictions on wildlife harvesting, and the management and/or protection or particular wildlife or wildlife habitat in the NSA.
• Continued to equitably allocate Nunavut's share of commercial shrimp, turbot, and other marine resources through implementation of the Allocation Policy of the NWMB for Commercial Marine Fisheries.
• The successful development of a commercial marine fishery, with a modern world-class Allocation Policy, that is resulting in unprecedented growth in Nunavut.
• Continued to proactively work towards promoting the inclusion of both IQ and modern science in all aspects of wildlife management, including moving towards a workshop to discuss a proposed NWMB IQ program.
• The recognition of the importance of IQ and its inclusion in wildlife management, including specific NWMB initiatives.
• The NWMB constructed – along with its co-management partners – a modern, inclusive wildlife management system, that guarantees all participants fair and thoughtful consideration of all evidence and arguments in all wildlife management decisions.
• Continued to provide guidance and advice on wildlife management and research proposals and priorities, including the completion of three regional research and management priority setting workshops.
• Establishment the Nunavut Wildlife Research Trust and associated funding policies. These ensure a fair and organized research approval process that reflects and addresses NLCA priorities and the regional priorities established by HTOs and RWOs in the territory's three regions.
• Continued to evaluate Government and non-government Research Funding Proposals and provided funding to applicants from the Nunavut Wildlife Research Trust (17 applications totalling $757,070) and the Nunavut Wildlife Studies Fund (five applications totaling $129,125).
• Continued to provide funding to the RWOs and HTOs through the Nunavut Inuit Wildlife Secretariat.
• Continued to implement the DFO-EC-NWMB MOU to Harmonize the Designation of Rare Threatened and Endangered Species under the NLCA and the listing of wildlife under SARA.
• Continued a successful hearing program that guarantees all participants fair and thoughtful consideration of all evidence and arguments.
• The NWMB is committed to the continued implementation of the NLCA while ensuring a procedurally fair process. Preparation for the next planning period needs to start soon in order to address current and past difficulties. These include, but are not limited to, funding for HTOs and RWOs to implement their respective roles and responsibilities under the NLCA, incorporation of IQ into wildlife management, and advancement of the Nunavut Marine Council.

Implementation Challenges

The long waiting period between federal government appointments to the NWMB Board has meant the Board has not operated with a full complement of members. For example, the CWS appointment as well as the Chairperson's position remained vacant.

An ongoing challenge is the different interpretations offered by relevant co-management partners regarding key sections in the NLCA pertaining to the Total Allowable Harvest-Basic Needs Level-Surplus management regime (e.g. what harvests are to be included in the Basic Needs Level). The NWMB remains committed to the implementation of the management regime across the territory but remains unable to fulfill this NLCA obligation without the commitment of all agencies involved.

Highlights

• The NIRB processed a total of 168 project proposals for environmental impact assessment in accordance with Article 12 of the NLCA.
• A total of 69 new proposals required screening, six projects were undergoing review, and three projects consisted of active monitoring programs.
• An additional 84 proposals involved changes to previously screened projects for minor amendments, extensions, and renewals. Then re-issued its original Screening Decision Report with the terms and conditions to be incorporated into the applicable licences or permits in order to mitigate potential environmental impacts.
• An additional 15 proposals were assessed and it was determined that the applications did not fall under the purview of the NIRB screening process.
• The Board and staff continued to implement the NIRB's Five-Year Strategic Plan (2008-2013), with a focus, where funding allows, on such key areas as governance, legislation, policy development, and human resources.
• Updated its internal operational and board governance policies, and hired two new staff members to assist with fulfilling the NIRB's mandate.
• Completed additional initiatives and training related to several relevant topics, including IQ, uranium mining, marine issues, and board governance practices.
• The Board and staff have attended, presented, and participated in a number of conferences and workshops.
• The Board continues to collaborate with its partners in government and with Inuit organizations to ensure the most efficient regulatory system possible.
• Jointly awarded "Government/Organization of the Year" with the NWB at the 2010 Nunavut Mining Symposium.
• The Board held meetings in Igloolik (June 2010) and Yellowknife (November 2010 and February 2011). Additionally, the Board met via teleconference on a number of dates to facilitate its decision-making.
• The NIRB continues to update materials, which can be found on the online public registry at NIRB.

Screenings

• Received a total of 168 project proposals pursuant to Part 4, Article 12 of the NLCA. These projects are categorized as follows:

  35
  Research;

  18
  Exploration;

  1
  Military Exercise;

  1
  Quarry;

  6
  Infrastructure;

  1
  Other;

  2
  Site remediation;

  5
  Access/Leases/Camps.

Reviews

• Development projects undergoing review by the NIRB:
  • Bathurst Inlet Port and Road infrastructure project – suspended at technical review of Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS);
  • MMG's High Lake mine development proposal – suspended at technical review of Draft EIS;
  • Sabina Gold and Silver's Hackett River mine development proposal – awaiting submission of Draft EIS;
  • Uravan Garry Lake mineral exploration project – awaiting submission of EIS;
  • Baffinland Iron Mines Corp.'s Mary River mine development proposal – undergoing technical review of Draft EIS; and
  • AREVA Resources Canada's Kiggavik mine development proposal – awaiting submission of Draft EIS.

Monitoring

• The NIRB employed full-time officers to continue the monitoring programs for the Jericho Diamond Mine, the Doris North Gold Mine, and the Meadowbank Gold Mine projects.

The Future

• Proposed major development projects which may be submitted to the NIRB for assessment in the upcoming fiscal year include: Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd's Meliadine Gold Mine Project, Hope Bay Mining Ltd's Phase II Gold Mine Project, Advanced Explorations' Roche Bay Iron Ore Mine Project, Sabina Gold and Silver's Back River Gold Mine Project, and Min Metals Group's Izok Lake Zinc Mine Project.

Challenges and Planned Initiatives

• The NIRB currently operates with a staff complement of 16, six of which are technical advisor positions funded through project-specific funding agreements. The Board does not have in-house technical expertise in all areas of its mandate, and must therefore regularly retain the services of external consultants for a variety of purposes,
• The increasing costs associated with renting office space, recruiting staff, and administering the computer network and online registry are not fully acknowledged within the current implementation contract. These will continue to be an issue for the NIRB.

Highlights

• In accordance with Article 11, section 5.10 of the NLCA, the Commission conducted 53 conformity determinations in connection with project proposals.
• Hosted technical workshops for Government, Inuit Organizations, Denesuline, Industry, and other IPGs.
• Worked with AANDC, the GN, and NTI to formalize a Steering Committee for the NGMP.
• In connection with the Legislative Working Group partners, the NPC participated in the development and finalization of the Draft NUPPAA. Progress continues to be made on the formulation of the NLUP.
• Continued Results-Based Governance Model training and education for Commissioners and staff and participated in several meetings, workshops, and conferences, ranging from attending the Nunavut Mining Symposium, to meeting with technical experts from Government, industry, and other IPGs.