Nunatta Ataani, Nunavik mining as seen by the Inuit
Scheduled for release on YouTube this Friday, Nunatta Ataani looks at the mining history of Nunavik and the current challenges posed by the exploitation of its resources. A difficult topic that this documentary addresses by giving a voice to the region’s various stakeholders, particularly the Inuit.
Opening with the history of mining exploration in Nunavik and the role Inuit played in the early days of prospecting, the documentary interviews the elders who worked with the prospectors who landed in the region in the 1950s.
“My husband worked for the prospectors looking for ore while I did the laundry for the white people. I would spend the whole day washing their clothes. In the two years I worked, I received just 2 dollars. My husband would make five dollars after several days.”, remembers Annie Sakiagak. Hired in the 1950s with her husband to work as a guide, the young couple set off for the Nuvilik mine site by dogsled, their newborn in their arms.
Flanked by white prospectors looking for copper, iron or nickel deposits to sell to big companies, the Inuit often acted as guides across Nunavik, in difficult conditions. Jeeka Kudluk remembers how the Inuit used to break rock, and the joy of the expedition’s geologist when an ore was discovered in a sliver. “I remember the things he said… He said ships would arrive. He said many different plane would arrive. He said we would become in charge.”, he recalls before concluding: “But they never came.”
An experience that left a bitter taste in the mouths of local communities. So when prospecting became an industrial-scale mining activity, the Inuit began to mobilize. “I was just a young guy with long hair and not even dressed properly,” recalls Charlie Arngak. Yet beneath his hippie looks, the young man already understood what was at stake. Sent as part of a delegation to Toronto, he met with Raglan mine officials to make them understand that these lands are far from pristine, and are both home and larder to many communities. From meeting to meeting, Arngak tirelessly defends his people and their link to the land to one of the country’s largest mining companies. Against all odds, the strategy paid off. In 1995, the first Inuit Impact and Benefit Agreement was signed. It was the first time such an agreement had been signed between an Indigenous group and a mining company. Environmental protection, Inuit employment and training – with priority given to local businesses – and redistribution of benefits are the main points of this historic agreement. In 25 years, Raglan has redistributed more than C$300 million (over 200 million euros) to the communities.
The Inuit continue to learn from this past. The mining sector continues to develop in the region, and in the Far North in general, with rare earths becoming the new manna. Faced with this mining development, the Inuit have decided to make the most of it. As Tunu Napartuk, former Chairman of the NMEF Board of Directors, points out in a press release, “The mining industry is coming to our region, whether we like it or not. The real question is: will we remain passive observers, as we have been for decades, or will we take control and dictate how our land is accessed and developed? This is our chance to shape our region’s future.”
The documentary shows how agreements have been reached between the Inuit of Nunavik and the region’s main mining companies, ensuring financial returns for the community and jobs, notably through the hiring of local workers, businesses and self-employed people. Training is not forgotten either. The mining companies provide intensive training courses with valid certifications for young people and adults wishing to retrain in this field. The result is jobs in a sector that pays well and offers a certain degree of freedom. “What I like about working at the mine is you get to work for two weeks, go off for two weeks again, you get to go anywhere you want, go hunting, go fishing”, says Joshua Papiqatuk, an underground miner, as he pulls nickel from the bowels of the Qakimajurk mine aboard his imposing truck.
However, not everything is perfect in the vast white and mining Nunavik. The disruption and pollution caused by extractive activities remain a reality and a source of concern. Contamination levels, particularly in water, are closely monitored, especially by the Inuit, who keep a close eye on the levels of pollutants announced by the authorities and the company. And for the moment, according to the experts, the situation appears to be under control. It has to be said that the mining sector is making efforts to gain community acceptance. According to Pierre Barrette, Vice-President of Raglan Mine, this is a prerequisite for long-term mining operations. Even so, signs are already visible on the ground, notably in the fish that local fishermen are pulling out of the water. “We’ve seen stiff fish that can’t even wag their tails. And sometimes they have huge head and very skinny body. And sometimes they taste like cigarettes,” says Adamie Saviadjuk, president of the Salluit Landholding Corporation.
If the problem is inherent to mining activity – any action on the land inevitably has repercussions – education, information sharing and dialogue still seem to be the best ways of getting the region’s various stakeholders to live together.
The strength of this documentary lies in its ability to offer audiences an in-depth look at the question of the relationship between the Inuit and the mining activity developing on their territory. It’s a sensitive and highly polarizing subject, even among the inhabitants of this mining region, whose wealth is increasingly crucial to Quebec.
A documentary to be previewed this Friday, October 25 on YouTube. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with the film’s themes through live chat discussions during the event. The preview will be presented in English with English subtitles. A full-length Inuktitut version is currently in production and will be released at a later date.
For more information, visit the documentary’s official website: https://www.nunattaataani.com
Mirjana Binggeli, Polar Journal AG
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