DRAFT
Fifth Annual ReSDA Research Workshop
Land Claims, Subsistence Economies and Resource Developments:
Reflections on 40 years of Land Claims in Nunavik and Alaska
DRAFT Background and Agenda
October 21-23, 2015
Background
The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada announced funding through their Major Collaborative Research Initiative grants in February 2011 for a new Northern research project called Resources and Sustainable Development in the Arctic (ReSDA). The main focus of ReSDA’s research is on finding ways to ensure that a larger share of the benefits of resource development stay in the region with fewer costs to communities. “The potential exists for finding new ways of developing resources that will ensure greater benefits for and build capacity in northern communities. Rather than being something that threatens their vitality, the development of natural resources can be done in a way that will ensure their long-term sustainability…. The Network has been mobilizing researchers around the questions that will help determine how to maximize benefits of resource development to northern regions and communities and how to minimize the social, economic, cultural, and environmental costs. The primary objective of the research is to cultivate innovative approaches to the best ways of natural resource developments to improve the well-being of northern communities while preserving the region’s unique environment. This issue is all the more pressing given the increased demand for natural resources globally, with many of these resources existing in Arctic locations.
A number of current issues have been identified as priority areas by the communities, ReSDA researchers and our northern partners. Research is looking into past and present resource developments, the flow of revenues from these developments, how economic benefits have been secured by communities as well as the social, cultural and environmental impacts that are often connected to these. Researchers in Nunavik have been looking at royalty revenues and benefit agreements and their impacts on communities and regions.
The Workshop
Each year ReSDA has organized an annual research workshop based on central theme. The workshop brings together researchers and northern partners representing communities, government, the private sector and non-profit organizations that are involved with issues and research relating to sustainable Arctic natural resource development. This year we would like to engage the people and communities of Nunavik in discussions with the ReSDA research network to facilitate the understanding of the key issues that are being faced by the region in relation to resource developments. The presentations and discussion will focus on subsistence activities and engagement with extractive industries over the past 40 years since the settlement of the Land Claims in Nunavik and Alaska.
In 1971, the first comprehensive Aboriginal land claim in North America was signed between Alaska Natives and the United States Government. Four years later, in 1975, Canada entered into its first comprehensive land claims, the James Bay Northern Quebec Agreement, with the Cree and Inuit of northern Quebec. While the primary motivation for the settlement of these land claims agreements was arguably the need to establish clear and secure title to lands and resources in advance of large-scale resource development (oil and hydro-electric), it is also widely acknowledged that land claims agreements were designed to provide Aboriginal claimants with well-defined entitlements to land and wildlife resources. These agreements, by virtue, were to protect a valued way of life predicated largely on the harvesting of wildlife resources. However, the actual scope and practical significance of maintaining this valued way of life for Alaska Natives and Inuit of Nunavik has largely been determined by how subsistence rights and interests are reflected in their respective claims. The policy and legislative environment created by these two land claims agreements have had a major effect at the community level by influencing what forms of livelihood can be attained. These varying institutional arrangements may either reinforce subsistence rights or produce additional food insecurities. In the four decades that have past since the signing of ANCSA and the JBNQA no in-depth comparative study has been conducted on how these two foundational land claims agreements have affected the environmental livelihoods of Aboriginal claimants. This workshop will serve as an initial step in filling this void. Through this workshop, and subsequent publication of research papers, we hope to generate a wealth of empirical information that can then be used to evaluate to effectiveness of these foundational land claims based on ground level reality of beneficiaries. This will be of value as a point of reference as new structures emerge in response to an ever-increasing number of Native title determinations and as innovative approaches are explored in land management, resource development and indigenous governance.
Workshop Themes:
1) Sustainability of Wildlife Harvesting
2) Engagement with Extractive Industries
Discussions with community partners about research priorities began in 2010 as the proposal for this program was developed. In 2011 an initial workshop was held in Yellowknife with researchers reflecting on initial recommendations from communities and discussing how these suggestions could be translated into formal research questions. From these discussions, the ReSDA committee drafted a research plan to guide their work for the next year. The emphasis was on isolating the main areas for a gap analysis to determine research needs and priorities. The second workshop held in Whitehorse provided the results of the gap analysis and further recommendations from community partners to establish a research plan and directions for the network with 14 priority areas identified. The third workshop in Iqaluit in 2013 focused on the best mechanisms for knowledge sharing in the ReSDA network. Various mechanisms were examined that are used in the northern context to help in the creation of a ReSDA communication strategy and toolbox. Face to face discussions were one of the top ways to share information between communities and researchers so the workshops provide one avenue to do this. Finally we hosted a workshop in Labrador that focused on community wellbeing. This is a key area identified for research. The understanding of how resource development contributes to or adversely affects community well-being is increasingly required by government and industry.
This workshop will focus on issues of subsistence based economies and engagement with extractive industries with a view to understanding the perspectives from community members, researchers, government and industry. The insights provided from the various sectors will help create a greater understanding of the issues and ways that we can determine social, cultural and environmental changes and how these can be improved in relation to resource development.
Land Claims and Resource Developments
DRAFT Workshop Agenda
Oct. 21-23, 2015
Day 1 – Wednesday Oct. 21, 2015(people from south arrive around noon – start sessions in the afternoon)
Introductions / 2:00 – 2:30 / (30 min) / Welcoming remarks
· Dignitaries, welcoming remarks
·
2:30 - 3:00 / (30 min) / Workshop Introductions: ReSDA, Land Claims and Resource Developments
· Chris Southcott
· Dave Natcher
· Andrey Petrov
3:00- 4:00 / (60 min) / Session 1: (setting the stage)
Key note presentations?
Land Claim Agreements – what does this mean 40 years later: Lessons learned and new directions
4:00 -4:30 / (30 min) / Questions and General Discussions
5:30-7:00 / Meet-and-greet (reception / gathering) – (could have a key note presentation here)
Day 2 – Thursday October 22, 2015
8:30 - 8:45 / (15 min) / · Recap of Day 1 / Review of agenda for Day 2
Land Claim Agreements & Resource Development / 8:45 - 9:45 / (60 min) / Session 2: Community Panel
· Nunavik
· IRC
· Nunavut
· Nunatsiavut
9:45-10:45 / (60 min) / Session 3: Research or Government panel
10:45 - 11:00 / Break
11:00 - 11:45 / (45 min) / Discussion and questions
11:45 - 1:00 / Lunch
1:00 - 2:00 / (60 min) / Session 4:
2:00 – 3:00 / (60 min) / Session 5: Roundtable discussion on lands claims and resource development”: research, industry, and community perspectives
· Break-out groups
· Summary of group discussions
3:00 – 3:30 / Break
3:30 – 4:30 / (60 min) / Session 6:
7:00 – 9:00 / ReSDA Steering Committee meeting - How many attending
Chris, Dave, Brenda, Charles, Ron, Peter, Mary Ellen, Mary (need to confirm who is attending)
Day 3 – Friday October 23, 2015
8:30 – 8:45 / (15 min) / Overview of Day 1 and 2 discussions and format of Day 3 (Chris Southcott)
ReSDA research, research requirements and communications / 8:45 – 10:15 / (90 min) / Session 7: ReSDA Research Projects
· Thierry Rodon / students (Nunavik research)
· Dave Natcher (Nunavik research)
· Brenda Parlee (Wellbeing)
· Andrey Petrov (Indicators)
· Lee Huskey (Revenue flows)
· Peter Schweitzer (Mobile workforce)
· Jeanette Carney (Masters project in Nunavik)
10:15 -10:45 / (30 min) / Discussion – what research is needed?
10:45-11:00 / Break
11:00-12:00 / (60 min) / ReSDA Atlas and knowledge sharing
12:00 - 1:00 / Lunch
Final discussions recommendations / 1:00 – 2:00 / (60 min) / Wrap up discussions
· Break-out groups
· Summary of group discussions
2:00 – 3:00 / (60 min) / Wrap up and final remarks
Chris Southcott
Dave Natcher
DRAFT Annual ReSDA Workshop – Kuujjuaq, QC October 2015 Page 4 of 5