NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region

Tags: social sciences, aboriginal community, community consultation, resource development, socio-cultural

Objective(s): The purpose of this research is to investigate community concerns, including what are they, how and why these concerns have changed over time, how they are reflected in land-claim agreements and may affect their future self-government agreement.

Project Description: The purpose of this research is to investigate community concerns, including what are they, how and why these concerns have changed over time, how they are reflected in land-claim agreements and may affect their future self-government agreement. Other objectives are: To identify ways in which the state, in the past two decades, has created policies which may have proven beneficial and liberating to First Nations communities, and the extent to which First Nation communities as a result are better able to meet the socio-economic demands of their constituents. To understand why some First Nations groups, in areas where there is the potential for oil and gas development, have decided to center their development strategies on oil and gas while others shun oil and gas initiatives. To add to the larger theoretical level of discussion concerning globalization and development and the extent to which it cultivates a new form of dependency, or, to the contrary, creates a new space in which previously marginalized groups can participate. The researchers want to identify community concerns related to the impacts of oil and gas activity on community health, traditional livelihoods, local economy, ecosystem sustainability, food security. By studying the impacts of oil and gas, they intend to better examine the risks, threats and opportunities that oil and gas activity present to human security in the Arctic. Method of Data Collection: Extensive Literature reviews of current and archival documents, information that is available to people in the community about their community and regional governments to understand how political networks and relationships were made, as well as to better understand the dynamics of institutional design/ structure/ change and the availability and distribution of resources and capacities of Inuvialuit policymaking. Interviews: a number of trips will be taken by the researchers to conduct formal and informal interviews with community members of Tuktoyaktuk, as well as individuals involved in Inuvialuit governance and/or resource development. Information will be disseminated amongst broader audiences, such as in Canada, United States, Europe and the International Arctic Community. Previous research of Gabrielle Slowey has produced conference papers, book chapters, book length manuscripts and there is intention that this will happen again for this project. For this research, Slowey plans to publish an essay on comparing the political economy of self-determination in Old Crow, Yukon and Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories. As well, she will compare the universal dimensions and applications of self-determination process using the northern cases and their extensive linkages within the region as the empirical base for analysis. There is also an intention to report on the findings of the research to the communities, in which research was conducted, through workshops, pamphlets, newsletters, radio program etc. Fieldwork will be conducted from October 01 to December 31, 2007 in Tuktoyaktuk and Inuvik.