NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Dehcho Region, North Slave Region, South Slave Region

Tags: mining, social sciences, history

Objective(s): This project aims to understand the social and environmental effects of historical mining in the Northwest Territories through historical research and visits to communities and mine sites.

Project Description: This licence was issued for the application no. 811. This project aims to understand the social and environmental effects of historical mining in the Northwest Territories through historical research and visits to communities and mine sites. The researchers also hope to learn how community members can contribute their knowledge and experiences to understanding this history. In 2008, one researcher (Dr. Keeling) will travel to the NWT to conduct the following activities: historical research at the NWT Archives in Yellowknife; meetings with relevant First Nations and/or other community groups to discuss community participation in this research; meetings with mining history groups, such as the Mining Heritage Society and the NWT & Nunavut Chamber of Mines; field visits/tours of the following mine sites, where possible: Giant, Con, Pine Point. Methods of data collection include: archival research and collection of relevant documentary sources; and field observation and photography of mine sites and landscapes affected by mining development. Please note: formal oral history interviews are not contemplated at this stage of the research. Contact with community members in the area will be informal and not for use in any report or publication. The researchers intend to remain in contact with community members over the life of this study and beyond. They hope to collaborate with interested communities in developing future research proposals that would incorporate local knowledge and experiences directly into the study. In the near term, they intend to provide any results and publications stemming from the documentary and field research to the interested communities. They will also make available any information, documentation (notes, photocopies) or photographic evidence gathered by the researchers over the course of this study. Opportunities for local involvement and contributions of Northern residents include, but are not limited to: sharing of local knowledge and experiences of historic mining developments; sharing of information regarding landscape and environmental changes associated with historic mining developments; sharing of social and cultural dimensions of historic mining developments. Contributions of researchers to Northern residents and communities include, but are not limited to: remuneration for participation, such as guiding through local territories affected by historic mining developments; learning about and sharing experiences of historic mining developments in other regions (ours is a comparative study); sharing of information acquired from outside the communities, such as in national and regional archival holdings. Fieldwork will be conducted from June 15 to August 15, 2008, at the Former Pine Point mine/townsite, Fort Resolution, Hay River, Yellowknife and Dettah, Giant and Con mine sites.