NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: North Slave Region

Tags: social sciences, geological mapping, land use planning, digital technology, legislation, mineral resources

Objective(s): To examine how the burgeoning use of digital technologies (Online Map Staking) and data (Geological data sharing) might have a cumulative impact on people’s land-based legal rights.

Project Description: To examine how the burgeoning use of digital technologies (Online Map Staking) and data (Geological data sharing) might have a cumulative impact on people’s land-based legal rights. This research is qualitative and will involve direct interaction with members of the scientific, indigenous, non-indigenous and government/non-governmental community based in Yellowknife. Specifically, the research will involve the use of semi-structured interviews lasting a minimum of 45 minutes with representatives of: a. The Government of the Northwest Territories (including legislators, Department of ITT, and geologists); b. Non-governmental organisations associated with the development of mineral extraction in the NWT, and non-governmental citizens’ advocate organisations, and non-governmental environmental groups; c. First Nations communities who are interested in the Mineral Resources Act, and/or those who have led digital mapping campaigns which used traditional knowledge; d. Co-management boards. Interviews will be carried out either in person or electronically (via Skype/telephone). Each interview will be recorded (audio or written) with the consent of the participant. Questions will focus on the participant’s opinions of digital map usage, and the impacts they perceive this may have on land-use planning and negotiations. The PI may re-interview participants or contact them with follow-up questions to ensure responses have been correctly understood, or to gain clarification on certain topics. These interviews will be carried out over a 3-9 month period, dependent on the time taken to arrange, conduct, and complete interviews. The Principal Investigator anticipate returning to the UK in mid-December 2018, and then returning to Yellowknife in late January/early February 2019 to complete any further interviews, or pursue follow-up discussions. Local involvement forms a core element of this research project, where the experiences, opinions and recommendations of both aboriginal and non-aboriginal local people are vital to gain a representative reflection of the growing role of digital technologies in the social, cultural, and economic lives of local people in the NWT. Specifically, opinions will be sought regarding the proposals in the Mineral Resources Act for Online Maps for Land Staking, and geological data sharing from exploration and mining activities. Therefore, local people representing a diversity of knowledges, (including but not restricted to co-management boards, government, industry, geologists, non-government organizations and community members), will be invited to be involved in the research through interviews and informal discussions. Whilst acknowledging that this research project will not provide immediate benefits to local communities, it will contribute to a discussion that has so far been narrow regarding the growing use of digital technologies, land-use management, and legislative structures. The research project will seek diverse inclusion and representation of local perspectives to contribute towards the following four outcomes: 1) Approximating the cumulative impact that digital technologies might have on aboriginal treaties and land agreements. Attentive to the importance of unsettled land claim agreements and land use plans to many aspects of social, cultural and economic life, the researcher will invite people to contribute their opinions regarding the possible impact of online map staking and geological data sharing on the possibility of settling land claim agreements and making land-use plans. 2) Making recommendations to ensure that the need to meet the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) is fulfilled both practically and legally. Attentive to the importance of free, prior and informed consent adopted from the UNDRIP, people will be asked to provide their perceptions of how increased digitisation of land-use planning might affect the right of aboriginal people to give informed consent for prospecting and exploration. 3) Exploring the workability for digital technologies to benefit aboriginal governments and communities. Attentive to the benefits that mining may bring to local communities, local representatives will be invited to discuss the potential for Online Map Staking and Geological Data Sharing to improve the chances of exploration to transition to production; and for aboriginal governments to have greater control over resource development activities in their lands. 4) Identifying the key mechanisms required to expand the economic benefit of the free entry system to aboriginal companies, and maintain and enhance exploration opportunities, where desired. Attentive to the importance of the mining industry more widely in NWT, the project will seek to understand how Online Map Staking and Geological Data Sharing might enhance the security of the exploration industry, and create greater opportunity for aboriginal owned companies to enter the market. The Principal Investigator (PI) will be available to give presentations to organisations, groups, or individuals, who wish to hear about the research, both while conducting it, and once it has been completed. A short, plain language report will be written at the end of the research and sent to any organisations or people who wish to receive it. The report will be sent to all organisations/people who participated in the research as soon as data collection and data analysis have been carried out (likely, end 2019/beginning 2020). A full version of the doctoral thesis will be available for download from the Oxford University database. This is open-access, and documents can be downloaded from anywhere. The PI is open to recommendations from different stakeholders as to how this research could best be communicated to benefit them/their organisation. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from September 5, 2018 to December 31. 2018.