Mining and Communities in the Arctic: Lessons from Baker Lake, Canada

In this paper, we explore mining in Arctic Canada from the perspective of the people on the communities there, in particular the Inuit, the pre-colonial people of the area. To do so, we first provide a brief overview of the history of mining in Canada including recent incursions into Nunavut. Then, we examine the place of aboriginal people including the Inuit in the modern global economy. We focus on their desire to participate in this economy on their own terms, meaning the respect of traditional land rights, and the respect and incorporation of traditional environmental knowledge, culture, values and practices in economic activities. Following this, we examine aboriginal land rights and settlement in Northern Canada. After this is done, we go on to consider the particular case of Baker Lake in Nunavut. Finally, we draw some conclusions from the case that can be generalised to other communities in the Arctic.