[node:field-first-name] Kitikmeot Inuit Association - Government 2016

As the largest non-governmental landowners not merely in this territory but in this nation, the RIAs must navigate the sometimes difficult waters when it comes to economic development, environmental protection of the land, and the cultural and socioeconomic needs and desires of their beneficiaries. Those of us who have been intimately involved in the process can’t easily express how difficult it can be, and yet when that balance is achieved, the results can be an example of how the local people, industry, and the environment can coexist.

The Kitikmeot Inuit Association has navigated these waters since before Nunavut officially existed. Their conclusion last year of a long-term agreement with TMAC at Hope Bay is an example of recognizing the need for long-term certainty in mineral development on the part of industry while achieving benefits for their members, and not forgetting their other responsibilities as owners and stewards of the land.