Digital Indigenous Democracy

Multimedia and Human Rights - Baffinland

Today's legal obligation to 'Inform and Consult' must be conducted with the best available technology in a language people understand.

Audio and video interactive new media allows oral spoken Inuktitut to be the main language used to 'inform and consult' Inuit by internet.

Digital Indigenous Democracy (DID), accompanied by the Human Rights Impact Assessment (HRIA), delivers Inuktitut media by internet in a Human Rights legal framework to the Nunavut Impact Review Board (NIRB) Mary River Environmental Review.

Both DID and HRIA show the vital importance of new media in regulating northern resource developments to meet 21st century constitutional and international standards of Human Rights.

DID records comments from Inuit at the Nunavut Impact Review Board (NIRB) Public Hearings

January 2019

Baffinland Iron Mines Corp.’s Phase 2 development proposal for the Mary River mine continues, and IsumaTV/DID records the process of public engagement sessions in communities. Sessions started in January 2019, leading to public hearings scheduled for summer 2019.

DID facilitates ongoing dialog through Qikiqtani Voices project

2015

Qikiqtani Voices is a project to help facilitate ongoing dialogue and consultation about Mary River through new media; expanding the infrastructure and building local capacity to engage in on-going consultation and monitoring activities related to the Mary River Project. This objective follows-up the key message of IsumaTV’s formal Intervention to the NIRB that informing and consulting Inuit in oral language Inuktitut on an on-going basis, is the key to respecting Inuit human rights while meeting standards of inform, consult, monitor and mitigate required by NIRB’s Terms and Conditions.

Human Rights Impact Assessment

September 2012 - June 2013

The assessment of the human rights situation for the Mary River mine begins with a review of how government protects human rights in Canada. According to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, governments must protect against human rights abuse within their territory, including by companies. This requires taking steps to prevent, investigate, punish and redress such abuse through effective policies, legislation, regulations and adjudication.

Canada is a signatory to most international human rights treaties. Even though it was initially opposed to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, it now supports it. Canada also supports international human rights standards related to business and human rights. At the same time, Canada is aggressively pursuing resource development (in Canada and around the world) as part of its economic strategy. Canada needs to ensure that its resource development strategy does not contradict human rights.

NIRB makes recommendations

September 14th, 2012

NIRB recommends using new media technology to inform, consult and connect Inuit communities in its Final Hearing Report on Baffinland's Mary River Project released September 14, 2012.

The potential of digital media to improve public participation in oral Inuktitut was demonstrated to NIRB by IsumaTV's Digital Indigenous Democracy [www.isuma.tv/DID], a new web portal launched May 2012 by Inuit filmmaker Zacharias Kunuk.

DID records comments from Inuit at Nunavut Impact Review Board (NIRB) Public Hearings

July 16 – 28, 2012

Public Comments by Inuit from Community Round-table sessions in Iqaluit, Igloolik and Pond Inlet at Nunavut Impact Review Board (NIRB) Final Public Hearings on the Baffinland Mary River Project environmental review.

DID makes a formal intervention at the Nunavut Impact Review Board (NIRB) Public Hearings

July 23, 2012, Live Presentation

The Formal Intervention My Father's Land (both Inuktitut and English versions), by filmmaker Zacharias Kunuk and human rights lawyer Lloyd Lipsett, were presented to the Nunavut Impact Review Board Final Public Hearing.

Zacharias Kunuk concludes his and Lloyd Lipsett's presentation by calling for up-to-date media technology and an Interactive Multimedia Human Rights Impact Assessment.

DID consults with Inuit interviewing them on video

April – July 2012

Using video to consult Inuit, allows people to think and speak their concerns in their own Inuktitut language. Uploading videos to DID allows Inuit in any community to watch and listen to a wide range of views in a language they understand. DID allows anyone to respond, comment or upload their own video. This interactive network of discussion adapts modern media technology to the traditional Inuit value of consensus decision-making. All videos on this channel were filed to the NIRB Public Hearings on Baffinland's Mary River Environmental Impact Statement as part of Zacharias Kunuk's Formal Intervention, My Father's Land, to become part of the permanent formal record of the environmental review.

DID informs Inuit by radio

April – July 2012

Today's legal obligation to 'Inform and Consult' must be met in a language people understand using the best technology available. Audio and video interactive new media allows oral spoken Inuktitut to be the main language used to inform and consult Inuit by internet.

Baffinland Mine early development

2006

The Mary River Mine developed by Baffinland Iron Mine Corporation is a massive and unprecedented mining development for Nunavut (and the Arctic region in general). On the one hand, it represents a major opportunity for potential benefits to workers and their families, to Inuit communities and designated Inuit organizations, as well as to the territorial and federal governments. On the other hand, there are risks of negative impacts related to the environment, socio-economic conditions and human rights. Baffinland began exploration at Mary River in 2006. Between 2008-2013 Baffinland began early development work at the mine site while impact review process and consultations are conducted by the Nunavut Impact Review Board (NIRB).

    • Baffinland Mine early development

      uploaded by: David Ertel

      channel: Baffinland Mine early development

      The Mary River Mine developed by Baffinland Iron Mine Corporation is a massive and unprecedented mining development for Nunavut (and the Arctic region in general). On the one hand, it represents a major opportunity for potential benefits to workers and their families, to Inuit communities and designated Inuit organizations, as well as to the territorial and federal governments.… Read more

      uploaded date: 08-01-2019

    • Baffinland Mine early development

      uploaded by: David Ertel

      channel: Baffinland Mine early development

      The Mary River Mine developed by Baffinland Iron Mine Corporation is a massive and unprecedented mining development for Nunavut (and the Arctic region in general). On the one hand, it represents a major opportunity for potential benefits to workers and their families, to Inuit communities and designated Inuit organizations, as well as to the territorial and federal governments.… Read more

      uploaded date: 08-01-2019