Give us more money and power, regions tell NTI

Paul Kaludjak, president of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., met Oct. 27 with delegates at the Kitikmeot Inuit Association’s annual general meeting in Cambridge Bay, but Kaludjak didn’t address the KIA’s demand for more control over resource development deals in the region. (PHOTO BY JANE GEORGE)

CAMBRIDGE BAY — The Kitikmeot Inuit Association wants more independence from Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., more control over Kitikmeot issues, and a bigger slice of resource development revenues.

The KIA isn’t alone in its desire for more power and money: the Qikiqtani Inuit Association and the Kivalliq Inuit Association also back the KIA proposal.

The regional Inuit associations want to run programs now run by NTI, such as hunter support, plus a bigger role in negotiating impact and benefit agreements and more money from royalty-generating projects like mines.

The debate over how to share power and money between the regional Inuit associations and NTI is likely to be discussed openly at NTI ‘s next annual general meeting, which takes place Nov. 17 to 19 in Iqaluit.

Here’s what the KIA and the other regional associations want to see:

• NTI will be responsible only for Nunavut-wide policy development, while the regional Inuit associations will develop policies for regional issues and operations;

• NTI will prepare and deal with Nunavut-wide programs and service standards, with input from the regional Inuit associations;

• Regional Inuit associations will develop programs with input from NTI, and they will take over all of NTI’s program delivery in the regions; and,

• NTI will monitor Nunavut land claims implementation, with input from the regional Inuit associations.

All this and more is contained in a plan from the regional Inuit associations spelled out in a recent document called “Closer to the people,” which is expected to be discussed at the NTI annual general meeting.

But that’s not all the KIA wants.

The KIA and other regional Inuit associations also want a better revenue-sharing deal, that is, a new policy on how to divide money given to NTI as resource royalties from mining projects, such as the Doris North gold mine, which is owned by Newmont Mining.

“In order for KIA to be able to ensure it is receiving the maximum benefit from the Newmont project, it needs to understand what the total ‘take’ is by NTI for sub-surface royalties and how these royalties may benefit Inuit in the Kitikmeot region,” KIA president Charlie Evalik said in his president’s report to the annual general meeting.

NTI was supposed to produce a study on a new revenue-sharing policy for August, but that deadline has now been pushed to February of 2010.

The KIA is “disappointed” with the progress so far on the revenue-sharing issue, Evalik said.

The KIA also wants more power to negotiate IIBAs for mining projects on crown lands.

There are currently three potential mining projects on crown lands in the Kitikmeot, according to information tabled at the annual general meeting.

The KIA notes there’s an “inconsistency” between NTI’s responsibility for representing Inuit socio-economic interests in the regions and NTI ‘s role in negotiating benefits for mining projects on Crown lands in the region.

That’s why the KIA says it wants to become the designated Inuit organization — not NTI — for negotiating the IIBAs under Section 27.2 of the Nunavut land claims agreement.

The KIA is also calling for the establishment of a Nunavut Resources Corp., to allow Inuit to become owners in mining projects.

The KIA wants to position itself to become “a significant player in managing and developing non-renewable resources on its own lands,” Evalik said.

The IIBAs, water compensation agreements, wildlife compensation agreements, surface access and related fees extracted from companies wanting to mine on Inuit owned lands are no longer enough, Evalik said.

“What KIA has come to realize is that Inuit are at risk of becoming the last people to benefit from resource development on their own lands. Indeed there are recent examples of people from other parts of the country and world benefitting more from Inuit-owned lands than Inuit through the acquisition and sale of Inuit-owned lands for mineral development.

“There is also the potential for future mining companies to experience “windfalls” on Inuit-owned lands without Inuit benefitting fully from that expected return,” Evalik said.

The Nunavut Resources Corp., which the other regional organizations would be welcome join, wants to:

• give Inuit a role to invest and manage corporations that will “exploit and develop the non-renewable resources of Nunavut;”

• develop an investment base that will allow Inuit capital investment to grow; and,

• give Nunavummiut more opportunities for jobs and training.

The creation of a new board of directors and a senior technical team for the corporation is already underway, with KIA taking the lead, Evalik said.

Between now and March 31, 2010, the new corporation plans to get set up and look for a potential equity partner in a major resource project.

Evalik said he expects to see progress on this and other issues with NTI, because the regional Inuit organizations are at the centre of the organization.

When he met with the KIA at its annual general meeting, NTI president Paul Kaludjak did not state NTI’s position on KIA’s proposals.

Kaludjak only promised to work with the regions on improving efficacy, effectiveness and accountability, “while maintaining the financial capital of Nunavut Trust.”

“I look forward to working with the regions to realize these goals as we service the same beneficiaries in Nunavut,” Kaludjak said.