Evidenced by Indigenous and Western Science: An Arctic Nation Building Project Threatens Caribou and Inuit Harvesting Rights

Abstract

Canadas ambition for mineral security and its responsibilities to protect at-risk species and uphold Indigenous rights clash in the case of the Grays Bay Road and Port (GBRP) in Nunavut, an infrastructure project intended to unlock critical mineral deposits. We compiled Indigenous and Western science through a density analysis of caribou harvesting data near the proposed project site. We identified three consistently used harvesting hotspots, with the most significant hotspot lying directly in the path of the proposed GBRP project. These results indicate that the GBRP project will have significant and unmitigable negative effects on caribou conservation, food security, and Inuit harvesting rights. Prime Minister Carney claims that middle power countries must act consistently in this era of geopolitical rupture; this commitment must transfer to natural resource development reviews so that decision-making may be consistent and rooted in cross-legislation responsibilities and values, including the land claims agreements between Indigenous groups and the Government of Canada.