Incorporating Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit into Nunavut's Impacts Assessment Regime

In 1999, the comprehensive claims of the Inuit of Nunavut were settled against Canada which culminated in the ratification of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement (NLCA). The NLCA was given legal effect through the federally enacted Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act and Nunavut derived its existence as a territory in the federation from the federally enacted Nunavut Act. The Nunavut Planning and Project Assessment Act (NUPPAA), is a federally enacted statute which came into force in 2014, adds to the impact assessment regime provided for under Articles 11 and 12 of the NLCA. The Nunavut Impact Review Board (NIRB) requires project proponents to not only incorporate traditional knowledge-more specifically, Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ)-into the baseline collection and methodologies of resource management in their project proposals, but to further outline where management strategies, mitigation and monitoring plans, and/or operational considerations employ IQ values and knowledge. Our analysis reveals that there is inchoate incorporation of IQ into NIRB processes by the NIRB itself and argues that the NIRB ought to better incorporate IQ into its decision and report-making processes.