Beaufort Sea Social, Cultural and Economic Overview and Assessment Report Prepared by: Social, Cultural and Economic Working Group SCE WG membership consists of Inuvialuit Regional Corporation (IRC); Inuvialuit Joint Secretariat (JS); Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT); Yukon Government (YG); Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC); Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO); Parks Canada (PC) and; Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP). All pictures in this document are sourced to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Central and Arctic region Image Library, unless otherwise specified. September, 2008 Beaufort Sea Social, Cultural and Economic Overview and Assessment Report Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................... 1 LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................. 3 LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................... 3 LIST OF ACRONYMS ...................................................................................................... 5 1. INTRODUCTION TO THE SOCIAL, CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC OVERVIEW AND ASSESSMENT REPORT ......................................................................................... 7 1.1 Integrated Management in the Beaufort Sea Large Ocean Management Area .................... 8 1.2 Governance ...................................................................................................................... 12 1.3 How this report was developed? ...................................................................................... 15 1. Establishment of the Social, Cultural and Economic Working Group ................................... 16 2. Developing SCE Overview, Assessment, Objectives, Strategies and Indicators ................... 17 2. HUMANS AND THE BEAUFORT SEA ...................................................................... 20 2.1 Traditional and Historic Connections between Humans and the Beaufort Sea .................. 20 2.2 Current use of the Land and Sea ...................................................................................... 26 2.3 Other Land and Resource Uses in the Region .................................................................... 33 Tourism ..................................................................................................................................... 33 Petroleum Exploration, Production and Transportation .......................................................... 35 Past Development and the Current Situation ....................................................................... 35 Potential Future Oil and Gas Development .......................................................................... 37 Management of Oil and Gas Activity .................................................................................... 39 Mackenzie Gas Pipeline ........................................................................................................ 40 Aboriginal Involvement in the MGP ..................................................................................... 41 Mining ....................................................................................................................................... 42 Transportation .......................................................................................................................... 42 Military Activities ...................................................................................................................... 46 Sovereignty ............................................................................................................................... 47 Archaeological and Historical Values ........................................................................................ 48 Parks and Protected Areas ........................................................................................................ 48 Marine protected areas ........................................................................................................ 48 Migratory Bird Sanctuaries ................................................................................................... 50 National Parks and Sites ....................................................................................................... 50 Inuvialuit Community Conservation Plans ................................................................................ 54 Scientific Research .................................................................................................................... 54 2.4 “Global‐scale” Impacts and Influences on the Beaufort Sea LOMA ................................... 55 Climate change .......................................................................................................................... 55 Erosion and Lancastrian Water Levels ...................................................................................... 56 Contaminants ............................................................................................................................ 57 3. CURRENT COMMUNITY PROFILES AND COMMUNITY WELL- BEING INDEX .... 59 3.1 Paulatuk ........................................................................................................................... 61 1 Beaufort Sea Social, Cultural and Economic Overview and Assessment Report 3.2 Ulukhaktok ...................................................................................................................... 65 3.3 Sachs Harbour .................................................................................................................. 68 3.4 Aklavik ............................................................................................................................. 71 3.5 Tuktoyaktuk ..................................................................................................................... 74 3.6 Inuvik ............................................................................................................................... 76 4. SOCIAL/CULTURAL/ ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT: CONSIDERATIONS FOR INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT OF BEAUFORT SEA LOMA ....................................... 81 4.1 Culture and Environment ................................................................................................. 81 4.2 Traditional and Modern Economy .................................................................................... 86 4.3 Education and Training ..................................................................................................... 94 4.4 Capacity and Infrastructure .............................................................................................. 95 4.5 Health and Wellness ........................................................................................................ 99 5. ISSUES RAISED BY BEAUFORT SEA/DELTA COMMUNITIES ........................... 105 5.1 Education and training objectives .................................................................................. 105 5.2 Health and Wellness ...................................................................................................... 106 5.3 Capacity and Infrastructure ............................................................................................ 106 5.4 Culture and Environment ............................................................................................... 107 5.5 Economy (traditional and modern) ................................................................................. 108 6. GOVERNANCE ORGANIZATIONS AND PROCESSES IN THE BEAUFORT SEA LOMA............................................................................................................................ 109 6.1 Inuvialuit Final Agreement ............................................................................................. 109 6.2 Gwich’in Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement (Gwich’in Land Claim) ......................... 110 6.3 The Gwich’in Land Use Plan ............................................................................................ 110 6.4 Beaufort Sea Integrated Management Planning Initiative (BSIMPI) ................................ 111 6.5 Beluga Management Plan /Marine Protected Area ........................................................ 111 6.6 Beaufort Sea Strategic Regional Plan of Action (BSStRPA) .............................................. 112 6.7 The Mackenzie Gas Project Impact Fund ........................................................................ 112 6.8 Beaufort Delta Agenda ................................................................................................... 112 6.9 Northerners Working Together: Vision, Goals and Priorities of the 16th Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories ................................................................................ 113 6.10 Protected Areas Strategy .............................................................................................. 113 6.11 “Cross–border” Conservation Agreements ................................................................... 114 2 Beaufort Sea Social, Cultural and Economic Overview and Assessment Report 6.12 Community Conservation Plans .................................................................................... 114 6.13 NWT Environmental Stewardship Framework