QIA is pleased to launch the new outreach guide for the Mary River Inuit Impact and Benefit Agreement. The guide allows Inuit to have full access to all the benefits negotiated in this agreement through infographics and plain language text in both Inuktitut and English.

The Mary River Inuit Impact and Benefit Agreement

The Mary River Inuit Impact and Benefit Agreement (IIBA) was negotiated between Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA) and Baffinland Iron Mines in accordance with the Nunavut Agreement. The Nunavut Agreement gives the Regional Inuit Associations the power to negotiate IIBAs. QIA negotiates IIBAs on behalf of Qikiqtani Inuit. The Mary River IIBA was first signed in 2013 and was amended in 2018. The IIBA outlines the benefits that Inuit are entitled to.

The IIBA addresses important considerations such as Inuit employment and training, support for communities, project monitoring and environmental mitigation measures, and contracting opportunities.

The Mary River IIBA Outreach Guide

The Mary River IIBA Outreach Guide is an initiative designed to make the Mary River IIBA more accessible and easier to understand. It is divided into three sections to explain the IIBA: white pages, yellow pages and blue pages.

White pages

Visual and plain language summaries of articles within the IIBA

The white pages illustrate the articles within the IIBA. Infographics are used to visually explain the main points within the articles. The infographics are accompanied by plain language summaries, in Inuktitut and English, which provide further details about the articles.

While some articles have multiple infographics, others have only a single infographic. This is because certain articles are more detailed or discuss numerous key benefits for Inuit. Articles that are not relating directly to Inuit benefits are represented by an icon and a few words. These articles pertain mainly to legal and administrative considerations.

Yellow pages

Supplementary information about the IIBA

The yellow pages provide supplementary information about benefits, programs, jobs and processes related to the IIBA. These pages include a visual of the process of mining iron ore at the Mary River Mine site and how to access funding programs such as the Ilagiiktunut Fund. The yellow pages also provide a list of jobs created through the IIBA.

 

 

 

Blue pages

Definitions and additional information

The blue pages explain key terms needed to understand the IIBA. These pages provide information about why IIBAs are created through the Nunavut Agreement. They also define the role of Institutions of Public Government such as the Nunavut Impact Review Board and the Nunavut Water Board.

 

The Guide was developed by QIA in consultation with Baffinland. QIA created the outreach material to ensure that Inuit in the Qikiqtani Region had full access to and information about the benefits outlined in the IIBA.