HAY RIVER - A multi-year research project is analyzing the affects three now-defunct mines had on nearby aboriginal communities.

Two professors from Memorial University of Newfoundland – Arn Keeling, left, and John Sandlos – were recently in Hay River and Fort Resolution to continue their research into the effects of mining on aboriginal people in Canada's North. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

The project – Abandoned Mines in Northern Canada – is focusing on five case studies, including mines at Pine Point and Port Radium, and Giant Mine in Yellowknife. It also involves the Keno Hill silver mines in the Yukon and the Schefferville iron ore mine in Northern Que.

The research is being led by two researchers from Memorial University of Newfoundland.

Dr. John Sandlos, an associate professor of history, and Dr. Arn Keeling, an assistant professor of geography, were in Hay River and Fort Resolution from May 19-24 before moving on to Yellowknife.

"We're interested in the impact of abandoned mines on aboriginal communities in the North specifically," said Sandlos. "So for each one of these case studies, there was a First Nation living near the mine or their hunting region was affected by the mine. They weren't always right next to the mine, but, in one way or another, these communities were impacted by a mine for better or for worse, or a combination of the two as we're finding out."

The project is in its third year and has two or three more years to go. It involves archival research and a wide-ranging collection of oral history.

Sandlos said the researchers don't really have a goal.

"We're not anti-mining. We're not trying to convince people not to engage in mining," he said. "We're not pro-mining, either. We want to stand back and look at the pros and cons of engaging in that type of activity."

Interviews are being conducted with as many aboriginal people as possible about their experiences with the mines, including as former workers and as people, such as hunters and trappers, whose lives may have been affected.

On the recent trip to Hay River and Fort Resolution, 45 interviews were conducted.

So far, Sandlos said the responses have been varied.

"A lot of people worked at these mines," he said. "They were really proud of the work they did at the mine. At the same time, some people are angry about what they would describe as the mess that was left behind. It really varies, even in individuals. They might be angry about environmental damage that was done, yet they would say it was great working at the mine…. It's a really complicated story."

Keeling said many people are enthusiastic about sharing something about their past.

"Some people with fond memories, some people with not so fond memories of the place," he said. "Everybody's got a story to tell."

Many aboriginal people and organizations are eager to document important times when there was a lot of change and development in their communities, he said. "They see it as an opportunity for their kids and the future to really understand what was going on in the communities at that time."

The research is being conducted with the assistance of aboriginal organizations, including Deninu Ku'e First Nation (DKFN) in Fort Resolution, K'atlodeeche First Nation on the Hay River Reserve and the Hay River Metis Council.

DKFN Chief Louis Balsillie said he hopes the research will show what Pine Point Mine did to the land and the information might be used to argue for compensation.

"It will be our information after it's done," he said.

The project will produce an oral history archive for each community, including audio recordings and transcripts.

"That will be a resource they can manage and use," Sandlos said.

Balsillie said the research project is also offering a little bit of economic benefit to Fort Resolution since people being interviewed are each being paid a small amount.

Sandlos has gotten the sense that some people are interested in new opportunities in mining.

"But they're also wary about some of the risks associated with a mining economy – having it shut off suddenly, more environmental problems potentially and so on," he said.

Public forums to summarize the interviews will likely be held next summer in Hay River and Fort Resolution.

Along with a website and newsletters, there will also be articles written and possibly a book.

A sharing workshop, possibly in Yellowknife, may also be held at the end of the project to bring together people from all five areas studied.

Sandlos first became interested in the closed Pine Point lead and zinc mine when he worked as an adult educator in Fort Resolution in 1997 and 1998.

"I always felt I wanted to come back to Pine Point and do some more extensive research on that," he said, adding the opportunity arose when he and Keeling decided to collaborate on a project.

The funding for the project – nearly $300,000 to date –comes from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, a federal funding agency.

The work involves six researchers – three at Memorial University and three from other universities – and seven graduate students.

The project recently received some funding to expand into Arctic case studies, including Rankin Inlet, Baker Lake and Coppermine.