Name
Supporting Indigenous Engagement: The 2020 Qikiqtaalungmi nunaup qaanga / Baffin Island Land Cover Map
Description
Land cover information helps advance understanding of our environment with respect to a changing climate and to impacts from natural resource development activities. In 2010, the Canada Centre for Remote Sensing (CCRS) Division of Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) generated a 30 m National Land Cover map using satellite observations. Earth Observations derived Canadian Land Cover maps are now available for 2015 and 2020 from the Atlas of Canada (https://atlas.gc.ca/).
A key study area for the Site Monitoring and Remediation project (part of the Earth Observations for Cumulative Effects Phase 2 program at CCRS) resides on Inuit Owned Lands on Baffin Island. Between the hamlets of Mittimatalik and Iglulik is one of the world’s richest iron ore deposits. Baffinland Iron Mines Corp. extracts ~6 million metric tonnes of ore annually since 2015. This ore is transported to port along a 100km tote road and stockpiled until ice-free conditions allow for shipping. Inuit communities have expressed concern about how dust from mining operations may impact the regional terrestrial and marine environments which support traditional harvest and cultural activities fundamental to their heritage and way of life.
Engaging western science, industry monitoring, and Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ) enables an impactful and balanced study through aajiiqatigiinniq (decision making through discussion and consensus). Development of this collaborative study included sharing western and Inuit land cover knowledge. To this end, a land cover map of Baffin Island was translated into Inuktitut. This map supports discussion of how land cover derived from remote sensing informs via collaborator context. The 2020 map of ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓘᑉ ᓄᓇᖓᓂ / Qikiqtaalungmi nunaup qaanga / Baffin Island Land Cover is presented here.
Location Name
Canal (CB) 2104
Session Type
Poster
Abstract ID
CCA132
Speaker Name
H.Peter White
Speaker Organization
Canada Centre for Remote Sensing Division, Natural Resources Canada