This is an important piece around community knowledge. This amendment is saying that the board must take into account any traditional knowledge or community knowledge provided to it and that it “must make reasonable efforts to take into account any such knowledge that is available to it in documented form”.
The rationale for this amendment is that the documentation of Nunavut, Inuit, traditional, and community knowledge is increasing due to the efforts of universities, government agencies, and Inuit organizations. It is reasonable for the act to require the board to try to inform itself of this knowledge and to take into account, where relevant, whether or not the knowledge is provided by a party on its own initiative. This can be done in a manner that respects the principle of procedural fairness.
Mr. Chair, the whole issue around traditional knowledge is becoming increasingly important when considering development both in the north and other places. There have been some court rulings around the consideration, for example, of oral traditions as being legitimate forms of how knowledge is provided in the development process.