Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 3
Indigenous Rights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 5
The Role of Information Systems in the Indigenous Rights Trend . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 10
An Examination of Nunavut, Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 14
Implications and Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 21
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 26
Recent years have seen an increase in social consciousness in many areas around the world. International organizations are increasingly pressing for universal human rights, democracy, and economic reforms. Influenced by various non-governmental organizations (NGOs), more and more national governments are seeking to address the social issues of their own citizens. As the idea of universal human rights spreads, people across the world are insisting that all people have a basic right to such social programs as proper health care and education. A particular concentration has been put on social reforms aimed at the aboriginal peoples of many countries.
Countries around the world are seeking to reconcile with their native people for past treatment, and they are using social reforms as the means to do so. National governments are displaying to the rest of the world their commitments to their First Nations, as was exemplified by the respectable role that Aborigines played in the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics. Australia is not the only country following this trend. As Professor Richard Shain of Philadelphia University explains, "In Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia, there have been important developments in recent years relating to the aboriginal inhabitants." (Shain, October 18, 2000). The health of native peoples has been addressed in many nations including Australia and Bolivia (National Aboriginal, 2000; Zulawski, 2000). As countries give back land rights to their indigenous peoples, an indigenous ecotourism industry is developing in some countries, such as Brazil, Ecuador, and Australia, to help aboriginal people to earn an income, therefore improving their standard of living (Hayden, 2000; Thompson, 2000; "Aboriginal People Recognised [sic] in World Heritage Award," 2000).
Many of these social reforms would not be possible without the use of information systems such as the Internet and databases. Web pages have been created for the use of educating the general public about these programs. Since many native peoples live in remote areas of the world in relation to central cities and governments, the Internet and other networks are vital to communications with, as well as within, these groups. Data sources are also being used to provide assistance to local schools in remote areas, and to provide long-distance learning to those who do not have access to schools. Health care information is also being provided on the Internet. Many initiatives have been taken to improve the infrastructure in such areas.
A prime example of these efforts can be seen in how the Canadian government is working with its First Nations, particularly the Inuit people of the North. On April 1, 1999, the Canadian government created a new territory, named Nunavut, in a land claims settlement ("Nunavut: A New Government" 2000). The territory was established for the purpose of giving land back to the native people. It establishes Inuit self-government in Nunavut and also provides for assistance to the native peoples in the transition. Self-government is aimed at helping the natives to provide for themselves a better standard of living in the manner they see best fit, in accordance with their traditional culture and belief system. Other actions being taken to improve the Inuit’s social conditions include education reforms, which are due in large part to use of the Internet. The health care of these indigenous peoples is also being addressed by Health Canada, the federal organization created to oversee health care in the country (About Health Canada, 2000). The Canadian Health Act contains a section devoted solely to addressing the health care needs of Canada’s First Nations.
Canada’s initiatives for addressing the needs of its native peoples are based upon the basic belief of Canadians that all people have a right to certain things, including education and proper health care. From a global perspective, the trend in Canada relates very closely to the global trend of a belief in universal human rights. Canada’s initiatives to provide these rights to every citizen can serve as an example of how to address the social needs of aboriginal peoples around the world, and how the use of information technology can assist in this effort.
After witnessing the terror of the Holocaust by Hitler’s Third Reich in the Second World War, countries of the world began to recognize a need to address the fundamental rights of all human beings at an international level. The United Nations (UN), perhaps the most influential international organization in the world, took up this initiative. The "Universal Declaration of Human Rights" was drafted in 1948, and in 1976 the "International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights" was ratified and entered into force by member countries ("Universal Declaration of Human Rights;" "International Covenant of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights"). These documents established specific human rights that the UN felt should be universal to all human beings, "without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status" ("Universal Declaration of Human Rights," 1948). These rights can be largely compared to the rights established for citizens of the United States in the Bill of Rights, and also include the rights to proper education and health care.
In 1991 a General Conference of the International Labour Organization was held, and the organization turned its focus to the treatment of the indigenous peoples of the world’s countries. In a document released by the committee, the reasoning for this attention was explained:
Developments . . . have taken place in international law since 1957, as well
as developments in the situation of indigenous and tribal peoples in all regions
of the world, [and] have made it appropriate to adopt new international standards
on the subject . . . ("Convention Concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples
in Independent Countries" 1991)
The previous trend had been towards the assimilation of indigenous peoples
into the dominant cultures of the countries in which they had been living.
The organization attempted to reverse this trend through the establishment
of international standards, therefore helping to preserve the individual cultures
of indigenous tribes throughout the world. These standards were established
in the "Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples" adopted
in 1994 ("Draft Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,"
1994). As stated in this document, a primary concern was reconciliation for
how these people had been "deprived of their human rights and fundamental
freedoms . . . in their colonization and dispossession of their lands, territories
and resources" ("Draft Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,"
1994).
Many countries around the world have heeded the advice provided in these documents and have been seeking to restore the rights and status of their aboriginal peoples. As evidence of this trend, one may examine the cases of Australia, Brazil, Bolivia, and Ecuador, and how these countries, among others, are displaying to the world their commitment to improving the economic and social well being of their indigenous peoples. Arguably the most recognized of these cases is that of Australia, owing in large part to the world-wide publicity gained during the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics. During the opening and closing ceremonies of the festivities, Aboriginal inhabitants were honored. This respect was best displayed by the lighting of the Olympic Torch by an Aboriginal athlete.
It can not be ignored that much of what was witnessed during the Olympics was due in large part to the efforts of aboriginal activist groups. As Australian journalist E.J. Patrick noted, these groups, including the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation, were threatening a protest during the Games if their issues were not properly addressed (Patrick, 2000). The majority of this activism comes from a group that has labeled itself as the "Stolen Generation." Beginning in the early twentieth century, eugenic ideals (the belief that certain ethnic backgrounds were simply superior to others) lead to the "stealing" of aboriginal children in Australia (McCarthy, 2000). These youths were placed in white homes and orphanages in an attempt to assimilate them into a society of primarily European decent, thus diminishing the existence of Aboriginal culture. For generations racial ideals have prevailed in Australia, and now it is these racial beliefs and practices for with the country is seeking to reconcile.
The Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation has capitalized on the global trend of reconciliation with indigenous peoples and in May of 2000 published the "Declaration Towards Reconciliation," a "document that invites the nation to apologize for past wrongdoings" (Patrick, 2000). Although still fighting for a formal apology from the federal government, Australia’s Aborigines have received repentance from several state and territory governments, and more than one million Australian citizens have signed the "Sorry Books," pledging their individual apologies to the Aboriginal nation. Another example of this commitment to addressing the issues of the Stolen Generation was witnessed in several group walks, including one across the Sydney Harbour Bridge on May 27, 2000 in which 400,000 Australians marched ("Reconciliation -- or Justice?").
The pressure exerted by these groups and the global society have persuaded the Australian government to take initiatives to address the issues of the Stolen Generation and other Aborigines. The 1990s saw a number of improvements for the social and economic well-being of the indigenous population. Courts have recognized the rights of indigenous citizens to traditional land and water rights (Indigenous Health Policy Timelines). Initiatives have been taken to improve the housing and infrastructure of Aboriginal communities.
The poor economic situation of Australia’s Aboriginal inhabitants has also been addressed. In 1985 the operation of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park was returned to its traditional owners, and, more recently, "Ayer’s Rock" was officially renamed "Uluru," the name given to it by native inhabitants hundreds, if not thousands, of years ago ("Aboriginal People Recognised [sic]," 1995). In 1995 Australia and the Aborigines received world-wide recognition for their operation of the park. As noted by the Australian National Commission for UNESCO (The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation [sic]), "the award recognised [sic] that Australia had set new international standards for [land] management by indigenous people" ("Aboriginal People Recognised [sic]," 1995). This example of giving land back to native peoples, has, in fact, been followed.
The growth in universal human rights beliefs has been correlated with the growth in Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) aimed at the rights of indigenous peoples. These NGOs encourage a sense of nationalism within native groups, and with that nationalism comes a desire for land to call their own. In Brazil "the urge to demarcate the land of the Brazilian indigenous peoples and to give them property rights became on of the most pressing and vociferous campaigns of the last two decades" (Pires-O’Brien, 1999). Such initiatives were sparked by a global trend of "making amends for the past historical shortcomings that the Brazilian Indians endured" and from the fact that "indigenous rights NGOs have based their campaigns on the allegation that only land demarcation will put an end to the ‘massacres’ of the Indians" (Pires-O’Brien, 2000). Land conflicts in the country, particularly in the Amazon region, have become quite serious, and at times have resulted in the murder of both indigenous and non-indigenous peoples. Capitalizing on the world’s new concern for such matters, a network of NGOs publicize the murders of the Indians, creating further world-wide pressure on the Brazilian government to take action.
Similar initiatives have taken place in the rain forest regions of Ecuador and Bolivia where native tribes are being given the rights to some of the rain forest territory which they have turned into a growing ecotourism business. Prior to their ownership of the land, the poverty-stricken natives found themselves harvesting timber from the rain forest as a means of support (Hayden, 2000). This land settlement promises to not only help resolve issues with the indigenous tribes by providing them with land and a source of income, but also to slow the destruction of the rain forest, another growing global concern about which the government may face international pressure. This arrangement seems to have great outcomes since, as Thomas Hayden of Newsweek describes, "the natives, with their knowledge of local animals, are able to ensure that visitors get a ‘wildlife payoff.’ Tourists go home happy, and the people who live in the forest have a reason to protect it" (Hayden 2000). This trend of ecotourism is also supported by the assistance of NGOs. A group called Action Amazonia offers technical support and legal advice to interested native communities in an effort to assist them in becoming independent Community Based Ecotourism (CBE) groups (Thomson, 2000).
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples have been influential in these trends since they state that these people should be given the rights to lands and economic opportunities. Another key right addressed in these documents is the right to proper health care. In Australia, the health care issues of Aborigines are currently being addressed as the government seeks to form a system of universal health care, called Medicare, with special committees devoted to the Aboriginal sector of society. Australia is currently on the World Health Organization’s "shame list," due in large part to the poor health of its Aboriginal inhabitants. These initiatives seek removal from this list, a further effort to portray to the world that Australia is committed to reconciliation with its indigenous people.
Similar efforts have taken place in Bolivia. With the growing economic trend towards a global market economy leaders in Bolivia are faced with what has been called "the Indian problem." Health care issues are being addressed because of both "the elite’s fear of contagion as the Indian population [is] . . . brought into closer contact with non-Indians and the recognition that an economically productive workforce [needs] . . . to have at least minimal levels of physical well-being" (Zulawski, 2000). Capitalistic ideals are reinforcing the importance of high productivity in Bolivia, and apparent improvements for indigenous peoples’ rights will help the country to receive a warmer welcome into a human rights-conscious world.
Consistent with the ideas set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the cases of these countries serve as examples of how a growing global trend is effecting domestic policies. Armed with these documents, NGOs are fostering a sense of nationalistic pride in native groups. These groups strive for the universal human rights which are set forth for them in the documents, rights that focus on the social and economic well-being of indigenous groups. It has become politically incorrect to ignore the issues of indigenous peoples, and thus more and more countries are striving to show the rest of the world that they are committed to reconciliation with their native peoples (Valiente, 2000). So strong is the global concern over these issues that UN designated the decade of 1996-2005 to be the "Decade Of the World’s Indigenous Peoples," and in 1994 the UN declared August 9 to be recognized as the "International Day Of the World’s Indigenous Peoples" (Samuel, 1999). These commemorations are aimed at "fostering new relationships between states and indigenous peoples [in the] international community" (Willis, 1996). These trends can be seen around the global community.
A growing global trend towards the improvements of social conditions of indigenous peoples has created some great challenges and opportunities for those working in the information technology (IT) industry. Since groups of indigenous peoples are found throughout the world, there exists a great need for improved communication and information-sharing among group members. The IT sector is focused on providing various forms of communication and information via electronic means, mainly through the use of the Internet and databases. Professionals in this industry work in a fast-passed, ever-changing environment. They are always looking for the fastest, most reliable and accessible means of providing various groups with the information they need and desire.
Difficulties exist in sharing information between and within indigenous groups because they are scattered throughout the world. The fact that many native groups live in remote, hard-to-access areas poses a major challenge. For these people, there is great difficulty associated with communication with other local tribes, let along the enormous hurdles they must overcome to communicate with their federal governments and other indigenous peoples around the world. For these tribes and other indigenous groups, this communication among and within the groups it is a necessary ingredient in order for them to achieve a sense of nationalistic pride. It is this nationalism that helps them to unite in matters such as the restoration of lands to their traditional owners and improvements in their economic and social conditions, and it is therefore imperative that they can communicate. This nationalism is also necessary to make their voices heard around the world. In other words, if indigenous groups are unable to communicate their concerns to the rest of the world, they can not capitalize on the global community’s concern for indigenous rights. Moreover, if there were no communication between these groups and the rest of the world, this global trend may not even exist.
It is for these reasons that information specialists are needed if indigenous peoples are to continue to make progress in the areas of social and economic improvements and land rights restoration. Information technology offers native groups and NGOs with an opportunity to communicate with one another, thus creating the sense of nationalism that is needed if they are to join forces in addressing their common needs. Information systems such as the Internet also offer these groups a means through with they can provide information to people around the world. This helps to fuel the fight against violations of indigenous rights for it is only by providing information about the situations of such groups that the world will be able to put pressure on federal governments to make amends.
In an effort to "highlight the process open to indigenous peoples to participate in different activities of the international arena and, especially, to call attention to those aspects that continue to be a priority for [them]," a report by the World Council of Indigenous Peoples called for the use of "appropriate means of communication to inform indigenous peoples about projects in their area" (Valiente, 2000). This initiative calls for making information more easily accessible to indigenous groups so that they may better inform the rest of the world about their concerns. In 1997 governmental committees in Australia also stated a need for better distribution of information concerning the issues of their Aboriginal people, particularly their health care needs (Indigenous Health Policy Timelines, 2000). They called for initiatives to better the infrastructure of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and improvements in the quality of indigenous health data. These initiatives included the use of the Internet as a means of distributing information, and the creation of databases.
Some NGOs have created virtual meeting places online, like that of the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) which links websites from various indigenous environmental groups throughout North America (ESRI Conservation Program, 2000). Meetings of the Honor Earth campaign, such as The Indigenous Women’s Network conference and The Indigenous Environmental Network Gathering, have also utilized the resources available to them through information technology (Indigenous Network Conference, 2000). Knowing that these meetings would be of interest to many who would not be able to physically attend, sponsors provided live Internet Broadcasts of the gatherings, allowing for the participation of indigenous groups throughout the world. The IT company Monsterbit Media formed a partnership with the Honor the Earth campaign to provide these broadcasts and was able to capitalize on the global trend of indigenous rights.
The information technology sector of Australia, in particular, has played an important part in this trend. Australian IT professionals created a website for the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Clearinghouse. On the home page of this site the mission is stated to be to "contribute to the health of Australia’s Indigenous peoples by making relevant, high quality information easily accessible to policy makers, health service providers, program managers, clinicians, researchers, and the general community" (National Aboriginal, 2000). The Australian government also hosts websites which provide information to its Aboriginal citizens about their rights. One such website boasts the headline "Treated Unfairly Because You Are an Indigenous Person?" and proceeds to define illegal discrimination and inform the reader of how to file a complaint ("Treated Unfairly," 2000). The Internet was also widely used as a means for white Australians to make amends with the Aboriginal people for past injustices. "More than a million ordinary Australians . . . have signed their names to the ‘Sorry Books’ around the nation and online" (Patrick, 2000).
Australia is also breaking new ground in information technology with what it calls its "Indigenous Open Learning Project." Open learning can be defined as providing higher education entirely through the Internet. The project involves "embracing open learning and online technology for the delivery of higher education to and by Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders and electronically linking the existing Indigenous higher education community" ("Indigenous Open Learning," 1998). A paper outlining the project notes the advantages of the Internet and the World Wide Web to include course delivery to and from any location, instant evaluation, an interactive nature, multimedia and video conferencing capabilities, twenty-four hour availability, and easy access to indigenous information databases. This project is particularly suited to the needs of indigenous peoples because of its very nature. Aboriginal peoples often have no desire to leave their own communities, but find that there is little or no opportunity there for them to receive higher education. Living in remote areas of the country, far from traditional schools, can also make obtaining an education difficult. The three largest barriers to higher education stated by the indigenous people -- lack of child care, lack of transportation, and poor financial situations -- can all be alleviated, at least to some degree, through distance learning.
This report does not, however, overlook the great challenges related to the Indigenous Open Learning Project. There are large costs associated with the new technologies needed for such endeavors; the costs of production and development methods are four times that of the initial writing costs of the lessons. In addition, it is often difficult to find teachers who "have both the time and energy on top of their usual load" to write out all of their lessons ("Indigenous Open Learning", 1998). Another challenge will be to keep the curriculum focused on indigenous needs and interests, an issue which will be addressed by the employment of indigenous personnel.
Through the use of information technology indigenous groups around the world are communicating with one another and forming a sense of nationalistic pride within their native groups. Together they are making their voices heard around the world through means such as the Internet, and have created a global trend of concern for the rights of indigenous peoples. Initiatives like the Indigenous Open Learning Project seek to address these issues, while creating great opportunities and challenges for information technology professionals. As a growing number of countries begin to address the needs of their native peoples, more projects like this one are sure to be undertaken. The gains made by these professionals now will affect the paths which are taken in the future to ensure that the needs of the world’s indigenous peoples are addressed.
Within the context of a growing global trend of concern for indigenous rights, the role of the information systems sector has been quite important. It has created a sense of nationalism within native groups through communication and has given them a means through which to have their voices heard. The case of the fledgling Canadian territory of Nunavut and its application of information technology can be used to evaluate this situation on a more focused level. By examining the reasons behind the creation of the territory, the basic principles of the global trend can be viewed. These include the restoration of land rights to their traditional owners and the improvement of social conditions within the communities of such peoples. The role of information systems has played an important role in this case, and will do so to an even greater extent in the future.
On April 1, 1999 the Canadian government carved a new territory out of the Northwest Territories ("Nunavut: A New Territory," 2000). Figure One in the Appendix shows the new political map of Canada. Nunavut was created in an attempt to provide the native Inuit people, who comprise about eight-five percent of the population of the territory, with the means to govern themselves within their traditional lands. The Inuit inhabit the northern-most parts of Canada. They are estimated to have crossed the Bering Land Bridge into Alaska about 10,000 years ago and to have moved east during the last 5,000 years (School Tools, 2000). The creation of Nunavut was "the largest land claim settlement in Canada’s history, and follow[ed] years of negotiation between the government of Canada and the Inuit of the Eastern Arctic" (Wight, 2000).
An article appearing on the Government of Nunavut’s website provides a general summary of the challenges facing the Inuit people which include high costs for good and public service, a young workforce, high levels of unemployment, low education levels, and low average incomes. The article goes on to provide examples of how the Canadian government has attempted to alleviate some of these burdens:
The creation of Nunavut . . . gives residents greater decision-making power
and control over how to meet these challenges. Combined with the settlement
of the Inuit Land Claim in 1992, the establishment of Nunavut government will
help to stimulate the region’s economy, creating both public and private
sector jobs . . . Inuit culture is promoted through the Department of Culture,
Language, Elders and Youths which plays a key role in helping all departments
develop and implement policy reflective of Inuit values . . . The Department
of Human Resources . . . has developed the Inuit Employment Plan to achieve
the long-standing goal of 85% Inuit employment . . . (Nunavut: A New Government,"
2000).
Other important departments of the Inuit government that are mentioned include
the Department of Education, the Department of Sustainable Development, and
the justice system. Through the creation of a government that is based on
native issues and culture, the Canadian government has taken bold steps toward
its goal of addressing the social issues of its First Nations.
The creation of Nunavut coincides to a large extent with the principles established in the Universal Declaration Of Human Rights and the Declaration Of the Rights Of Indigenous Peoples. First, and most notably, it returns property and management rights of a large expanse of land to its traditional owners. Article 26 of the Declaration Of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples states that "indigenous peoples have the right to own, develop, control and use the lands and territories . . . which they have traditionally owned or otherwise occupied or used; and Article 27 calls for "the restitution of the lands, territories and resources which they have traditionally owned or otherwise occupied or used" ("Draft Declaration Of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples," 1994). Canada has made these provisions for its First Nations by giving them property rights to much of Nunavut and by creating for them a means through which to govern the territory.
A second correlation between the trend for indigenous rights and the case of Nunavut is evidenced by the manner in which the agreement gave the Inuit the right to self-government and self-determination, though the Inuit have chosen a form of public government ("Nunavut: A New Government," 2000). Article 31 of the Declaration proclaims that "indigenous peoples, as a specific form of exercising their right to self-determination, have the right to autonomy or self-government." The Declaration also notes that native peoples who chose self-government may retain their rights to be citizens of the state if they so choose. Although the Inuit have been given a territory to govern, they are no less considered to be Canadian citizens, with all of the rights and privileges that come with that status.
In addition to these similarities, the way in which Canada is seeking to improve the social conditions of its First Nations is also quite reflective of the global trend of human rights and, specifically, indigenous rights. Having been drafted within the context of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Declaration Of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples specifically notes the rights of native peoples to proper health care and education. These are two of the main social aspects of Inuit life that Canada is seeking to improve, and these initiative are relying heavily on the use of the Internet.
Data communications are very important in Nunavut due to the relatively remote nature of most areas of the territory. Nunavut is found in the Northern-most parts of North America, with a large percentage of the land stretching well North of the Arctic Circle. (See Figure One map in Appendix.) There are few roads within the territory, and no roads connecting it to the rest of Canada, making costly air travel the only reliable means of long-distance travel in Nunavut. In fact, there are only about twenty kilometers of highway in Nunavut ("Nunavut: Canada’s New Territory," 1999). It is also important to note that Nunavut makes up about one-fifth of Canada’s total area. It comprises approximately 1,900,000 square miles, which is roughly the size of neighboring Greenland ("Nunavut: Canada’s New Territory," 1999). Yet the territory has a population of only 22,000 individuals, amounting to a density of almost one-hundred square kilometers per person. As displayed in the map in Figure 2 of the Appendix, Nunavut communities are sparsely located, making traditional means of travel and communications impractical.
The Internet is becoming "a great source of communication and togetherness" among the Inuit and "much of the community has Internet access" (MacNeil, 2000). However, Pat Ridgeley, Manager of Information Technology in Health and Social Services for Nunavut is quick to point out the enormous challenges that exist in creating a reliable telecommunications network in Nunavut:
Unfortunately, the further North . . . [we] go, the more technological limitations
we encounter. We are limited to satellite communications. This is because
laying fiber optics or another physical medium is unrealistic, particularly
over 2,000,000 square kilometers of arctic tundra . . . [but] with the on-going
implementation of low orbit satellites (cellular technology), we have a hope
for alternatives to existing infrastructures . . . [other challenges include]
‘no roads,’ costs of airline travel [that are] three times more
expensive [than in the Southern part of Canada], harsh weather, limited specialists
willing to work North of sixty [degrees North latitude], sun spots, etc.,
etc., etc. (Ridgeley, November 8, 2000).
As better means of linking communities are developed, the Health and Social
Services department looks for new ways in which the Internet can be used to
improve upon the health care status of the Nunavut residents. Canada prides
itself on a universal health system through which it seeks to provide publicly-funded,
easily accessible health care to all of its citizens (Canada’s Health
System, 2000). However, with only one hospital in the entire two million square
kilometer territory, the case of Nunavut creates an enormous challenge for
Health Canada, the federal agency overseeing health care (Welcome to the Health
Centre, 2000). Ridgeley notes that due to "the remoteness of our communities
. . . information technology could play an integral part of health care service
via electronic communications" (Ridgeley, November 8, 2000). The IT professional
goes on to state that, to date:
The greatest strives we have made in information technology and health care
have been in the field of telemedicine. Currently we have five installations
of telemedicine in place with a hope to have the remaining twenty-one communities
connected within the next five years. Services such as teleradiology, telepsychiatry
. . . specialized clinics, as well as non-medical specific services (patient
visitation) and education are all being utilized. (Ridgeley, November 8, 2000).
Simeon Mikkungwak, a counselor in Nunavut states that although the counselors
prefer face-to-face sessions, they often "use the Internet to get material
on subjects . . or to . . . update any relevant work information" (Mikkungwak,
personal e-mail, 2000).
Other health care initiatives are being taken on by Health Canada, which states "accessibility" as one of its main goals (Canada Health Act, 2000). In its mission to "assist First Nations and Inuit peoples to attain a level of health comparable to that of other Canadians," Health Canada is using "partnerships and extensive consultations with First Nations and Inuit peoples . . . [to work towards] having Canada’s Aboriginal peoples administer their own health programs and resources" (About Health Canada, 2000). One such initiative that will have great significance for the Inuit people of Nunavut is the Canadian Health Network (CHN). The CHN was launched in November of 1999 by Allan Rock, Health Minister, as a partnership of five-hundred governmental and non-profit health organizations ("The Canadian Health Network," 2000). As noted by Vancouver Public Library, a member of CHN, "the aim of the project is to help Canadians make more informed and better decisions about their health by providing reliable, relevant, credible Canadian information on health promotion and disease prevention in a Web-based environment" (Canadian Health Network -- Western Regional Operating Partner, 2000). The network will have great benefits for the citizens of Nunavut by providing them with valuable information that they might not be able to access otherwise. The CHN undoubtedly promises many opportunities for the Canada’s First Nations as well as many challenges for information technology specialists.
While the Canadian Health Network seeks to provide the public with valuable information about their health, other Internet-based technologies are being used in Nunavut for the purposes of general education. The Nunavut Education Centre proclaims that "education is a top priority of our new government" and that "the challenges are huge; for graduates, so too are the opportunities" (Welcome to the Education Centre," 2000). Nunavut seeks to provide its residents with Inuit-based education, teaching the culture and heritage of the native peoples. Classes are preferably taught in Inkukitut, the first language of most residents of Nunavut, and by native teachers (whenever possible) (Purse, personal e-mail, 2000). Alexina Kublu and Mick Mallon, two of the writers for The Nunavut Handbook, point out that "research and development in Inuktitut curriculum began . . . in 1970, and has continued," and that "a training program for Inuit teachers teaching in Inuktitut was started in the early 1980’s" (Kublu and Mallon, 2000).
One of the objectives of the Nunavut Department of Education is to provide all communities with access to public information networks. Information technology has evolved to include a computer font which represents the symbolic written language of Inuktitut (Purse, personal e-mail, 2000). The font can be easily downloaded from the Internet allowing for the promotion of Inuktitut through information systems.
Neil Burgess, Manager of Information Systems Planning for the Nunavut Department of Education explains that although, the use of information systems is still a fairly new phenomena in the territory, it has become a very valuable tool for educational purposes:
Although this system was in its infancy just six years ago when I arrived
in Nunavut . . . it is now used extensively for communications and business
functions . . . What’s important to understand is that many of Nunavut’s
communities have only obtained Internet access in the past half decade. (Burgess,
November 1, 2000).
Burgess says that e-mail and video conferencing are used widely to link Nunavut’s
schools, School Services offices, and the Department of Education. He says
that "this valuable system" is used to track student and financial
data, and for correspondence, project sharing, and distance learning. Like
Patrick Ridgeley of the Department of Health, Burgess points out the enormous
hurdles that have to be overcome when using information systems in Nunavut:
Upgrading . . . is prohibitively expensive -- it is happening, but not fast
enough for those power users who wish to send large files and use videoconferencing.
The possibility of laying fiber [optic cables] between communities is not
viable. Many communities (remember Nunavut is one-fifth the land mass of Canada
with only 26,000 people) are thousands of kilometers apart and the terrain
is not exactly friendly to fiber lines or even microwave relay towers. Thus,
even in the years to come, those tiny and fragile satellites dangling in the
sky are our only communications lifeline. (Burgess, personal e-mail, 2000).
As Ridgeley and Burgess suggest, there are numerous challenges posed by the
case of communications in Nunavut.
The case of Nunavut serves as a prime example of how a global concern for the rights of indigenous peoples has had an effect on one country’s domestic policies. Canada has taken great initiatives to improve upon the social status of its First Nations as is evidenced by projects aimed at bettering health care and education. Information systems have already been a key to the success of such programs. In years to come, the citizens of Nunavut will look to information technology professionals to further these initiatives as more and better technology becomes available.
The creation of the Universal Bill of Human Rights signified a growing sentiment that every man, woman, and child in the world was deserving of certain rights and privileges. Soon attention turned to a particular classification of individuals who, through imperialism and colonization, had been deprived of these rights for centuries. This division of the world’s people consisted of numerous groups of indigenous peoples whose lands had been taken from them and who had been deprived of the rights granted to their non-indigenous counterparts. This global concern was expressed when the UN drafted the Universal Declaration Of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
This document served as a blue print for the steps that have been taken in the past few decades to right the injustices suffered by various country’s indigenous peoples. The Declaration called for initiatives to restore traditional land rights and to improve upon the generally poor social conditions of native peoples. Countries around the world -- notably Australia, Brazil, Bolivia, and Ecuador -- introduced projects aimed at these goals. Many governments have restored property rights to their indigenous peoples and in many cases this property has resulted in economic opportunities for native communities. Health care issues and educational reforms have also been key to this governmental form of reconciliation.
Such initiatives have been largely the result of work by various non-governmental organizations (NGOs). These NGOs have acted as coordinators between and within indigenous groups, creating within them a sense of nationalistic pride. With nationalism comes a desire for the land that they had traditionally occupied and a united belief that their concerns over specific social issues should be addressed. The NGOs serve as a mechanism through which various indigenous groups can facilitate communication with each other and the rest of the world.
This communication has been very effective and accessible due in large part to the use of information technology. The Internet has provided a widely available tool through which the groups have been able to communicate with each other, thus fostering a sense of nationalism. It has also served to inform them about the growing concern world-wide for their rights, giving them added fuel to work towards their goals. Due to the very nature of the World-Wide-Web, it has become relatively easy for indigenous groups and the NGOs associated with their plight to inform the rest of the world about their concerns.
Canada has recently made remarkable progress in improvement of indigenous rights, and has been largely relying on the Internet to assist in its mission. When it created the territory of Nunavut to restore management of the land to its indigenous Inuit residents, Canada took a ground-breaking step. Using beliefs correlating greatly with those expressed in the Universal Declaration Of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the region was given its own territorial government to be run largely by the Inuit citizens in the manner in which they see best fit, given their own culture and belief system. The improvement of the First Nations’ social status was also a major goal of the Nunavut project, as is witnessed by examining health care and educational initiatives.
Due to its relatively remote, extreme Northern location, physical transportation in Nunavut is both difficult and expensive. This creates an vital need for easily accessible forms of communication within the region and between the territory and the rest of the country and the world. Information technology has provided an excellent means through which to satisfy this need. The Internet has been used for various forms of communication in Nunavut, notable in the areas of health care and education. Although numerous challenges exist for the use of information technology in Nunavut, the Internet nonetheless offers enormous opportunities for the Inuit people.
The world will be closely monitoring the progress made in Canada follows the trend of the improvement of indigenous rights. Positive results in Nunavut will serve as examples for other nations while negative results will serve as lessons learned to those who do not want to repeat the same mistakes. Canada is playing the role of a trail-blazer in its indigenous-aimed initiatives and will hopefully lead the countries of the world to a prosperous destination. The role that information systems play in this journey will effect if and how similar initiatives are taken by others.
The challenges and opportunities that exist for information technology in Nunavut are enormous. They show the evolving need for speed, accessibility, and reliability. An information technologist is always looking to improve upon these factors, and Nunavut serves as a prime example of the need for more universally adaptable means of sharing information. As the trend towards improvement of indigenous rights spreads throughout the world, other countries and indigenous groups will look towards information technologists to help them in their plights.
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