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participation agreement with the Tahltan Nation to ensure collaboration for mine planning and operation, as well as environmental protection. The Tahltan people have occupied
their territories around the upper reaches of the Stikine River in northwestern British Columbia for millennia. The Tahltan Central Government (TCG) is the central administrative governing body for the Iskut Band and Tahltan Band in Telegraph Creek. It represents approximately 5,000 members of the Tahltan Nation living on and o the traditional territory.
Donlin Gold’s two-decades long commitment to transparent and mutually bene cial relationships with Calista and TKC, as well as with the broader stakeholders in the Y-K region, demonstrates the value
of working collaboratively for the development and prosperity of the entire region.
Part of the reason Donlin Gold’s relationship with local communities is so strong is that they are already enjoying tangible bene ts from the project. Since exploration began in 1996, residents have been employed in a variety of roles, comprising as much as 90 percent of the workforce at the Donlin Gold camp during the peak
of exploration. Through Donlin Gold’s support of scholarships for Calista and TKC youth, sponsorship of academic and trades fairs, and leadership in development of the Alaska Miners Association’s Mining Workforce Development Plan, NOVAGOLD is building a foundation that will provide Calista and TKC shareholders and their descendants with the opportunity to thrive as Donlin Gold prospers, while supporting and maintaining their subsistence way of life.
We continue to invest our time and resources into the communities where NOVAGOLD operates. This activity is fundamental to our core values and culture. Throughout the summer months of 2017, Donlin Gold’s project team was busy meeting with surrounding communities at multiple traditional village council meetings, regional tribal gatherings, and village visits across the Y-K region. Site tours at Donlin Gold provided key stakeholder representatives an opportunity to see the project rsthand, ask questions, and interact with those working at camp. NOVAGOLD is an active participant and supporter of these important endeavors. Donlin Gold also worked closely with both Calista and TKC to facilitate and execute all outreach initiatives.
As part of our workforce development initiatives, meetings were held with the Lower Kuskokwim School District counselors to discuss Donlin Gold’s status and student outreach opportunities. Donlin Gold also attended and helped to organize job fairs in Bethel, one of which was the Career and Training Fair, which provided an opportunity for representatives from approximately 100 businesses to talk about available jobs and internships in the region.
Meanwhile, NOVAGOLD continues to hire locally for on-site activities. The workforce for the 2017 drill program at Donlin Gold comprised 50% local Y-K residents, including four recent high school graduates from Scammon Bay, Hooper Bay, Marshal, and Pilot Point who attended last spring’s Mining and Petroleum Training Service program in Delta Junction. And the site team at Galore Creek for
our 2017 care and maintenance program comprised 50% Tahltan employees.
Donlin Gold sponsored a number of sporting events in the Y-K region and, as a premier sponsor of the Iron Dog Race – the world’s longest snowmobile race – hosted the Donlin Gold Safety Expo, where a pre-race inspection of racers’ safety and survival gear was conducted. In March, Donlin Gold was a returning Principal Partner Sponsor of the 45th Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Congratulations to all of the mushers who participated this year, with special recognition to Pete Kaiser, who is from the region near the Donlin Gold project and nished in
ninth place.
Donlin Gold also assisted with the purchase of equipment for
a tribal project called “Arrive Alive” that promotes winter safety on
the Kuskokwim River. They supported Aniak’s 4th Annual Academic Decathlon and Career Fair that provides skill-development workshops for students in grades 7–12. Two other important initiatives were the Y-K region’s annual “Clean Up Green Up” that encourages communities to pick up waste that accumulated over the winter months, as well
as the “Kids Don’t Float” and “Alaska Boating Safety” campaigns for promoting summer safety.
And in northern British Columbia, NOVAGOLD continues to sponsor and participate in a number of Tahltan community initiatives. The Galore Creek Partnership again sponsored the Tahltan Literacy/ Cultural Camps, helping youth explore their culture while fostering a love of reading, as well as awarding annual bursaries for Tahltan First Nation members pursuing post-secondary education and accredited skills programs.
>50% of Alaska’s voting population would financially benefit from Donlin Gold
as shareholders of Native Corporations.
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The annual Tahltan Literacy Camps incorporate storytelling, singing, and traditional games such as stick gambling to encourage language learning.