Aboriginal self-determination and resource development activity - Environmental and Human Security in the Arctic - page 190

Rude (2005) argued in their policy paper Human Security and Aboriginal
Women in Canada , Aboriginal peoples' understanding of human security goes
beyond safety from international threats. Instead, 'their human security is
intimately tied to the land, and the cultural traditions derived from fishing,
hunting and gathering necessary to foster a safe and healthy life for the future
generations of their people' (Deiter and Rude 2005:ix). For the Aboriginal
peoples of the Canadian Arctic, the traditional, narrow perception of security
as a purely military phenomenon is insufficient because security is not simply
about Canada protecting its Arctic territory, but Canada protecting the secu-
rity of the people who live there - who live on the land and who rely upon it.
It is about protecting their physical safety as well as their economic and social
well-being ('The Responsibility to Protect' 2001:15).
While the language of human security is very much rooted in the field
of international relations and tied to foreign affairs, the extent to which it
is relevant in domestic analysis is undeniable. Although human security is a
people-centred approach to foreign policy, it can also be viewed as an approach
to domestic policy. As Owen explains:
The vast majority of human security threats are indeed most severe in the
developing world. This, however, is an empirical reality, not an ideologi-
cally driven theory. There are certain regions within developed countries
that also have human security problems - many northern aboriginal com-
munities offer examples - and these should be highlighted.
(2008:447)
In fact, northern Aboriginal peoples may be considered to be among the most
'insecure' in Canada. Statistically, while Canada consistently tops the United
Nations list for the highest quality of life in the world, in 2013 Canada dropped
below the top ten (CBCNews Canada 2013). In 2005 Canada ranked number
five in the world; however, when the condition of Aboriginal peoples living
'on-reserve' was taken into account, the country ranked approximately 48
out of 174 countries on the UNDP scale (CBCNews Canada 2005). Poverty,
infant mortality, unemployment, suicide, crime and child welfare are much
higher for Aboriginal peoples than any other group in Canada. Additionally,
quality of medical care, housing and educational training are much lower for
Aboriginal peoples living on-reserve. Given their obvious 'insecurity', land
claims can function as a means through which to improve the socio-economic
well-being of Aboriginal peoples and their communities.
In terms of its political dimension, a key component of human security is
decision-making or, in this context, self-government. Although the James Bay
Northern Quebec Agreement (JBNQA) of 1975 included promises of self-
government, Cree-Naskapi community governments are not constitutionally
entrenched and operate on the basis of federally delegated powers. That is,
they exercise powers delegated to them under the 1984 Cree-Naskapi Act. In