VANCOUVER – NovaGold Resources and project operator Donlin Gold LLC are collaborating on a four-part series of videos to capture and explain a way of life in Alaska where the Donlin gold project is under development. (Barrick Gold holds a 50% interest in the project.)
The video series tells the story of the people of the Yukon-Kuskokwim (Y-K) region, their heritage and subsistence way of life, as well as the challenges of living in a remote community. The Donlin gold project is located in the region.
NovaGold has undertaken this project as part of its efforts to obtain its social licence to operate in the area. The company hopes to establish a strong and collaborative working relationship with the local communities. Understanding their language and culture is a necessary first step. The state legislature has designated 20 native languages, including Yup'ik, as co-official languages along with English.
The first video, "Yup'ik Language and Culture," features some of the 10,000 people in southwest Alaska who speak Yup'ik. The elders in the Y-K region speak predominantly Yup'ik, and children growing up in villages still learn it as their first language.
"The strength of the Yup'ik language in many villages, and the priority in the region of keeping Yup'ik a vibrant living language, provides its people with a sense of their unique culture and identity," said NovaGold in a release.
The first video is now available at NovaGold.com/info. The other titles to be released this year are "Subsistence Way of Life," "People's Connection to the River," and "Economic Opportunities and Workforce Development."
Comments