On June 5, 1984, following ten years of negotiations, the Governments of Canada, the Northwest Territories, Yukon and the Inuvialuit as represented by the Committee for Original Peoples Entitlement signed the Western Arctic Claim – the Inuvialuit Final Agreement (IFA) in Tuktoyaktuk.
The IFA was a ground-breaking achievement that still affects the lives of all Inuvialuit and everyone who lives and works in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (ISR). In the 30 plus years since its signing, a new generation of Inuvialuit has come into being. Many in this generation do not have first-hand knowledge of the historical background to the IFA, how the IFA applies to the rights and responsibilities of Inuvialuit beneficiaries, and how the IFA affects governance within the ISR today. Without this knowledge, Inuvialuit cannot employ the IFA to meet its intended goals nor adapt it to meet future needs.
The IFA-101 Project was established by IRC, Inuvialuit Game Council and Joint Secretariat to re-energize knowledge of the IFA, including why it was needed, how it was negotiated, what it covers, and how it is used today. The Project consists of three inter-related components:
- eLearning Program consisting of online Modules
- Annotated and searchable online IFA
- Digital library resources