Restoring Inuit voices in Arctic decision-making – Ecojustice

May 15, 2026

For generations, Inuit in Naujaat have relied on the waters of Foxe Basin. Hunters from the Arviq Hunters and Trappers Organization (Arviq HTO) travel these waters to harvest marine species including narwhal, bowhead whale, walrus and seal — animals that are not just food, but culture, identity, and survival.

Now, that way of life is at risk.

Baffinland Iron Mines Corporation’s Mary River Project proposes a major expansion: a railway stretching south across Baffin Island to a new port at Steensby Inlet, and a shipping route that would cut directly through Foxe Basin. Massive ore carriers would travel through the same waters that support Arviq HTO’s harvests.