Mining subcontractors ensure success: understanding nuances of working in Alaska.

• Author: Stricker, Julie
• Position: MINING

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When Donlin Gold officials started to visit communities in southwest Alaska that were likely to be affected by a proposed open-pit mine, they discovered the Yup'ik language contained no words for mining terms such as "tailings" and "waste rock."

Communicating clearly with the residents was important, as they own the mineral rights and the land on which mine would be located. Development could also affect their culture and subsistence lifestyle.

"It's their gold, it's their land, they've invited us to develop it for them for the benefit of their shareholders," says Kurt Parkan, external affairs manager for Donlin Gold. "We have an arrangement with them to provide employment priority for shareholders. They are essentially partners of ours."

The Donlin Creek mine is a huge project that could yield 33 million ounces of gold and include a natural gas pipeline to Cook Inlet. The proposed mine is located ten miles northwest of Crooked Creek village on land owned by The Kuskokwim Corporation. Calista Corporation owns the subsurface rights, Parkan says.

Extra Efforts Made

Donlin made an extra effort to ensure residents' questions and concerns about the proposed mine were answered. A company, AECOM, was brought in to help develop a Yup'ik glossary of mining terms and to translate the project overview and description into Yup'ik. AECOM also made a series of podcasts to be broadcast on KYUK radio describing the project in broad terms. Donlin hired a linguist, Vernon Chimegalrea, to conduct village meetings entirely in Yup'ik. Chimegalrea, whose family is from Napakiak, says Donlin is the only mining company he knows of that makes the effort to communicate with people in their Native language.

"My family is still involved in hunting, fishing, and harvesting from the land, just like everybody else," Chimegalrea says in a Calista newsletter. "I believe that being able to let them know about the project in their Native language builds trust."

The villagers' reaction was overwhelmingly positive. "It's the first time anyone spoke to us in Yup'ik in updating us about the Donlin Gold project," one resident said after a 2012 meeting. "It was very informative and more understandable."

"That's a good part of the story," Parkan says. "It's part of what makes it very Alaskan and very unique."

Project Success

Doing business in Alaska is different, and having Alaska-based subcontractors who understand the nuances of working here can make all the difference in the success of a project.

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