The Berger Inquiry revisited: The meaning of inclusion for the Inuvialuit

The well-publicized Berger Inquiry, and its final report published in 1977, sought public opinion on the consequences of construction of a Mackenzie Valley pipeline. It marked an important moment in Canadian political history, as it diverged from the historical pattern of northern resource development by actively seeking the opinions of northerners, especially northern native peoples. This thesis considers the specific case of the Inuvialuit and the implications of their participation at the Inquiry. It suggests that while Berger's recommendation for a moratorium on construction of a northern pipeline was not the determining factor in the decision against pipeline development, the Inquiry still carried significant influence as a process that fostered communication of native goals for land claim settlements and greater self-determination. The main archival sources were transcripts of the hearings, other Inquiry papers, northern native newspapers, House of Commons Debates, and government documents. The Inquiry is criticized for its analysis of the Inuvialuit position as being in opposition to pipeline development, and it is suggested that instead Inuvialuit expressed a wide range of opinion, including interest in large-scale development. Although their culture and northern economy rested on a land relationship, this fact of northern culture did not necessitate opposition to oil and gas development. Rather, the subtleties of the Inuvialuit position prepared the way for a new and integrative approach to northern resource development, with implications for Canada's evolving political practices. Thus, the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Inquiry should be seen as a process that allowed for native participation on their own terms, and not simply as an exercise in coercion by southern culture.