Communities
For NOVAGOLD, community and social responsibility is a wide-ranging, essential activity that is core to all that we do – whether in the corporate boardroom, at the project site, or in communities – and has been practiced consistently for more than 20 years at the Donlin Gold project. Our social responsibility is expressed in the openness with which the project team approaches interactions with any stakeholder. The Donlin Gold LLC team, who is based in Anchorage and various villages in the Y-K region, works collaboratively with NOVAGOLD and Barrick Gold to support community and social responsibility efforts.
"Supporting family and community is very important to us. Every year, we all take part in subsistence activities like salmon fishing, gathering berries, and hunting that sustain our lives throughout the year. Our knowledge and resources are shared amongst our families and extended community and traditions passed down from generation to generation."
Colleen Laraux
Donlin Gold LLC
Donlin Gold LLC employee Colleen Laraux drying salmon from her subsistence harvest.
Our purpose in making community investments is to be mutually beneficial in achieving the communities’ broader goals while also aligning with our investment pillars. Key areas that are addressed under this approach are Alaska Native and Tribal member employment; stakeholder, society, and community commitments and responsibilities; the health and safety of employees and contractors; human rights; labor rights; education and training; and diversity.
As discussed previously, NOVAGOLD and Barrick Gold are equal owners of Donlin Gold LLC. Donlin Gold LLC is partnered with Calista and TKC, the private land and mineral owners who invited NOVAGOLD and Barrick Gold (previously Placer Dome) to explore the mineral potential of the property decades ago. As landowners, Calista and TKC are committed to developing a mining operation consistent with the Elders’ vision of responsible development that creates jobs and economic benefits for the communities while protecting the environment and local culture. This commitment is at the heart of both NOVAGOLD’s and Donlin Gold LLC’s philosophy on how the project should be developed. We aim to achieve mutually beneficial project goals through openness, transparency, and constructive dialogue, and with respect for the values, the culture, and the language of the people of the Y-K region. We place great emphasis on ongoing engagement and consultation with stakeholders in partnership with Calista and TKC through the entire development process.
Alaska Native and Tribal Member Employment
During the 2021 field season, 70 percent of Donlin Gold LLC direct hires were Alaska Natives from 20 Y-K communities. Many, if not all, are also members of their federally recognized Tribe. Alaska Native employees have worked at the project site for more than a decade in a region marked by high unemployment and fewer job options than in urban areas. The work experience and skills gained at Donlin Gold are particularly valuable to the local community members.