NDDN Committee Report

New Democratic Party’s Supplementary to the Report on Arctic Sovereignty by the House of Commons Standing Committee on National Defence

As a member of the House of Commons Standing Committee on National Defence, I am very pleased to join in support of such a timely and important report. The findings, conclusions and recommendations of this report are a constructive contribution to the continuing dialogue in this country and internationally on Arctic Sovereignty.

That being said, I feel it necessary to further stress the importance and urgency for the Government of Canada to fulfil its obligations to our indigenous partners in the Arctic. The main report recognises that our assertions of sovereignty in the Arctic depend largely on the Inuit occupation of the region. However, such assertions are hollow if we continue to lag on our commitments to the Inuit and prolong the failure to implement the Nunavut Lands Claims Agreement.

More than an irritant, Canada’s failure in this regard significantly hampers the ability of the Inuit people to exercise self-government and control over their own future. Many of the tools needed by the Inuit to build sustainable communities are provided for in the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement.

Since the signing of the Nunavut Land Claims of Agreement, successive governments have failed our indigenous partners in the north.  After seventeen years, only fifty percent of the agreement has been implemented. The representatives from the indigenous peoples of the Arctic were all very clear in their frustration with this lack of implementation.

Mary Simon, the president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, told our committee that the lack of mental health and educational services are at present the two greatest concerns of the Inuit people. Not only is education key to the full economic participation and success of the Inuit people, it is also at the heart of their ability to exercise self-government.

The Inuit have long since wanted to take ownership for their education system, as they believe they can, given the right tools, overcome many of the systemic educational problems facing their communities. Such ownership includes bilingual education – English and Inuktitut – and a curriculum that reflects the history, culture and reality of the Inuit people.

Article 23 of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement states that public sector employment needs to be reflective of the population of the territory. Paul Kaludjak, president of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., noted that the Inuit “have been blamed many times for not having capacity in Nunavut.” This capacity requires significant investment in education to ensure full participation. However, the blame rests with the Government of Canada’s failure to fully implement the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement. Without the appropriate tools to build an education system reflective of its needs, the Inuit people are unable to build the capacity of a skilled and educated workforce capable of fully running their own affairs. 

The main report speaks often of the need to recognise the importance of the Arctic’s indigenous peoples to Canada’s Arctic sovereignty. Recognition needs to be expressed through action and change, not just through speeches and rhetoric.

The Inuit want to be partners with the Government of Canada in Arctic sovereignty, in protection of the environment, and in working with others on ensuring sustainable development and sustainable communities.

Real recognition of our important indigenous partners has to include meaningful representation at the highest level of national and international Arctic dialogue and decision-making. A fundamental step in this is the full implementation of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement.