Don’t squander the chance for Arctic Policy Framework to be a gamechanger for Inuit

Inuit welcomed the Government of Canada’s announcement in December 2016 that it would co-develop a new Arctic Policy Framework (APF) with Inuit, replacing Canada’s 2009 Northern Strategy and the 2010 Statement on Canada’s Arctic Foreign Policy. The inclusion of Inuit in the announcement as co-development partners signalled that there could be a potential shift by the Government of Canada from a paternalistic and colonial approach to developing and implementing Arctic policy to one that respects Inuit self-determination and is inclusive of the priorities identified by the region’s majority Inuit population. The APF will also serve a critical function in redefining Canada’s foreign policy, to recognize Inuit rights, interests and relationships across the circumpolar Arctic. As an international region of growing strategic importance, Inuit are seeking to work with Canada to ensure Canadian sovereignty, sustainability, and economic prosperity across the circumpolar Arctic. We envision the APF as a critical exercise in recognition and nation building, whereby Inuit Nunangat—the Inuit homeland—is finally brought into Canada from the geographic, political, and economic margins of society. Inuit Nunangat encompasses nearly one-third of Canada’s landmass and half of its coastline, and creating prosperity in the region is necessary to enhance national security and sovereignty amidst growing international interest and activity in the region. The federal government has a unique opportunity through the APF to redefine Canada’s relationship with the Arctic: moving from an underdeveloped region in Canada to a thriving, diverse and inclusive region. Realizing the potential of the Arctic requires transformative approaches to policy and program development, an unprecedented investment in Arctic development and coordination between provincial and territorial governments and Inuit. Inuit are working to develop an Inuit Nunangat chapter for the APF, which outlines the joint policy priorities of Canada and of Inuit. The inclusion of an Inuit Nunangat chapter in the document is the most efficient and impactful way to ensure that Inuit priorities are clearly defined and reflected in the APF and, most importantly, guide future investments and activity in our homeland. Furthermore, the APF should build upon advances made by other federal departments to implement an Inuit Nunangat policy that recognizes Inuit Nunangat as a distinct political, geographic, and cultural region. The four Inuit regions are collectively known as Inuit Nunangat and include land, water, and ice, which Inuit believe to be integral to their culture and way of life. Image courtesy of ITK The application of an Inuit Nunangat policy through the APF is necessary to delineate Inuit as a rights-holding Indigenous people who, by population and territory, occupy the majority of the Arctic territory in Canada. Applying an Inuit Nunangat policy in practical terms respects our right to self-determination and is premised on the fact that Inuit are the most knowledgeable about the issues affecting our communities and society, possess the greatest incentive to address those issues, and are best positioned to develop and advance innovative solutions for our people. The past three federal budgets have applied an Inuit Nunangat policy by allocating funding directly to Inuit representative organizations and governments’ service delivery agents. Doing so creates efficiency, cost savings, and more-immediate positive impacts and benefits for Inuit that in turn benefit all Canadians. Most recently, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, along with the Canadian Coast Guard, applied an Inuit Nunangat policy when they jointly announced with Inuit, on Oct. 24, the creation of a new Arctic administrative region, marking a milestone shift in formalizing this important policy approach. The potential success of the APF for Inuit will be determined in large part by the department of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs’ ability to develop a transformative policy framework, capable of leading to a renewed Arctic. For too long, Inuit have suffered from incremental approaches devised by government departments, which ultimately lead to the management of poverty, rather than its elimination. Such incremental approaches have led to the widening of gaps in social and economic outcomes between Inuit Nunangat and the rest of Canada. The APF has the potential to bring Inuit Nunangat into Canada, thereby helping to create prosperity for its citizens that in turn benefits all Canadians. The sharp divide between Inuit Nunangat and most other parts of Canada has for decades demanded urgent action and investment to remedy what can only be achieved through serious and concerted federal action and investment. The outcomes of our work on the APF with federal and provincial/territorial governments over the coming months, whose focus is the future of our homeland, will determine whether Inuit truly have entered into a new era based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation, and partnership. Natan Obed is president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the national representational organization representing 65,000 Inuit in Canada. The Hill Times

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Don’t squander the chance for Arctic Policy Framework to be a gamechanger for Inuit

For too long, Inuit have suffered from incremental change that ultimately led to the management of poverty, rather than its elimination.

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