rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog

The Aboriginal vote means Inuit too

by Jessica Yee

As First Nations, we have to recognize the abuse of the federally blanketed term that has become the word “Aboriginal”, and take a stand for who it’s not really panning out for. Technically it is supposed to include First Nations, Inuit, and Métis, but we know that when we look around the country at “Aboriginal” programs and services, they are really First Nations centric (with at least some relation to Métis) And so has the coverage of the “Native” vote been too. If Native is supposed to mean First Peoples or Indigenous, then what about the Inuit?

Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK) is the national voice of Canada’s Inuit. Founded in 1971, the organization represents and promotes the interests of Inuit. In its history, ITK has been effective and successful at advancing Inuit interests by forging constructive and co-operative relationships with different levels of government in Canada, notably in the area of comprehensive land claim settlements, and representing Inuit during the constitutional talks of the 1980s.

President Mary Simon selected twelve questions that are important to Inuit and are current in our nation’s political dialogue.  These questions have been sent to the five party leaders for comment before the upcoming election.

The answers are finally in (with the Conservatives and Green’s sending their answers in yesterday).

Here are the 12 questions she asked, and hopefully that will give the rest of us an idea of what we need to be looking out for and supporting this coming election if we are really including the full spectrum of “Aboriginal”.

(Don’t worry, my next post will talk about the Métis vote too)

1. Does your Party agree that following the historic June 11th, 2008 
Apology by the Prime Minister to Aboriginal Peoples in Canada that the
next Government should embark on a bold new path in partnership with Inuit
to close gaps in housing, health, economic development, and education
needs by 2015?

2. Does your Party support expanding the Truth and Reconciliation
Commission by adding an Inuk Commissioner to recognize the many Inuit who
were impacted by the dark period in Canada of Aboriginal Residential
Schools, and would your Party further support the inclusion of Inuit (for
example in Labrador) who attended residential or day schools who were
subject to abuse but have been excluded from the Indian Residential School
Settlement?

3. Would a government formed by your party call a meeting of First
Ministers and national Aboriginal Leaders, within one year of its
election, to agree on clear targets and commitments sufficient to overcome
gaps between Aboriginal and other Canadians in basic measures of social
and economic well being?

4. Does your party support the reform of federal policy in relation to the
implementation of modern land claims agreements along the lines
recommended in the May 2008 report of the Standing Senate Committee on
Aboriginal Peoples?

5. Does your party support the development of a new Arctic Strategy to
guide federal policy for the Canadian and international Arctic, and agree
that such a policy must extend to all of the lands and marine areas of the
Inuit Homeland in Canada (including Arctic portions of Quebec and
Newfoundland and Labrador), and to engage Inuit as co-partners in the
development of such a strategy?

6. Does your Party agree that asserting Canadian Arctic Sovereignty must
by design include a human dimension that ensures a healthy, well educated
economically viable Inuit majority population in the Arctic?

7. Does your party agree that any new federal policy aimed at combating
carbon emissions and other greenhouse gases must contain a set of
adaptation and adjustments factors for Inuit communities sufficient to
ensure that implementation of the policy would not have a net negative
effect on regional economies in the Arctic?

8. Does your party support the Government of Canada endorsing the United
Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples adopted by the UN
General Assembly in September 2007 and endorsed in a resolution of the
House of Commons during the last Parliament?

9. Does your party support additional federal funding to allow for the
construction and operation of Mental Health Centre’s for the treatment of
alcohol and drug abuse and other mental health issues for Inuit in the
Arctic?

10. Does your party support the renewal, and expansion of the following
federal initiatives vital to Inuit in the Arctic: a) Food Mail, and b)
Strategic Investments in Northern Economic Development Programs?

11. Does your party support the appointment of an Ombudsperson for
Aboriginal Children?

12. Does your party support the goal of making the Inuit language the
primary working language in the Arctic, and support providing federal
funding support for the Inuit language at a level at least as generous as
provided francophone and anglophone minorities in the Arctic?