NTI to establish Nunavut Youth Council, give more money to elders
Decisions are 2 of several passed last week by board of directors
Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. will establish a Nunavut Youth Council with federal funding. The decision is one of several the organization’s board of directors passed during meetings last week. (File photo)
Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. will establish a youth council and increase monthly payment to elders, after its board of directors approved several decisions during a two-day meeting.
The meeting, which ended June 9, was the first with newly-elected president Gloria Uluqsi at the helm. Here are some details about what came from it.
Nunavut Youth Council
NTI earmarked $6.8 million over three years for youth wellness programs and to establish a Nunavut Youth Council, the organization announced June 10 in a news release.
The money comes from the Government of Canada’s $500-million Youth Mental Health Fund aimed at creating mental health supports for people aged 12 to 25.
Creating a youth council is one of the organization’s strategic priorities established in 2025.
Inuit Child First Initiative
NTI’s board called on the federal government to commit “long-term funding” for the Inuit Child First Initiative, a program funded by Indigenous Services Canada that provides educational and socio-economic support for Inuit children and youth.
In February, the federal government extended the program for one year with $115 million in funding. But NTI argues a long-term plan for the program is needed to provide “stability” for families who use it.
‘Enhancements’ to elder support
NTI’s monthly payments to Inuit elders in Nunavut will go from $175 to $250.
The program will also cover more elders. It’s now available to Inuit born on or before Dec. 31, 1961.
It was previously reserved for those born on or before Dec. 31, 1958.
The changes are effective as of April 1, so new eligible applicants will get the full amount for those months retroactively, according to a news release from NTI.
Elders already enrolled under the program don’t need to reapply.
I think NTI should open to all elders in nunavut since the inception of the territory and not have a set date. Fix the age limit to 60 ,only a select few will collect and after all they have passed will the date be changed for the rest of the people ? There are too many over the age of 60 that are beneficiaries of nunavut that are not even elegible for this payment. WHY ?