Fur Institute of Canada honours Simon Awa, Aaju Peter

The Fur Institute of Canada, which organizes the annual fur show in Montreal, has recognized Nunavummiut Simon Awa and Aaju Peter for their “outstanding contributions to the Canadian fur and seal industry.” (FILE PHOTO)

The Fur Institute of Canada has recognized Simon Awa, a deputy minister in the Government of Nunavut, and clothing designer and lawyer Aaju Peter, for their “outstanding contributions” to the Canadian fur and seal industry.

“Simon Awa and Aaju Peter play important roles in defending the rights of all Canadian hunters,” Daniel Shewchuk, Nunavut’s environment said in a June 13 GN news release. “Nunavummiut should be proud to have these two outstanding individuals working on their behalf.”

Awa received the Jim Bourque Award in recognition of his commitment to “the sustainable use of wildlife resources, improved animal welfare, the development of Canada’s modern fur trade, recognition of indigenous peoples’ cultures, and the stewardship role that hunters and trappers play in the conservation and management of Canada’s wildlife.”

Peter received the Bernard Cahill Memorial Award for “promoting respect for people, animals and the environment at the community level with a global perspective.”

“They both actively promote these ideals within Nunavut, within Canada, and internationally. They have educated European parliamentarians about the seal hunt, explained to members of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species why Inuit should continue to hunt polar bears and sell polar bear products, and spoke to the media about sustainable wildlife harvesting in Nunavut,” the news release said.

The Fur Institute of Canada is a non-government organization funded by the wildlife and environment departments of provincial, territorial and federal governments.

The institute recently partnered with Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami in its legal challenge of the European Union seal products ban.