NRG leaves Montreal, Chisasibi Inuit cold

Lisa Koperqualuk asks negotiators for more information about the second phase of negotiations between Nunavik and the federal and provincial governments at a March 16 Nunavik Regional Government information session in Montreal. This was the last stop in a tour which took NRG negotiators to each Nunavik community following the signing of the final agreement in mid-February. (PHOTO BY SARAH ROGERS

MONTREAL — Urban Inuit and staff from Nunavik’s Montreal-based organizations filled a room at a Ville St-Laurent hotel on March 16 to ask questions about the proposed Nunavik Regional Government, which they will only see from a distance.

In Montreal, on the last stop of their month-long information tour, the negotiators of the final agreement on the NRG fielded questions about how the new government model could benefit Nunavimmiut who live outside of the region.

Allison Irqumia, acting president of the Association of Montreal Inuit, asked negotiators what the agreement holds for her and fellow urban Inuit.

Not much, was the short answer.

Negotiators said that before they began drafting an agreement on the NRG they had a fundamental issue to resolve.

Would this new government be a public government, that is, for all residents in the territory, or ethnic, that is, for Inuit only?

They opted for a public government struture, which means it will provide services to everyone who lives in the territory.

“It’s challenging, because we have a number of beneficiaries living out-of-region and Makivik Corp. is your official spokesperson,” Nunavik negotiator Minnie Grey told the group of about 70 people. “But we are creating a public government for the region above the 55th parallel.”

Pat Ekomiak, an Inuk from Chisasibi, told negotiators that many in his community feel left out of the agreement.

Although located in Cree territory, Chisasibi remains home to many Inuit who already have limited access to the services offered to other Nunavik beneficiaries.

Negotiators were scheduled to hold an information session in Chisasibi earlier this month, but couldn’t fly in because of poor weather.

“There’s no mention of Chisasibi in the agreement,” Ekomiak said. “We would prefer to be included in the Nunavik Assembly.”

The NRG’s proposed assembly includes representation from each of the region’s 14 communities and a seat which would be held by the Naskapi of Kawawachikamach, whose traditional lands lie within Nunavik’s territory.

Grey admits that the logistics of including Chisasibi into the final agreement “stumped” negotiators.

“I for one have to tell you, if the NRG comes into force, these issues that are confronting the realities….will not be miraculously cured,” she said. “I think this is something that the NRG would want to address. We can put anything on the table in phase two.”

If the NRG is ratified by the April 27 referendum, “phase II” is the next step of negotiations during which Nunavik would negotiate for broader powers and autonomy.

Those powers are meant to achieve a form of self-governance for Nunavik over the long term.

Lisa Koperqualuk, who questioned the negotiators about that phase II, wanted to know why there were two phases and whether or not the NRG would be obligated to take negotiations to the level.

“What kind of assurance do we have regarding phase II negotiations?” Koperqualuk said. “Because the wording in the document does not say there will be, it says that there may be further negotiations.”

That part of the agreement is “deliberately vague,” said federal negotiator Richard Budgell, because the agreement couldn’t dictate what powers a new institution might want to negotiate.

“The assurance is here that we will go through that process, but we can’t preclude the decision-making power of that government,” Budgell said.

His provincial counterpart, negotiator Fernand Roy, said that Quebec had decided to negotiate in two steps, adding that it “would be very difficult for the government to pull out of the negotiation process.”

Makivik employee Andy Pirti asked negotiators what Quebec and Canada stand to gain from the process of negotiating a new government for Nunavik.

“I think the main interest is to develop, with Nunavik, a relationship based on confidence,” Roy said. “I think Quebec has a strong interest in the development of self-governance or it would be [faced with] confrontation and court litigation year after year.”

The NRG not going to save the country or the province any money, Roy added, referring to the new costs which will be shared between the federal and provincial governments.

The NRG, which will amalgamate the Kativik Regional Government, Kativik School Board and the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services, has been touted as a way to “harmonize” Nunavik’s public institutions and the services they offer.

Some at the meeting said the amalgamation will make government administration more efficient and services more accessible to the population.

But Sarah Tuckatuck said she worries the new model will do little to strengthen Nunavik Inuit as a people.

“I question if Quebec really wants to harmonize our government,” said Tuckatuck, who works in the language department at Avataq Cultural Institute. “I think Quebec is the winner in this, and these departments will have to fight harder to get funding.”

Starting March 21, the referendum period officially begins in the lead-up to the April 27 vote to accept or reject the NRG’s final agreement.

This means that after March 21, negotiators can no longer promote the agreement’s contents while people in Nunavik debate whether or not to support the model on their own.