NTI delegates peeved at potential drop in Nunavut Trust handouts

Archie Angnakak, the Qikiqtani trustee for Nunavut Trust, with Andy Campbell, Nunavut Trust’s chief executive officer at his left, speak Oct. 24 at the annual general meeting of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. in Iqaluit. (FILE PHOTO)

Delegates to Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.’s annual general meeting in Iqaluit said they are unhappy that the Nunavut Trust may have to reduce the money it gives them each year.

And they resolved Oct. 25 to ask Nunavut Trust to increase the amount of money it gives the regional Inuit organizations by $2 million.

That’s after delegates learned Oct. 24 that the Nunavut Trust may have to cut the amount of money it gives to the Inuit organizations due to the poor returns on its investments related to global financial conditions

During discussions held Oct. 25, members of the three regional Inuit associations complained that they are likely to face budget deficits as a result.

Some delegates asked for a portion of the $23.2 million that NTI used to repay part of its capital loans from the Nunavut Trust.

That money was distributed because NTI received an additional transfer from the Nunavut Trust due to a once-every-21-year tax adjustment.

But the money was immediately returned to the trust to pay off part of NTI’s outstanding loan balance to the Nunavut Trust.

The birthright organizations are supposed to target a “zero-based budget” with no overall budget increases and a two per cent increase for salaries.

But the regional inuit associations are forecasting deficits in 2012-14.

To make ends meet in 2013-14, NTI plans to use $1 million from mineral resource revenues that it has earned in the past.

“By doing this NTI will maintain a 0% increase from the 2012-13 approved budget amount and no additional money will be required from the Nunavut Trust,” says a document tabled at the NTI meeting.

But NTI will still rack up a $442,600 deficit for “additional budget requests.”

The financial pressures cited by NTI include future elections, the cost of participating in environmental reviews, the ongoing monitoring of DEW line sites, and other activities, such as unresolved land claim negotiations with Manitoba Dene, for which funding is “often insufficient.”

The delegates ended up approving a 2013-14 budget that calls for NTI to receive $42 million from the Nunavut Trust:

• $19.2 million for NTI;

• $4.5 million for the Kitikmeot Inuit Association;

• $4.3 million for the Kivalliq Inuit Association;

• $5.2 million for the Qiqiktani Inuit Association;

• $1.4 million for Inuit Heritage Trust;

• $855,000 for the beneficiary benefits plan;

• $2.6 million for community liaison officers;and,

• $2 million for elders, and, $1.7 million for other programs.