Federal government wants medical experiment lawsuit dismissed
5 Inuit are claimants who say they were subject to skin grafting, extreme cold
Claimants in a $1-million lawsuit against the federal government say they were treated like “monkeys.” Seen here are visible scars from skin-grafting experiments in the 1960s and 1970s. (File photo)
The federal government has applied to dismiss a lawsuit involving alleged experiments on Inuit from Igloolik.
It has been nearly six years since a group of five Inuit filed their lawsuit, accusing the government of experimenting on them between 1967 and 1973, the claimants’ lawyer Stephen L. Cooper said Wednesday in a news release about the application for dismissal.
The claimants are former Nunavut premier Paul Quassa, filmmaker Zacharias Kunuk, artist Madeline Ivalu, Lazarie Uttak and Lydia Inooya.
“I have litigated historical injustice cases for ever three decades,” Cooper said in the release.
“While governments often resist at first, they have ultimately acted honourable. This case involves a small group of survivors, modest damages, and a clear path to resolution.”
The federal government is asking the Nunavut Court of Justice to dismiss the case, stating that the experiments happened too long ago.
Cooper said the federal government has used intentional delaying tactics, prolonging the legal battle.
The group is asking for $1 million in damages and an apology.
They are among approximately 30 Inuit who say they underwent experiments to test their tolerance to extreme cold temperatures and removing skin from one Inuk and grafting it to another.
Anispiragas Piragasanathar, a spokesperson for Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, would not comment on the matter because it is before the courts.
In March, the federal government was fined $5,000 over delays in the lawsuit.
Unfortunately this case that has to happen, as difficult as it will be, to enable reconciliation.
Alot has experience government involvement in Inuit experiment right until 1993. Here in Arviat too grew up being looked after by government and without proper offices like RCMP and proper office. Inuit reported to other towns for criminal activities, able to conceive magic at that time, people threw rocks using angakok spirit, Inuit demonized alot during those early times in the 80s, 90s. Now today as we get more smart, it like Inuit were played. Suicides, joblessness, they still owe us alot. Inuit were an experiment just used and just forgetting Inuit. Ow those Inuit are jobless, no income. No higher education, no grade twelve diploma, alot of Inuit are like that. They would of graduated high school, because of that they sniffed gas propane, because government let Inuit see and experiment how it’s like being looked after by government. It was huge