Inuit groups ‘excited,’ ready to act after Supreme Court ruling: Obed
Several regions in process of creating legislation or taking over child and family services from provinces and territories
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami president Natan Obed speaks to reporters at a press conference in Ottawa in April 2022. On Wednesday, he said Inuit groups are “excited” that a Supreme Court ruling affirmed their jurisdiction over child and family services. (File photo)
Inuit organizations are already planning action following last week’s Supreme Court of Canada decision affirming Indigenous Peoples’ jurisdiction over child and family services.
“We, as Inuit, are really excited about the ability to take advantage of this act and its implementation,” Natan Obed, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the national organization for Inuit in Canada, said in an interview.
At issue was the law ensuring Indigenous Peoples’ jurisdiction over their own child and family services — previously known as Bill C-92 — that was passed in 2019.
Three years later, the Quebec Court of Appeal ruled the law was partially unconstitutional after the government of Quebec argued the law infringed on its provincial jurisdiction.
The federal government appealed, and in a decision Friday, the Supreme Court of Canada unanimously ruled “the act is as a whole is constitutionally valid.”
The law affirms Indigenous Peoples have sole authority over protection of their children and Indigenous organizations can make decisions on child welfare that are culturally informed.
Obed said Indigenous organizations were prepared for the court’s decision and are ready to act quickly.
“The Inuvialuit Regional Corporation [of the Northwest Territories] has passed a piece of legislation and they’re hoping to start on the implementation of that very soon,” he said.
“We know that in Nunatsiavut, and in Nunavik, they have notified government on their intention of creating legislation or an equivalent to be able to take over certain services.”
In a news release Friday, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. president Aluki Kotierk called the court’s decision “encouraging in light of our desire for self-determination for Nunavut Inuit,” adding governments “have continually failed vulnerable Inuit children, youth and families.”
The release said NTI, which is responsible for ensuring terms of the Nunavut Agreement are carried out, is well-positioned to develop programs and services for intervention and prevention regarding family and children’s services.
Kotierk said “the court’s decision confirms our right to help lead these endeavors in Nunavut.”
Obed said laws and systems will look different in each region, depending on the region’s ability to take on responsibilities itself or work with existing service providers.
The key, he said, is that with Indigenous jurisdiction over child and family services, the love and care children receive from their families will be at the centre of decisions.
Prior to Bill C-92 becoming law, “conditions outside of the families’ control” often led to decisions being made by non-Indigenous governments and organizations to remove Indigenous children from their families, Obed said.
He noted “poverty or even access to medical care were often [factored into] deliberations and decisions provinces or territories made about Inuit children.”
In addition to jurisdiction and oversight, Obed said the law will “allow us to focus more on providing supports for families and children.”
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami works with the federal government on the Inuit Child First Initiative, which ensures children have access to essential health, social and educational products, services and supports.
Funding for all Inuit children, regardless of where in Canada they live, can be requested through the Inuit Child First Agreement.
This is a great step towards reconciliation and self determination!
No commitment by NTI to take this on, just that they will “help lead”. If NTI actually had to deliver programming we’d see just how useless it is.
I’d think that governments would be jumping at this opportunity. “GN: Hi NTI. As of September 1st 2026 we are stopping providing this service for all Indigenous clients. We will forward you the per head money for each client. Have fun, don’t call us.”
It would be great, a huge burden taken from governments, all they need do is write a cheque. It would all become NTI’s problem – staffing, recruiting, pensions, infrastructure, legal compliance. What a great burden to take from the GN.
Yes. It does sound like a great idea. But there is one catch: NTI would ask for an exorbitant amount of money to do it and the demands for more and more and more money would never stop. That’s the one problem with this otherwise good plan.
If you think indigenous governments intend to take over an underfunded system from territories and provinces, think again. There will be two tiers of child services: overfunded and mismanaged for indigenous peoples by IGs and underfunded mismanaged for everyone else by provinces and territories. My sense is that IGs like NTI demand multipliers of 10x what is being allocated for CFServices from the Feds.
Not cheap maintaining an ineffectual and top heavy organization full of lawyers.
I’m still trying to figure out why NTI is so happy, perhaps filling their pockets with the money given to them for the child services? NTI like the other Inuit orgs, all have huge salaries’ at the top and the lower level people are given pennies. Tell me I’m wrong, tell me Obed is not hauling in over $250,000 a year in salary.
Inuit org leaders are closer to half mil.
I look forward to seeing Natan Obed on the next plane to Chesrefield inlet to operate the Naja Isabelle Home .
He may want to take along the former mayor of Iqaluit, to deal with a possibly-violent resident at the Home.
He will foot the Bell for this…
He’s far too busy trying to get a certain company (to remain nameless) that makes ice fishing shelters to change their name…