Inuit youth need government support, Saputiit president says

ODILE NELSON

The president of Nunavik’s youth organization said he hopes this week’s inaugural elders and youth conference in Inukjuak will bring Canadian Inuit leaders together in a united call for increased government funding.

Andy Moorhouse, head of the Saputiit Youth Association and one of the organizers of the National Inuit Elders and Youth Conference, made the remarks in an interview this week after the conference’s opening ceremony.

Moorhouse said after hearing reports from Inuit youth leaders, it is apparent that few of the regions are getting the support they need from their provincial or territorial governments.

“In some regions like in the Yukon or Newfoundland they [governments] don’t give to help with Inuit youth issues,” Moorhouse said.

“Some regions do not have the same kind of support we have here but there should be the same kind of financial support for all youth initiatives and any issue that comes up such as youth centres.”

Moorhouse said in many ways the Inuit of Quebec have been lucky because the province’s politicians have supported Saputiit and its work on youth issues. The Nunavik organization, he said, has received $3.3 million from the Quebec government to offer programs to the region’s 7,000 Inuit youth below the age of 29.

But in his four years working for Saputiit, he said, he has never seen a government penny given to building youth centres or recreation facilities in Nunavik.

Instead, he said, Makivik Corp., the region’s Inuit birthright organization, has shouldered the financial costs of building centres, arenas and recreation facilities for Nunavik’s youth.

He said it is time for federal and provincial leaders to give more money to youth infrastructure across the Arctic.

“There are problems that Inuit youth face today. They are not able to get out of and we’re trying to help them,” he said. “But it is not enough [for the government] to build group homes for youth after they have social and communication problems or intoxication problems. They should provide buildings with Internet access, a place to relax, cooking courses, where the youth can do traditional work or learn about starting businesses.”

In the meantime, he said, he hopes the conference itself will play a part in helping address social problems that exist in Inuit communities.

More than 100 Inuit elders and youth from across Canada have gathered for the conference, sponsored by Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami. Over the next few days, elders and youth will attend presentations on shamanism, traditional justice and suicide prevention, and participate in cultural activities such as dog mushing, bannock making and ajuqtaqtun.

“The main focus I’m seeing at this conference is to strengthen the ties between Inuit elders and youth,” Moorhouse said.

“Maybe this will help stop suicides, intoxicant addictions and create more of a culturally oriented life.”