ITK seeks $10M from Ottawa for national Inuit identity card
Request included in organization’s pre-budget 2026 submissions
A recent Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami submission to the federal government outlines eight recommendations aimed at advancing equity in Inuit Nunangat, including in housing, health care and the creation of a national Inuit identity card. (Photo by Nehaa Bimal)
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami is asking the federal government for $10 million over three years to develop a nationally recognized Inuit identity card.
As an equivalent to the Indian Status Card, it would help Inuit access federal programs and services, support mobility rights and reduce the misuse of programs by those who are not Inuit, ITK said in its submission to the government.
Nunatsiaq News asked ITK for an interview about the recommendation, but the organization said no one was available to speak on it.
Norma Dunning, an Inuk author and assistant professor of Indigenous health studies at First Nations University of Canada, said she believes a card like this could be useful.
“I think a card does connect to Inuit identity in a practical way but a card does not represent the essence of being an Inuk,” Dunning said. “[It] would be great in terms of having one card, especially in terms of travel and using a national card overall.”
Dunning said she has encountered confusion when using her Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. beneficiary card, particularly within health-care systems.
She said this has led to situations where staff attempt to process her benefits as though she is a First Nations person with status, resulting in her having to explain that Inuit benefits work differently.
The lack of photo identification on Inuit beneficiary cards has also created challenges, Dunning said.
“As a student, when I applied for scholarships or funding, I would have to submit the front and back of my beneficiary card from Nunavut because Inuit beneficiary cards are without photo ID [and] my ranking as Inuit would fall into question,” she said.
A national card, she said, could also help address concerns about people falsely claiming Inuit identity.
She pointed to the recent case of Ontario twins Nadya and Amira Gill, and their mother Karima Manji, who falsely claimed Inuit identity to obtain beneficiary status and access grants and scholarships.
In its submission, ITK said the $10 million it’s asking for would help support any legislative or regulatory changes needed for federal recognition of the card, as well as its production and distribution.
The card would be tied to membership in the four Inuit treaty organizations: the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., Makivvik and the Nunatsiavut Government.
The funding request is one of eight recommendations the organization put forth in June for the 2026 federal budget, which is scheduled to be released this fall.
ITK is also calling for an Inuit-specific section in the budget, legislation to establish Inuit Nunangat University “as a degree-granting institution” by the time it opens in 2030, a permanent replacement for the Inuit Child First Initiative with a $120-million annual budget, and a $7,500 refundable tax credit for low-income residents of Inuit Nunangat, among other requests.
Not if it means that ITK will be providing me the card. I don’t want ITK to have anything to do with the card at all. Let NTI talk to the Government and let them create a recognized card that recognizes me as Inuk through my Nunavut Beneficiary status. Mind you I have an NTI card that proves my beneficiary status and shows I am Inuk that is accepted by places that matter. There has to be sometime when ITK steps away from making decisions for us and NTI steps up for us. Maybe this will be the time? I’m so tired of ITK being in the picture. ITK was supposed to be gone decades ago but they are still the ones who the government give billions of dollars to and then ITK split’s it up between Inuit Organizations ‘equally’ because they promise the government they will.
ITK will remain relevant because the alternative is to divide and conquer for predatory governments have well- proven track record of casual neglect
Why? In nunavut, they negotiated a land claim agreement. Nothing else us warranted.
Learn and you’ll stop being amazed
Indian status cards have a strict prescribed criteria to qualify. The Nunavut Land Claims Agreement defines an Inuk as something like “only an inuk can define what an inuk is”. No wonder people like the Gill sisters are able to get benefits that are supposed to be reserved for inuit.
Objectively, if you compared the one high profile incident of a couple of people pretending to be Inuk, and compare this to the decades long and continual revelations about Pretendians, I think other Indigenous people and the Government of Canada have far more of a problem dealing with indigenous identity than us.
Buffy Sainte-Marie. Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond. Carrie Bourassa. Michelle Latimer. Joseph Boyden. The list goes on.
We are not talking about a couple of starving students here. These are people that claimed indigeneity for much of their life, used those claims for personal gain, and achieved the heights of their profession on that basis.
Indian Status Cards did nothing to prevent these incidents.
I hardly see them as being more rigorous or effective as NTI Cards. At least our Inuk Enrolment Committees review our applications, not some unknowing and invisible bureaucrat.
No and no. Firstly there is no such concept or reality of Inuk just as there is no such concept or reality of indigeneity. Those are made up political concepts.
Will that be cash or cheque?
Neither. It’s like a photo I’d that links to federal programs
Passport and FAC works well and the driver’s license does wonders at the airports.
I forgot OBED, give Edmonton their name back so we can win grey cups. Cheers!
Eskimo isn’t even an Inuit word, identity nor anything related Inuit.
It’s origin came from Crees (First Nations) terminology describing Inuit as less than because they been enemies since time immemorial and whereupon Crees were used by European Explorers of Acadmeia background used First Nations as guides to unexplored Canadian Northern Regions. Where Crees said there are Eskimos that live up there and thus European Academia adopted word “Eskimo” as a descriptor of northern peoples used by First Nations all as misunderstanding the actual term. First Nations
whom despised Inuit since beginning of time always hated and even hunted Inuit is historical documented recorded facts (I still say Angkuni Lake Inuit disappearances are from cultural genocide).
The only Eskimos are former Inuit who were a once strong Ancient Peoples with own Identity, language, pride, culture and practices that became and are officially institutionalized by outside forces inly proudly call selves, “Eskimo”. The Eskimos are and were easily told who they are and the way to behave and niavely and gullibly or out of fear as beaten into submission to be forced to be another over time many Inuitnjust regularly accept being told who they are. They became Eskimos. No longer Inuit.
Picture The Far Side showing an Inuk use a Freezer outside an Iglu to store frozen food. That’s an Eskimo.
Institutionalized Eskimos defend being an Eskimo. Funny though, they truly become Eskimos by definition of Inuit as those who are easily influenced and misled. See Inuit doing something dumb or stupid? Thats an Inuk doing Eskimo things.
Merriam-Webster or Oxford Dictionary should define Eskimo; def: A once strong Ancient Peoples known as “Inuit” who got harnessed and transitioned to being told who they are by other Cultures other than Inuit”.
Have a good day Inuit and Eskimos. Sometimes I slay myself some days. Lol
No Digital ID registry please. Ever. Just a physical card please.
Does anyone else feel like we are about 2 Obed terms away from having to provide a blood sample to maintain Inuit status?
Isn’t there already a “status” card for Inuit in their respective region?
NTI card for Nunavut
Indian status card for Inuvialuit
JBNQA status for Nunavik
Labrador Inuit beneficiary for Nunatsiavut.
Putting attention and time to an alternative broader option of acquiring a status we already have is not a good look.
Yeah, but our enrollement cards do not qualify as primary identification, only secondary.
Nunavut health cards don’t even have a photo, so they are only secondary as well.
There are so many barriers to having proper identification so this will help.
Also, having official Inuit status is to ensure non Inuit groups are accessing benefits meant for Inuit *NCC* as an example.
@ NTI card
“Isn’t there already a “status” card for Inuit in their respective region”
Seems like everyone forgets, ITK represents no one Inuk, but rather the “Inuit Land Claim area Inuit entities” Ie NTI, Makivvik, etc….
Therefore, ITK gets its’ mandates from the Inuit organizations from the regions.
The thing is, I do not recall hearing of any of the Inuit Land Claim entities representatives ever, ever, ever mentioning they were running on a platform to eradicate their land claim areas membership verification cards.
I suspect it is an “end run” around the people out in Labrador, gaining Inuit status.
If ITK will be given (by the Federal Government) the “mandate” to produce global Inuit beneficiary cards, they will surely refuse to produce the cards for the Labradormuit.
Great. Give it a nice reflecting that understands inuit. In a way it helps to put it out. In some places like nunavut, it’s all parts inuit population where it understand IQ, and similarly to today’s culture difference. Help it out,
just go like Alberta 2 in one card healthcare and drivers or identity in 1 card. be 1st and combine 3 status, healthcare and identity. only in Nunavut !
WHY. WHY. AND ONE MORE WHY.how many ID do you really need. Even at that many do not agree . Spelled one way on health card and another way on driver’s license .
if you not truthful in any of your identity cards you are liable for fraud ……
should be all the same in Canada
Yeah, my Health Care Card says my Date of Birth is February 13 but my Government ID and my Birth Certificate says February 14 instead. My late Mom says I was born February 13 but I can’t change my BC because in the records it is the 14th.
That money straight to ITK board members right away. Look at the past budget they collected and how much they get like this $10 million dollars. And no reports or review of how ITK have organized it. And when GN say about the findings for suicide prevention, quitting smokes fundings, and for elders in Nunavut will be first priority when John Main said in speech he did and almost cry during speech. That is how pretenders they are. In one month alone in Arviat, there has three suicide and their all young men early 20’s and John said about the suicide prevention and still dying young people, that means they did not do there work yet. Inuit speak up
We have been waiting 4 years for NTI cards in Kinngait. ITK could plan, initiate and have a operstional program running in that time frame. And we will still be waiting for our cards!
The long running ITK’s executive (more specifically N. O.’s) tango with the Inuit status or not with the mid/southern Labrador natives for certain has much to do with the initiative 😐
N.O is American born Eskimo and doesn’t like it so he rallied to Change one of the most beloved names in football history. Fair and square