ITK meets in Tuktoyaktuk

Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami held its annual general meeting this week in Tuktoyaktuk in the Northwest Territories.

At the meeting, the ITK board of directors, comprised of representatives from all regional Inuit associations, heard about the organization’s vision for its future.

In the annual report, ITK president Jose Kusugak said Inuit need to start looking forward to a new phase, now that Inuit land claims have been settled — or will be shortly — in all the Inuit regions of Canada.

“We also believe it is time the government of Canada confirms its commitment to Inuit,” Kusugak said in his address.

Kusugak said ITK wants recognition as the national voice of Inuit on health, environmental and socio-economic issues.

At the same time, it will need money to develop and implement its “Inuit Action Plan.”

Among other proposals, ITK would like to form a Pan-Arctic Indigenous Climate Change Coordinating Committee.