NTI president extols the power of an ‘informed Inuk’ at Kivalliq Trade Show

The world is changing fast, as are interests in the North. There’s pressure to mine Nunavut’s natural resources and to develop infrastructure projects that support Arctic security and sovereignty.

That’s why Inuit need to listen to each other, to their communities and to their youth, says Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. president Gloria Uluqsi.

Big decisions lie ahead about the impacts of future economic activity.

“An informed Inuk is much harder to leave out of a decision that affects them,” Uluqsi said Tuesday in a speech to the Kivalliq Trade Show in Rankin Inlet this week.

She didn’t mention any projects by name. But there has been talk at the trade show about Agnico Eagle Mines’ gold mining and exploration, as well as the four nation-building projects going through the federal government’s Major Projects Office.

Those projects are the Kivalliq Hydro-Fibre Project, the Grays Bay Road and Port Project, a hydroelectricity generator near Iqaluit, and a deepsea port in Qikiqtarjuaq.

Uluqsi leaned into the trade show’s theme — Naalagit, or “Listen” in English. She spoke about what it means to listen and what it means to be heard.

As projects move forward, Inuit need to be heard by government and developers, she said. It has to be a true consultation.

“We need to be involved early enough to really help define the problem, identify the opportunities, consider the risk, and shape the options,” said Uluqsi, a former Government of Nunavut public servant who won the NTI presidency in a May byelection.

“Being asked what we think after the decisions have been made is not meaningful participation.”

NTI advocates for the rights Nunavut Inuit are entitled to under the Nunavut Agreement, and Uluqsi said her organization has a responsibility to ensure Inuit beneficiaries understand those rights.

She also talked about the importance of encouraging young people to have confidence in themselves and about inspiriting Nunavut’s Inuit.

Trade shows are traditionally where businesspeople come together with a goal of making deals with each other. But Uluqsi encouraged participants to do more than exchange business cards and contracts.

She called on participants to exchange knowledge and ideas.

Listening doesn’t always mean agreeing or being liked. But it leads to a better understanding.

“If I understand why you hold your position, and you understand why I hold mine, we have a much better place to begin. That is how relationships are built. That is how trust is built, and that is how better decisions are made.”

The Kivalliq Trade Show ends Wednesday.