Nunavut government, NTI sign co-operation pact

MICHAELA RODRIGUE

IQALUIT — Nunavut Premier Paul Okalik and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. President Jose Kusugak have inked a deal outlining how and when the bodies they head will work together.

Signed last week during NTI’s annual general meeting, the Clyde River Protocol governs working relations between Nunavut’s public government and the Inuit organization that’s supposed to implement the Nunavut land claims agreement.

The agreement says the two bodies will make a list of priority projects and strategies by March 1, 2000.

The agreement also says the two groups will work together on issues including:

The implementation of the Nunavut land claims agreement;
Hunter income support and income support programs in general;
Mineral rights;
Economic development; and
Protection of the Inuit language.
The agreement also says that the premier of Nunavut and the president of NTI will meet when necessary.

The deputy minister of Nunavut’s Department of the Executive and NTI’s executive director are expected to meet every three months and working groups can be created to work on certain issues.

NTI president Kusugak said the agreement will help Inuit.

“It accomplishes a lot for Inuit. It gives direction to different ministries and NTI that we are working for the same people,” Kusugak said.

He said the agreement doesn’t mean the two groups won’t continue to debate or argue. But it should give NTI a role when government policy is developed.

“Consultation means before they [the Nunavut government] write up reports that they actually talk to us.”

Okalik said the two groups already do work together on implementing Article 24 and issues like the turbot quota.

The two groups will also work together to draft the government’s new business incentive policy, the housing crisis and the drafting of a new Nunavut education act.

The Nunavut government represents Inuit and non-Inuit alike, but Okalik said it will benefit the entire territory if Inuit unemployment is reduced.

“Our effort is to change Inuit unemployment, that will help Nunavut as a whole.”