Urban Inuit will unite through own national committee

Inuit living in seven Canadian cities will form a national committee to help find ways of better serving the needs of Canada’s diverse population of urban Inuit.

Mary Simon, the facilitator for a gathering of urban Inuit held in Ottawa on Oct. 26 and 27, said this was one major outcome of the meeting, which attracted people from St. John’s, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Yellowknife, along with several others who came on their own.

Members of the committee have yet to be named, because they’re still seeking funding for a get-together, she said.

At the same time, Tungasuvvingat Inuit, the Ottawa-based Inuit organization that provides a wide range of services to Inuit in Ottawa and Ontario, will offer advice to Inuit groups in other cities who want to start similar organizations and programs on behalf of their communities.

Simon said delegates at the meeting brought a long list of issues with them, including the following:

Homelessness: Although no one has been able to gather precise numbers, front-line workers say growing numbers of Inuit, often suffering from severe addictions, are living on the streets of cities like Ottawa and Montreal.
The undercounting of urban Inuit: Statistics Canada, in its 2001 census, probably missed large numbers of Inuit living in the South, and their official numbers are far too low. Simon says this must be corrected before the next census in 2006, because government agencies won’t fund programs without hard numbers.
The denial of numerous benefits available to land claim beneficiaries living in the North: Simon says this is an “emotional issue” for many urban Inuit. “They feel that it is not right for them to be left out of their land claims organizations,” Simon says. For example, after 10 years of residency in the South, many James Bay beneficiaries lose eligibility for benefits offered by the Makivik Corp.
Clashes with provincial child protection workers: numerous Inuit families in the South have seen their children removed by social workers who don’t understand Inuit culture.
Lack of access to urban aboriginal funding programs for Inuit-specific projects: Simon said the federal government’s National Urban Aboriginal Strategy provides money for people living in cities, but that most of it goes to First Nations or Métis.
She said Canada’s urban Inuit are a diverse group with diverse needs — and that even those who are financially secure have needs that are not being met.

“It’s not all about homeless people who live in the street, it’s about better services for Inuit,” she said.

For example, she said a group in Montreal wants support for an Inuit daycare, while Inuit in other cities want access to economic development funding to help them start or expand businesses.

Simon said she’ll likely finish her report on the gathering, with her recommendations, in about a month.
For more information about Tungasuvvingat Inuit, go to www.ontarioinuit.ca.