We Still Have A Lot Of Work To Do

Submitted by Mary Simon on Wed, 2009-07-08 10:23

I was quite surprised to learn, so soon after the 10th anniversary of the creation of Nunavut, that a recent Canada Press / Harris Decima poll referenced in an online news article found that as many as 58% of Canadians are unaware that Canada now has three territories.

How can this be?

The newest Canadian Territory, Nunavut (an Inuktitut word that means “our land”), came into being on April 1, 1999 and at that time the map of Canada changed for the first time since Newfoundland and Labrador joined Confederation on March 31st, 1949.

Nunavut covers an area 1,994,000 sq/km in size and makes up 20% of Canada’s land mass. It was created as a result of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement – the largest comprehensive land claim agreement ever signed by the Government of Canada with any Aboriginal people.

10 years after this historic event took place how can change of that magnitude not be common knowledge?

On October 23, 2006, at the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa, I launched a cross Canada speaking tour to raise awareness of our people, our lands, and our issues. Since then I have visited, at least once, every province in Canada and spoken to different audiences about Inuit issues, those discussions included Nunavut. In addition to the speaking tour I have, during my first term as President of ITK, participated in a great many media interviews on various topics that included Nunavut and the Inuit who live there.

Yet, if the Canadian Press / Harris Decmia poll is accurate, only 42% of Canadians know that there are now three territories instead of two, and shows that we still have a lot of work to do.

As I begin my second term as ITK President this is information that I will not only be very mindful of but will seek to change so that next year at this time, when the Canada Day polls and surveys are completed, the number of Canadians who are better informed about the Inuit homeland is greater than it is today.