A Northern Strategy Map Excludes Several Inuit Communities

I listened with interest yesterday to the announcement of the federal government’s Northern Strategy. This package of policy objectives directed at addressing sovereignty, social issues, economic development and the environment contains many initiatives that have been announced previously, however now they are in a consolidated package.

I take note, however of a map titled “Canada’s North” on pages 6-7 in the document, which effectively excludes the Inuit communities in Nunavik (northern Quebec) where I am from, and the Inuit communities in Nunatsiavut (Labrador).

Nunavik, which is governed by the province of Quebec, and Nunatsiavut, which falls under the jurisdiction of Newfoundland and Labrador, are both located on the northern edge of the treeline, surrounded by permafrost and sea ice. They are inhabited by Inuit and are undeniably Arctic regions.

They face the same urgent social problems, the same environmental impacts of climate change and the same hopes for economic development as Inuit residing in the territories.

The map graphically illustrates how Inuit view the Arctic, and how Ottawa sees the Arctic. Inuit view the Arctic as “Inuit Nunangat” containing all of our four Inuit regions. The government of Canada views the Arctic in terms of political jurisdictions contained in the three territories: Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, and the Yukon. This view effectively leaves out the Inuit who live in the northern parts of two provinces: Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador.

This map should be updated to truly reflect “Canada’s North” in Canada’s Northern Strategy.

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