That's News To Us

Over the week-end I read in the media that Canada and Denmark have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Arctic Defence, Security, and Operational Cooperation that will allow:

Canada and Denmark to deepen cooperation in our respective Arctic regions, through enhanced consultation, information exchange, visits, and exercises.

One would think that if the Government of Canada was entertaining the idea of entering into agreements with other countries to conduct military exercises in Inuit Nunangat that they would at least mention it to Canadian Inuit. That doesn't seem to be the case, there has been no consultation at the national level.

Inuit have a vested interest in Canadian Arctic Sovereignty, arguably as much or more than other Canadians. This is because international disputes affect lands and waters which are part of our constitutionally protected land claim agreements we have signed with the Crown.

Inuit have lived in the Arctic for thousands of years, we know its lands and waters better than anyone. We are a valuable resource the government of Canada has yet to take advantage of even though we are the first to be impacted when decisions of this nature are made.

That is why we should be included in those discussions and that is why we should have input into those processes before, and not after, the fact - and not be reading about them in online news sources.

Technorati Tags: Inuit Arctic Sovereignty