National Inuit Leader Issues Call to Action on Canadian Confederation

November 3, 2009 - Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island - Canada must show leadership and work with the rest of world to make real and reliable commitments to combat climate change, approach policy making for the Arctic around the idea of a core partnership relationship with Inuit and sign on to the 2007 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People.

Those were among National Inuit Leader Mary Simon’s six calls to action today to strengthen the position and enhance the well being of Inuit in Canada. Her remarks were part of the Symons Lecture on the State of Canadian Confederation in Charlottetown, PEI.

 

Eradicating the gaps in education, health and housing standards that exist between Inuit and all other Canadians, acknowledging the central importance of Inuit use and occupation of Arctic lands and waters and building partnerships based on trust rounded out her recommendations for making Inuit fulsome participants in Canadian Confederation.

The Symons Lecture was established in 2004 to mark the 40th anniversary of the 1964 opening of Charlottetown’s Confederation Centre of the Arts, a national memorial to the Fathers of Confederation who met in Charlottetown in 1864.

 

The annual lecture provides a national platform for Canadians distinguished in public life and public discourse to comment upon the state of the Canadian confederation, as well as an occasion for Canadians to consider major questions that may confront us.

 

In addition to delivering the annual Symons lecture, Simon, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the national Inuit organization, also received the Symons medal, calling it “an honour to receive such a work of art in a venue dedicated to arts and Canadian creativity.”

Full text of the lecture is available at www.itk.ca. To view a video recording, please visit www.confederationcentre.com or www.isuma.tv.

 

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Contact:

Patricia D’Souza

Communications Officer
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
dsouza@itk.ca

(613) 292-4482