Media Enquiries: Stephen Hendrie, Director of Communications, Tel: 613.277.3178, hendrie@itk.ca
President's Speech
"How Many Cooks in the Policymaking Kitchen?"
Submitted by hendrie on Friday, March 27, 2009
Opening Remarks
Mary Simon
President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
Panel Session:
“How Many Cooks in the Policy-Making Kitchen”
Conference:
Policy in Crisis? Understanding Policy-Making in Canada
McGill University
Montreal, March 27, 2009
I would like to begin by thanking Professor Maioni and the Institute for the invitation to attend this conference and to take part in this panel.
I note that this is the 14th annual policy conference of this kind, and I commend both the Institute and McGill University for sponsoring this very valuable and on-going contribution to public policy making in Canada.
In linking with the theme of this conference and the analogy being used today, I would like to start by saying that as an individual, I do see myself as a unique recipe of sorts.
Although I do not usually describe myself as a cook book item, I am a recipe of human experiences and knowledge; cultural ancestry and language; significant historical background; important geographical origin; and evolving social, political, environmental, and economic circumstances.
I top this recipe off with a deep sense that I, as a human actor, am absolutely privileged and thankful for witnessing and participating in key moments of this country’s journey toward a life of political, social, and economic improvements and better cross-cultural understanding.
During the period between my childhood growing up in the Arctic among my fellow Inuit, to today, where, for example, I’ve had the unique opportunity to represent Inuit during the Parliament of Canada’s apology for its Residential School era, I have gained a very broad perspective, and it’s certainly a humbling experience.
I do have an appreciation for being able to connect the proverbial dots over this significant period of time in our peoples recent history—which only took place within the last century—and like that moment in Parliament, the experience can also feel like it took place all within a heartbeat. Perhaps there is some element of healing that is taking place.
At times I find myself unraveling the poignancy of this experience and of that historic day in the House of Commons and before a nation of citizens watching it happen on their TV screens.
It blows me away to think about it.
And as a societal actor, as an Inuk, as a national leader, and a policy advocate, this type of experience fuels my spirit, my vision, my belief and assurance that I have all the ingredients, along with my people, to continue to contribute to this nation’s policy-making kitchen and the nation-building that in many ways for us is just starting, but with more to come.
I am excited, yet grounded.
This speaks to my belief that Canada’s Inuit, and other Aboriginal peoples, must be guaranteed a significant place in this country’s policy making process—it is a principled view that is steeped in our cultural and traditional belief systems and which is connected to our prior and long standing use and occupation of our traditional homelands.
For Inuit across Arctic Canada, we refer to this particular homeland as Inuit Nunaat that is inclusive of the territories which Inuit occupy in the Inuvialuit, Nunavut, Nunavik, and Nunatsiavut regions.
We are an intrinsic part of the land that is Canada, and no one else who is not indigenous to this land can make the same claim.
We are an indelible feature of this country and it is up to the policy and nation-building process of Canada to ensure that we are a positive and foundational part of this country’s decision making institutions.
Although we have been told that Canada was created in 1867 by the Fathers of Confederation, Indigenous experiences have not shared in this history, and Indigenous perspectives do not share this history. This has been most unfortunate.
In fact, Inuit presence in the political and policy life of this country has only really come gradually into view over the past 40 or 50 years, despite the fact that Inuit have been inhabitants of the Arctic regions for thousands of years.
It wasn’t until the era of modern Land Claims Agreements and the inclusion of Inuit under Section 35 of Canada’s repatriated Constitution in 1982 that our people finally came to public and political light.
From an original call to unifying our political voices as Inuit in Canada at the beginning of the 1970s, Inuit have been successful in finalizing nation-building and policy-significant land claims agreements throughout the past 35 years, with the final land claim wrapped up in Labrador in 2005.
Land Claims however are not the final chapter in our story to become a part of the Canada as a people and contributors to its development. While we still face the important task of implementing the agreements with signatories such as the Federal Crown, there are more issues that need addressing that current land claims are unable to address on their own.
I truly believe that it is a matter of Canada’s public policy processes and institutions to understand and help tackle the growing crises and gaps that undermine our abilities to achieve greater things and to improve our overall well-being.
Our most troubling gaps, by national comparisons between Inuit and other Canadians, are starkly illustrated in physical and mental health care, housing, childcare, youth suicide, unemployment, and educational indicators.
These gaps are so real as to be surreal in a developed country such as Canada. The growing crises in suicides and chronic diseases alone are enough to stop a community’s development in its tracks.
The additional stressors of unemployment, economic hardships, overcrowding, alcohol and drug abuse, violence, and incarceration mount every year.
I believe that among other levers, public policy in Canada must think and act creatively and innovatively in dealing with such extraordinary conditions that exist in our communities.
A big part of my challenge is communicating these conditions to the policy community—conditions that are more than likely out of sight and out of mind from the centers and mainstreams of policy thinking and policy making in Canada.
As Inuit, this is our unique challenge, and unique challenges demand unique approaches, new frames of thinking, a branching out of the mainstream policy processes to the periphery were there are fellow human beings, fellow Canadians, who require attention and should not be marginalized because they appear to be on the margins.
Over the years, Inuit have held many policy related conferences, meetings, and forums. We’ve met with Federal Ministers, Prime Ministers, and presented before Parliamentary Standing Committees directly and have engaged in policy development processes that involve Federal, Provincial and Territorial jurisdictions. We’ve written many position papers from specific to broad.
We are certainly cognizant of some of the pressures and realities that exist within the political framework of this country that in many instances prevents our policy concerns and recommendations from fully going forward and making a difference for both Canada and for Inuit.
If the past 3 or 4 years is any indication, I would put forth the opinion that no matter how well your recipe for a new policy has been designed and backed up with all the statistics, arguments, needs, priorities, and budgets—our national political climate has become so fickle and unpredictable that it’s difficult to tell from the kitchen as to what recipe will be ordered on the menu from those decision-makers sitting out there at the tables who may be bickering and wondering if they should spend any money.
It is difficult to predict how the economic recession will affect the policy process in general. Will it become more difficult or impossible to engage meaningfully? Will certain cliques or policy communities become more favoured than others in the struggle for national attention and fiscal provision?
While we certainly see some degree of desperation going on, Inuit are a very patient people. Like the hunter who stands above a seal hole on the ice for many hours on end in extreme subzero temperatures, with harpoon in hand, and hopes for providing for the family, I have inherited this sense of patience and understanding.
However, as a national leader and a policy advocate who works outside of government and represents the original inhabitants of this country’s Arctic, I will not stand for very long when our people are seeking a way in and a way forward in the public policy world. I will continue to act with practical solutions and achievements in mind that are most relevant to what we need in our communities.
From the perspective of our lives in the Arctic, the fast paced world of today can make for some very fast food, disposable policy, and unhealthy choices.
The quicker this world pushes, decides, and changes, the more unhealthy the recipes for Inuit. We have to keep pace, but our pace is specific to the North and there are many sensitivities in the north that have to be kept in mind, such as our culture, our language, and the state of our natural environment and natural food sources.
As an Inuk leader of today, and a policy advocate that looks to tomorrow, I thank you for the time you’ve given me to deliver my message to you.
Nakurmiik
