Inuit youth to gather in Inuvik, elect new president of national organization

June 15, 2010 – Ottawa, Ontario – Inuit youth from across Canada will gather in Inuvik, Northwest Territories later this summer for a National Inuit Youth Summit.

The Summit, to be held August 16-20, 2010, is an opportunity for youth to develop leadership skills and set out the key priorities of the National Inuit Youth Council (NIYC), which is made up of youth representatives from land claim organizations in Nunatisavut, Nunavik and the Inuvialuit Settlement Region of the Northwest Territories, as well as the three regional land claims organizations of Nunavut.

“The summit gives Inuit youth the opportunity to participate fully and to be engaged in the issues that most directly affect them, and create solutions for youth by youth,” said Jesse Mike, interim president of NIYC.

The Summit will also provide a forum for NIYC members to elect their next president, who will serve a two-year term as the national spokesperson for Inuit youth and as a member of the board of directors of Inuit Tapiriit Katatami.

Candidates for president must be between the ages of 18 and 28 and must submit their names in writing along with the signatures of 10 other Inuit youth who support their candidacy. Nominations for president will be accepted until July 3. Visit www.niyc.ca for details.

Organizers are also seeking expressions of interest from workshop facilitators interested in leading discussions on topics ranging from Inuit history and the Inuit language to public speaking and computer animation.

The first National Inuit Youth Summit was held in Kuujjuaq, Quebec, in November 1994. The conference was an important stepping stone in creating a national voice for Inuit youth and marked the creation of NIYC.

The 65 delegates discussed how education systems in the Arctic can be made more relevant to Inuit youth, as well as Inuit participation in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Since then, many regions have gone on to develop innovative youth programs, including cultural camps, during which elders share skills they developed growing up on the land.

In the 16 years that have passed, Inuit youth have developed a strong voice in their parent organizations and have become empowered to advocate for change.

“It is at the Summit where incumbent NIYC members pass on knowledge and responsibilities to the younger members to maintain the forward movement toward a better life for Inuit youth,” said Mike.

For more information:
Patricia D’Souza, communications officer, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
613/292-4482; dsouza@itk.ca