October 29, 2020–Ottawa, Ontario
The Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami Annual General Meeting took place by videoconference this week, with participants from all regions of Inuit Nunangat. The videoconference tested the bandwidth limitations of many representatives, spread across multiple time zones from Inuvik and Ulukhaktok in the west to Nain and Postville in the east.
ITK President Natan Obed welcomed participation by members of the ITK Board of Directors, and two delegates from each land claims region. Participants included:
- Duane Smith, Chair and CEO, Inuvialuit Regional Corporation (Inuvik)
- Gerald Inglangasuk, Inuvialuit Regional Corporation delegate (Inuvik)
- Colin Okheena, Inuvialuit Regional Corporation delegate (Ulukhaktok)
- Aluki Kotierk, President, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (Iqaluit)
- Stanley Anablak, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated delegate (Cambridge Bay)
- Clara Evalik, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated delegate (Yellowknife)
- Andy Pirti, Makivik Corporation representative (Kuujjuaraapik)
- Samantha David, Makivik Corporation delegate (Kuujjuaq)
- Liliane Emudluk-Tagoona, Makivik Corporation delegate (Kuujjuaq)
- Johannes Lampe, President, Nunatsiavut Government (Nain)
- Gerald Asivak, Nunatsiavut Government delegate (Goose Bay)
- Tyler Edmunds, Nunatsiavut Government delegate (Postville)
- Crystal Martin-Lapenskie, President, National Inuit Youth Council (Eganville, Ontario)
- Rebecca Kudloo, President, Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada (Baker Lake)
- Lisa Koperqualuk, Inuit Circumpolar Council Canada representative (Montreal)
AGM delegates discussed progress over the last fiscal year (from April 1, 2019 to March 31, 2020), including updates on the implementation of An Act Respecting First Nations, Inuit and Metis Children, Youth and Families, and progress on development of the National Inuit Food Security Strategy, which is a deliverable of ITK’s 2020-2023 Strategy and Action Plan released earlier this year.
Delegates also received updates related to ITK’s coordinated efforts to support regions regarding COVID-19, and on the Inuit Nunangat Research Program (INRP), an initiative funded by ArcticNet and delivered together with ITK and Inuit regions. INRP partner organizations received 30 expressions of interest in response to a call earlier this past summer. A formal call for research proposals opens next week.
Delegates voted to revise the ITK By-laws and Election Procedures, including to change the term of the President to four years from the current three years, beginning with the next scheduled ITK Election in 2021. All Board and AGM resolutions will be available on ITK’s Bylaws and Resolutions page by next week.
They also approved the 2019-2020 Audited Financial Statements, which are published in ITK’s 2019-2020 Annual Report.
This year’s AGM was to have taken place in Nunavik, but delegates were forced to convene virtually due to pandemic-related travel restrictions. Delegates agreed to plan to convene the next ITK AGM in Nunavik in 2021.
The AGM was preceded by an ITK Board of Directors meeting, during which members of the Board discussed the critical importance of infrastructure as well as an Inuit Nunangat Policy to recognize Inuit Nunangat as a distinct geographic, cultural, and political region for the purposes of administering federal programs, services, and initiatives
Clips from this week’s videoconference will be posted to ITK’s Facebook page in the coming weeks.
