December 14, 2021 – Ottawa, Ontario
The Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami Board of Directors met at the Shaw Convention Centre in Ottawa, as well as virtually, December 13 and 14, following a gathering with federal Ministers as part of the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee.
Board members discussed key files that have been at the heart of ITK’s work this year. In an ongoing effort to keep Inuit safe from COVID-19, the Board advocated for continued collaboration between federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen vaccine coverage. ITK leadership continues to advocate for an Inuit-specific approach to the national travel vaccine mandate.
Board Members heard updates on:
- Work to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. ITK has indicated that this should be distinctions based and serve as a roadmap for implementing section 5, which obligates the government to align Canadian laws with UNDRIP.
- ITK’s Inuktut Costing Model, a funding forecast for implementing language programs across Inuit Nunangat for up to the next 15 years
- ITK’s mid-term review of the Inuit Child First Initiative. Since 2019, the program has funded about $80 million in products and services across Inuit Nunangat. It is an interim step towards the development of a sustainable model to ensure substantive equality for Inuit children.
- The creation of an Inuit Data Strategy and work to improve Inuit data capacity, an initiative that received $4 million in Budget 2021.
At the conclusion of this week’s meeting, ITK board members met with Governor General Mary May Simon at Rideau Hall – the first formal engagement of the Inuit leaders with the Governor General since her installment earlier this year.
