April 6, 2021 – Ottawa, Ontario
The ITK Board of Directors met virtually last week and passed a resolution to endorse Bill C-15 An Act respecting the United Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, as well as proposed amendments to strengthen the legislation through the inclusion of an independent oversight and enforcement mechanism as part of an action plan to achieve the objectives of the Declaration.
Through the resolution, Inuit continue to call for the establishment of an Indigenous Human Rights Commission, starting with a federal strategy to outline the mandate, resources, procedure and time frame to create the office, and legislative mechanisms to create an advisory committee to inform distinctions-based appointments to the Indigneous Human Rights Commission.
Members of the Board of Directors also approved the following measures to advance work at the national level:
- A funding allocation model for the Inuit Post Secondary Education Strategy for fiscal years 2021-22 to 2025-26, in line with the ITK General Regional Allocation Funding Formula.
- A process for Inuit engagement and co-development of federal distinctions-based Indigenous health legislation, and approval of a funding model for this work.
- The Inuit Nunangat Food Security Strategy, which will now enter the final editing, design and translation stage in preparation for release.
- Creation of an interim Urban Inuit Task Force with the mandate to produce targeted research and statistics relating to Inuit living outside Inuit Nunangat, with each of the four Inuit regions appointing two members and one member from ITK.
The board welcomed Aluki Kotierk following her re-election as President of Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, and Pita Aatami who was elected President of Makivik Corporation in February. Aatami was also named ITK’s Secretary Treasurer. Board members also bid farewell to Crystal Martin-Lapenskie, President of the National Inuit Youth Council, who is completing her term this year.
