March 8, 2016 — President Natan Obed today released Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami’s Strategy and Action Plan, which is built around a renewed Inuit-Crown relationship and communicates ITK’s work and major projects in the area of housing, suicide prevention, education, climate change, research and language.
“This plan is an essential tool that we will use to measure and share our progress in achieving ITK’s vision of an Inuit society that is prospering through unity and self-determination,” said Obed.
“It defines seven objectives that will form the foundation of our work over the next three years. These ITK objectives and the actions that will help us achieve them have been developed in partnership with the four Inuit land claim organizations and also reflect the priority areas I have identified as essential to demonstrate success in my three-year mandate.”
The seven objectives of the plan are: taking action to prevent suicide among Inuit, improving access to appropriate and affordable housing in Inuit Nunangat, working toward reconciliation, supporting Inuit self-determination in education, protecting the Inuit Nunangat environment, strengthening Inuit self-determination in research, and enhancing the health and wellbeing of Inuit families and communities.
The plan outlines deliverables in each of these policy areas, including a National Inuit Suicide Prevention Strategy in Summer 2016 and an action plan to evaluate and monitor implementation of the National Strategy on Inuit Education in Fall 2016.
ITK advocates for policies at the federal level that reflect the needs of Inuit communities and that contribute to the health and wellbeing of our people in five main ways. As the national Inuit representational organization, ITK represents Inuit in our relationship with the Crown. ITK carries out and supports research that helps ensure that federal agencies, lawmakers and other stakeholders are informed about the issues we care about, and that policies affecting Inuit are effective and based on evidence.
ITK provides guidance to federal agencies, lawmakers and other stakeholders on social and cultural policy. ITK also educates Canadians about Inuit priorities and concerns by creating resources that foster understanding and support for the work Inuit are carrying out at various levels of government. Finally, ITK contributes to a shared sense of political and cultural identity among Inuit.
Our Vision: Canadian Inuit are prospering through unity and self-determination
Our Mission: Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami is the national voice for protecting and advancing the rights and interests of Inuit in Canada
