Inuit leaders to meet Carney, ministers amid growing tensions over Arctic

Inuit leaders are set to meet with Prime Minister Mark Carney and six federal ministers in Kuujjuaq, Quebec, for the latest Inuit-to-Crown partnership committee meeting. However, some observers note discernible tension between the two sides, a sentiment amplified by recent statements from Inuit leadership.

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I would think that the federal government going to the meeting on Tuesday would have their backs up a little bit.

The Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK), representing Canada's Inuit, recently hosted an Arctic sovereignty forum. The forum concluded with a call for the federal government to improve its partnership and an ITK rejection of "outdated, colonial approaches to Arctic policy that repeat Canada’s past mistakes of marginalizing" Inuit. ITK President Natan Obed stated that if the relationship with Ottawa becomes unworkable, Inuit could seek international partnerships.

Former MP Peter Ittinuar, the first Inuk elected to the House of Commons, called Obed's comments "ill-timed" and "ill-advised," suggesting Obed and Carney lack the rapport Obed had with former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Obed, however, maintained that the relationship with Ottawa remains positive and his statement was not a threat.

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outdated, colonial approaches to Arctic policy that repeat Canada’s past mistakes of marginalizing

Sima Sahar Zerehi, CEO of Arctic Opportunities Group, noted a "very large shift" in how Ottawa involves Inuit in decisions affecting their territory under Carney. She stated that failing to include Inuit in decision-making would be detrimental to Canada's Arctic sovereignty and security. Zerehi acknowledged that while not consulting Inuit is a "mistake," the Carney government's continued engagement with the Inuit-to-Crown partnership committee is significant.

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I think it was ill-advised of Natan to make those kinds of comments.

The committee meets three times a year, with the Prime Minister typically attending one session. This meeting includes Energy Minister Tim Hodgson, Defence Minister David McGuinty, Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree, Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Rebecca Alty, Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty, and Northern Affairs Minister Rebecca Chartrand. Obed indicated that under Carney, Ottawa is reverting to a model of closer collaboration with territorial governments.

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a very large shift