Arctic sovereignty has been a hot topic in Canadian media. However, the media often misses the complexities of the issue, a problem that served as motivation for a recent cross country tour for Mary Simon, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK) President and member of Board of Governors for UArctic. President Simon has embarked on a cross Canada speaking tour entitled “Inuit and the Canadian Arctic: Sovereignty Begins at Home”.
President
Simon was at the
University of Saskatchewan on November 15 for a speaking engagement hosted by the University of the Arctic and the
University of Saskatchewan.
She delivered a powerful speech about the Arctic and the Inuit’s tie to the land. Through this speech Simon conveyed strong messages about the Arctic including the Arctic is a region of Canada whose time has come, that sovereignty begins at home and finally the key to sustainable policies and development is constructive partnerships.
President Simon put forward Canada’s Arctic as a vital region of Canada, and while there is a place for military and legal measures for sovereignty, it is just as essential to ensure that the Inuit people who call the North home are included and are part of any sovereignty process. President Simon elaborated that utilizing and including Indigenous knowledge is something that would serve as benefit for all Canadians by ensuring a sovereign North. President Simon encouraged a balanced approach to addressing all issues, including environment, social and economic issues, that Northerners face is required. She cautioned listeners that policies which simply concentrate on military and legal measures contributes to the stereotype that the North is barren. Simon emphasized that a collaborative and consultative process with its Indigenous residents must be undertaken.
President Simon is an Inuit woman from Nunavik (Northern Quebec). She has spent much of her life towards gaining further recognition of Aboriginal rights and promoting the study of Northern affairs. Some of her professional achievements include Ambassador for Circumpolar Affairs (1994-2003), Canadian Ambassador to Denmark (1999-2001) concurrently during her Circumpolar position. Ms. Simon was the Chancellor of Trent
