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Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
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Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (Inuktitut syllabics: ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᑕᐱᕇᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ, meaning "Inuit are united in Canada"), previously known as the Inuit Tapirisat of Canada (Eskimo Brotherhood of Canada), is a nonprofit organization in Canada that represents over 65,000 Inuit across Inuit Nunangat and the rest of Canada. Their mission is to "serve as a national voice protecting and advancing the rights and interests of Inuit in Canada."
Founded in 1971 by Inuit leaders, the organization has gone on to accomplish various Inuit priorities such as assisting in the negotiation of land claims, representing the voice of Inuit and their culture by using television, taking legal action against those who have violated their rights, and creating a programme to improve education for Inuit children. The ITK has sought to attain its goals either in cooperation with various levels of government or in opposition. Altogether, the ITK looks to advocate on the behalf of Inuit in Canada. The contributions of the ITK led to the creation of Nunavut.
Before European contact, the Inuit would choose leaders based on their survival skills with this role usually falling to the oldest male, but decisions were generally made via a group consensus. As interest in Canada's north increased there came further development. This development led to an increase of non-Inuit in northern Canada. These southern Canadians occupied the federal and territorial civil services along with the main industries present in the north. These positions required a western education which favoured the southern Canadians over the Inuit. As more and more southern Canadians came north they demanded consumer goods which made Inuit knowledge and survival skills less needed for the survival of southern Canadians in the north. This contributed to an inequality between the Inuit and non-Inuit, both socially and economically, in the north.
By the 1960s, there was a push to incorporate the Inuit into the political system and civil service. Such examples include the Government of the Northwest Territories, regional councils, and town/hamlet councils. A particular strong example of this was the Baffin Regional Council which was primarily administered by Inuit. Despite these efforts, the Inuit had concerns over a lack of autonomy, assimilative policies, and growing restrictions on traditional lands. In 1969, the White Paper was introduced which sought to terminate aboriginal status under the Indian Act and assimilate indigenous peoples. Based on these concerns and events the will for an Inuit political organization grew.
Concerns, such as the lack of Inuit autonomy, were shared by the Indian-Eskimo Association (IEA). The IEA were a group of southern Canadian educators, church leaders, and civil servants who advocated and promoted issues related to First Nations and Inuit. The IEA worked towards enabling indigenous peoples to advocate for their own goals. Using the IEA's public support and funding they helped facilitate the founding of an Inuit organization: the Inuit Tapirisat of Canada (ITC). In 1970, the IEA sponsored a meeting in Coppermine (now Kugluktuk) for the Inuit from across Canada's Arctic to talk of matters of mutual concern. From this meeting a telegram was created and sent to then Prime Minister Trudeau asking for the recognition of indigenous land rights in the north. This was this first instance of such a collective message being sent to the Federal government by the Inuit.
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, then known as the Inuit Tapirisat of Canada (ITC), was founded in 1971 by seven Inuit community leaders, who were attending an IEA meeting in Toronto. The leaders attending this first meeting were Noah Qumak, Jacob Oweetaluktuk, Celestino Makpah, Josiah Kadlusiak, Ipeele KìLabuk, Tagak Curley, and Mary Cousins. The decision to form a national Inuit organization was made to lobby the Government of Canada through a united voice regarding the "status of land and resource ownership in Inuit Nunangat" and to increase their autonomy. As potential projects, such as the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline and the James Bay Project, began to threaten the Inuit Nunangat, leaders decided to take action. Inuit Nunangat is currently made up of four regions: the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (northern Northwest Territories and Yukon), Nunavut, Nunavik (northern Quebec) and Nunatsiavut (northern Labrador). Inuit culture has remained resilient across Inuit Nunangat, as an estimate of 60% of the population continue to speak Inuktut (the collective name for several Inuit languages and dialects), and access traditional foods through the hunting of marine mammals and caribou. ITK represents 51 communities and the 65,000 Inuit residing in Inuit Nunangat. The creation of political organizations such as the ITK and Committee for Original Peoples' Entitlement (COPE), led to the creation of 5 more organizations to represent Inuit. These organizations include the Northern Quebec Inuit Association (NQIA), which was founded in 1971; the Labrador Inuit Association (LIA), which was founded in 1973; the Kitikmeot Inuit Association, the Keewatin (now Kivalliq) Inuit Association, and the Baffin Regional (now Qikiqtani) Inuit Association all founded in the mid-1970s.
Later that year in Ottawa, Ontario the first conference was held and ITK has been headquartered out of Ottawa since 1972.
In 2001, the Inuit Tapirisat of Canada ("Inuit will be united") changed its name to Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, meaning "Inuit are united in Canada". The name was changed after the signing of the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement-in-Principle (AIP). The Government of Canada and Labrador Inuit Association gathered to sign a land claims agreement, which reinforced Inuit title to their land and increased their self-sufficiency in their communities.
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Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (Inuktitut syllabics: ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᑕᐱᕇᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ, meaning "Inuit are united in Canada"), previously known as the Inuit Tapirisat of Canada (Eskimo Brotherhood of Canada), is a nonprofit organization in Canada that represents over 65,000 Inuit across Inuit Nunangat and the rest of Canada. Their mission is to "serve as a national voice protecting and advancing the rights and interests of Inuit in Canada."
Founded in 1971 by Inuit leaders, the organization has gone on to accomplish various Inuit priorities such as assisting in the negotiation of land claims, representing the voice of Inuit and their culture by using television, taking legal action against those who have violated their rights, and creating a programme to improve education for Inuit children. The ITK has sought to attain its goals either in cooperation with various levels of government or in opposition. Altogether, the ITK looks to advocate on the behalf of Inuit in Canada. The contributions of the ITK led to the creation of Nunavut.
Before European contact, the Inuit would choose leaders based on their survival skills with this role usually falling to the oldest male, but decisions were generally made via a group consensus. As interest in Canada's north increased there came further development. This development led to an increase of non-Inuit in northern Canada. These southern Canadians occupied the federal and territorial civil services along with the main industries present in the north. These positions required a western education which favoured the southern Canadians over the Inuit. As more and more southern Canadians came north they demanded consumer goods which made Inuit knowledge and survival skills less needed for the survival of southern Canadians in the north. This contributed to an inequality between the Inuit and non-Inuit, both socially and economically, in the north.
By the 1960s, there was a push to incorporate the Inuit into the political system and civil service. Such examples include the Government of the Northwest Territories, regional councils, and town/hamlet councils. A particular strong example of this was the Baffin Regional Council which was primarily administered by Inuit. Despite these efforts, the Inuit had concerns over a lack of autonomy, assimilative policies, and growing restrictions on traditional lands. In 1969, the White Paper was introduced which sought to terminate aboriginal status under the Indian Act and assimilate indigenous peoples. Based on these concerns and events the will for an Inuit political organization grew.
Concerns, such as the lack of Inuit autonomy, were shared by the Indian-Eskimo Association (IEA). The IEA were a group of southern Canadian educators, church leaders, and civil servants who advocated and promoted issues related to First Nations and Inuit. The IEA worked towards enabling indigenous peoples to advocate for their own goals. Using the IEA's public support and funding they helped facilitate the founding of an Inuit organization: the Inuit Tapirisat of Canada (ITC). In 1970, the IEA sponsored a meeting in Coppermine (now Kugluktuk) for the Inuit from across Canada's Arctic to talk of matters of mutual concern. From this meeting a telegram was created and sent to then Prime Minister Trudeau asking for the recognition of indigenous land rights in the north. This was this first instance of such a collective message being sent to the Federal government by the Inuit.
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, then known as the Inuit Tapirisat of Canada (ITC), was founded in 1971 by seven Inuit community leaders, who were attending an IEA meeting in Toronto. The leaders attending this first meeting were Noah Qumak, Jacob Oweetaluktuk, Celestino Makpah, Josiah Kadlusiak, Ipeele KìLabuk, Tagak Curley, and Mary Cousins. The decision to form a national Inuit organization was made to lobby the Government of Canada through a united voice regarding the "status of land and resource ownership in Inuit Nunangat" and to increase their autonomy. As potential projects, such as the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline and the James Bay Project, began to threaten the Inuit Nunangat, leaders decided to take action. Inuit Nunangat is currently made up of four regions: the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (northern Northwest Territories and Yukon), Nunavut, Nunavik (northern Quebec) and Nunatsiavut (northern Labrador). Inuit culture has remained resilient across Inuit Nunangat, as an estimate of 60% of the population continue to speak Inuktut (the collective name for several Inuit languages and dialects), and access traditional foods through the hunting of marine mammals and caribou. ITK represents 51 communities and the 65,000 Inuit residing in Inuit Nunangat. The creation of political organizations such as the ITK and Committee for Original Peoples' Entitlement (COPE), led to the creation of 5 more organizations to represent Inuit. These organizations include the Northern Quebec Inuit Association (NQIA), which was founded in 1971; the Labrador Inuit Association (LIA), which was founded in 1973; the Kitikmeot Inuit Association, the Keewatin (now Kivalliq) Inuit Association, and the Baffin Regional (now Qikiqtani) Inuit Association all founded in the mid-1970s.
Later that year in Ottawa, Ontario the first conference was held and ITK has been headquartered out of Ottawa since 1972.
In 2001, the Inuit Tapirisat of Canada ("Inuit will be united") changed its name to Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, meaning "Inuit are united in Canada". The name was changed after the signing of the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement-in-Principle (AIP). The Government of Canada and Labrador Inuit Association gathered to sign a land claims agreement, which reinforced Inuit title to their land and increased their self-sufficiency in their communities.