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Response to National Inquiry’s Inuit-Specific Calls for Justice
(OTTAWA) June 3, 2021 – Today Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK) released the National Inuit Action Plan on Missing and Murdered Inuit Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People, in response to the 46 Inuit-specific Calls to Justice of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG).
The National Inuit Action Plan addresses the underlying factors that we know contribute to the high prevalence of violence experienced by too many Inuit women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people and their children. These factors include limited access to shelters and other safe spaces, housing shortages in Inuit communities, and limited access to health and wellness services and supports.
Governments and Inuit Land Claims Organizations must lead implementation of the National Inuit Action Plan by utilizing a rights-based approach to implementation. This means that implementation mechanisms must respect and support the distinct rights, status, and jurisdiction of Inuit Land Claims Organizations, as well as the role of Inuit land claims agreements in supporting bilateral partnerships between Inuit and governments.
Actions set out in the Plan are organized into 14 themes that include shelters and housing, justice and policing, health and wellness, as well as economic security. Actions are further broken down into federal-, provincial/territorial- and Inuit-led actions.
The National Inuit Action Plan was developed by the National Inuit Working Group on Missing and Murdered Inuit women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people. The 10-member Working Group was co-chaired by Pauktuutit and ITK. It consisted of representatives from Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., Makivik Corporation, and Nunatsiavut Government. Members also included representatives from the following four community-based organizations: Family and Survivors Circle, Tungasuvvingat Inuit, AnanauKatiget Tumingit, and Saturviit Inuit Women’s Association of Nunavik.
“If we are to end the tragedy of gendered violence, Inuit women must be at the forefront of implementation and monitoring of the National Action Plan for Inuit. This is not a preference – it’s an imperative – consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and the recommendations of the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls,” said Rebecca Kudloo, President of Pauktuutit.
“This National Inuit Action Plan is the product of intense collaboration by Inuit to identify the measures required to create conditions of safety, security and wellbeing for Inuit women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people. ITK is committed to working in partnership with all partners to help support implementation of these actions, and we urge the Government of Canada and provinces and territories to commit funds for their immediate implementation,” said Natan Obed, President of ITK.
The Inuit Working Group was one of 10 Working Groups formed to create the National Action Plan in response to the 231 Calls for Justice in the Final Report of the National Inquiry into MMIWG.
To read the MMIWG Inuit Action Plan, please visit: www.pauktuutit.ca/mmiwg-inuit-action-plan or http://www.itk.ca/mmiwg-inuit-action-plan.
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Media inquiries:
- Susan King, Pauktuutit: 613.724.1518 / sking@pauktuutit.ca
- Patricia D’Souza, ITK: 613.292.4482 / dsouza@itk.ca
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2SLGBTQQIA+ stands for two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex and asexual persons.
Pauktuutit is the national non-profit organization representing all Inuit women in Canada.
Its mission is to foster a greater awareness of the needs of Inuit women, and to encourage their participation in community, regional and national concerns in relation to social, cultural and economic development.
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami is the national representational organization for 65,000 Inuit in Canada, the majority of whom live in Inuit Nunangat, the Inuit homeland encompassing 51 communities across the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Nunavut, Nunavik and Nunatsiavut.