Human Resources committee  Our funding is not adequate. I wish I could be more informed for you, but we haven't had a working relationship with Justice Canada or Public Safety Canada for a number of years at this moment. We're not a service delivery organization. We work nationally. One thing we're very good at is communicating and developing plain language resources in English and Inuktitut that, hopefully, people across the Arctic can use.

Human Resources committee  There's extremely limited access to justice in the communities. Nunavut is primarily served by the circuit court system, so that's a major obstacle to access to justice, for not only women. There's a shortage of judges in Nunavut who are able to hear and dispense of cases. There are some really fundamental issues around access to justice across Inuit Nunangat.

Human Resources committee  They're a start. We're only a year past the election. You know, it takes time. It took time for Minister Philpott to work with partners including the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami. It took time for her to work with those partners to develop the national Inuit suicide prevention initiative.

Human Resources committee  My answer would be that I'm not a clinician, and that there are other experts who would be more than happy to speak with you.

Human Resources committee  Thank you for that very specific question. We hope the federal government will continue working with us, because unfortunately, as of March 31 next year, 20-plus years of Pauktuutit Inuit-specific work on HIV and sexual health will come to an end. We're trying to hold discussions with Health Canada and other officials.

Human Resources committee  Thank you for your question. I must bring up the recent investment of the federal government in suicide prevention for the Inuit. It was very welcome and long overdue. It was a three-year commitment for, I believe, a total of $9 million. I know the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami is working actively with the four regions across the Arctic to, in some cases, enhance what may be available or to start delivering new programs, dependent on the priorities and needs of those communities and regions.

Human Resources committee  I think we need more time to assess that.

Human Resources committee  The recent Inuit suicide prevention initiative is a great start. I know mental health has been identified by the Inuit regions as the number one priority for a number of years, but there hasn't been an investment of resources to develop programs. We need to look at innovative ways of delivering services.

Human Resources committee  Thank you for your question. Anecdotally, I think we have a good understanding of some of the gender elements of these rates of suicide. We need evidence. We don't have evidence. It's very hard in any culture and in any country to gather evidence around the incidence of child sexual abuse.

Human Resources committee  I appreciate your question. Thank you.

Human Resources committee  Thank you. I welcome the opportunity. We didn't have a lot of time to prepare to be with you today, but when we were talking yesterday about what we wanted to bring forward, we did talk about individuals building sustainable livelihoods according to their own measure of success, and that success is not necessarily monetary.

Human Resources committee  It can be parenting, raising children, and contributing to the wellness of the community and the family. Hunting, as one act, requires a great deal of skill, knowledge, and understanding and interpreting weather conditions and survival in Nunavik, in the Arctic or subarctic, so I think that for work, absolutely, we do that every day and may not even be mindful that what we're doing is work.

Human Resources committee  Thank you. I think you raise a good point. At our organization, we always look at what may be working in other parts of the country, in other sectors of society, with a view to adapting promising practices and working with Inuit experts, whatever the subject may be, whether it's health or economic development, to do adaptation where we can.

Human Resources committee  Thank you.

Human Resources committee  Hello. Thank you for the question. I'm sorry, but I speak very little French. In Inuit communities, there's often a lack of employment opportunities due to the size of the community. We have also been concerned about oil and gas exploration and development, because of the boom and bust cycle of a lot of these exploration projects.