Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I do apologize, first of all, for not being able to make it there due to my own schedule and previous commitments. I thank you, the committee and you yourself, for the opportunity to speak with you on this important matter.
My name is Duane Smith. I'm the president and vice-chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council. I represent the Inuit of Canada internationally.
I have provided you with a brief background in regard to some of the activities ICC, as we're commonly referred to, has been involved in, especially ICC Canada.
I've provided you with copies, and I apologize because I understand that they haven't been provided in time to make copies for all of the members of the committee in both English and French. I was only able to provide them to you in English. Your staff has kindly informed me that they will have it all translated and provided to you.
I do strongly recommend that, if you have the time, you review these documents. The first one is “A Circumpolar Inuit Declaration on Sovereignty in the Arctic”, and the second is “A Circumpolar Inuit Declaration on Resource Development Principles in Inuit Nunaat”.
I did not prepare a detailed presentation to you, Mr. Chair. My understanding was that I was being requested to sit in front of the committee to have a dialogue on Canada's Arctic policy. I think it would be much more informative for us to have this discussion, for me especially, to get some insight in regard to Canada's views on how we can move forward together on these things.
Most of you, I would assume.... I apologize for some of my wording, but the Inuit Circumpolar Council represents Inuit from Chukotka, Russia; Alaska, United States; Canada, of course; and Greenland, Denmark.
We have about 155,000 Inuit who reside in these regions. We are a part of the Arctic Council as a permanent participant. We are also a part of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, where at this time we represent the Arctic seat on that forum. There are seven other indigenous representatives that sit on this body, along with eight government representatives.
The Inuit Circumpolar Council, again, represents the interests of the Inuit, as well as other northerners when it comes to broader, more general issues that may reflect on the well-being, and the issues that are of relevance to people within the Arctic.
I will leave it at that, Mr. Chair. As I said, I think that if we entertain some dialogue among ourselves, it'll be much more informative for me.