Thank you.
So what I would like to speak about just very briefly is the importance of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement for the well-being of Inuit--economic, social, and cultural--in Nunavut.
The agreement was signed in 1993 and was taken to represent a major change in the relationship between Inuit and government. It took 23 years from the date the first proposal was tabled with the Government of Canada to get to the final signing of the agreement. It was seen by Inuit, when it was signed, as a very basic document for--and is still seen as that--the basis for future well-being, and a document that, after 1982, is protected in the Constitution of Canada in section 35.
In the view of NTI, the agreement has not been implemented fully in spirit and intent, or even, in some cases, according to the letter of the agreement. This view is supported by reports of the Auditor General of Canada, PricewaterhouseCoopers, a private consulting firm, and the Senate Standing Committee on Aboriginal Peoples.
In our view, a new approach is needed to the implementation of land claims agreements. In this context it would be worthwhile to suggest that you look at the report of the Senate Standing Committee on Aboriginal Peoples that was produced in 2008, which contains a number of recommendations that NTI and other signatories of land claim agreements endorse. Essentially, fundamental changes are needed in the federal approach to implementation of our agreement and other agreements.
To date, no measures have been taken to move in this direction. It really requires consideration at a senior level by the Government of Canada. The recommendations go beyond the powers of Indian and Northern Affairs, but only modest administrative adjustments appear to be contemplated.
I would like to remind you of or point out what is in the land claims agreement in the way of objectives. The preamble to the agreement says, among other things, that the objectives of the agreement are:
to provide Inuit with financial compensation and means of participating in economic opportunities; and to encourage self-reliance and the cultural and social well-being of Inuit.
I'm sure that from some of the information Mr. Obed will give you in a minute or two, you will see that what is being accomplished is short of meeting the objectives set out in the land claims agreement.
The full implementation of the agreement is seen by NTI as crucial to the well-being of Inuit in Nunavut. And its full implementation in spirit and intent is essential if the federal government is going to be serious about ending poverty in Nunavut.
Those are my introductory comments. Mr. Obed will take over at this point.