First of all, thank you for coming.
I have a pretty specific question, but I'm very troubled by the tone of the whole report in that “first nations and Inuit” seems to be interchangeably used throughout the whole report in areas where I don't think it's necessarily accurate.
One of the difficulties I always have in dealing with any reports is that people tend to believe “first nations” means all aboriginal people in Canada, and it doesn't. Throughout your report, you keep referring to “first nations and Inuit communities”. Then when you get specific, you say “first nations”, and that excludes Inuit.
I'm looking at page 2, where you talk about the ISSP money. I know you said Iqaluit regional office does not get any of that money, but you also said there are Inuit who have taken advantage of the Indian studies support program.
I know, for example, the Nunavut Sivuniksavut program that's here today doesn't access that money. We're trying to find out how that can be trickled so that groups such as this very successful program can actually access the support they deserve, because they don't get support from that.
As far as I know, because Nunavut does not get any through their regional office, they haven't been able to access it. I'd really like specifics on Inuit receiving money through that program, because I don't believe they do.