Nakurmiik.
Good morning—ulaakut—everyone. Thank you so much for having me here to present to you this morning.
ITK, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, is the national representational organization for the Inuit of Canada. All Inuit in Canada have concluded modern treaties with the government. The Inuit treaty organizations are the Nunatsiavut government, Makivvik, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated and the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation. Our homeland, Inuit Nunangat, comprises over 74% of Canada's shoreline and over 36% of Canada's land mass.
I'm surprised to have this opportunity to discuss the barriers to economic development report, a report that included testimony from only two Inuit witnesses and contained no specific recommendations related to Inuit or Inuit Nunangat. In fact, while this report discussed barriers specific to first nations and Métis peoples, it contained only one section for northern and remote communities. This categorization includes Inuit and a range of other indigenous and non-indigenous communities, implying the committee was uninterested in barriers specific to Inuit and Inuit Nunangat. Lumping policy considerations for Inuit into categorizations with all northern and remote communities is precisely the kind of analysis that leads to the challenges that Canada currently faces with indigenous identity fraud in procurement, economic development, academia and the arts.
The barriers and challenges to developing distinctions-based policies, as well as assessing whether or not federal programs benefit Inuit, are among the reasons Inuit and the Crown codeveloped the federal Inuit Nunangat policy. The Inuit Nunangat policy is a core deliverable of the Inuit-Crown partnership committee and contains an entire annex devoted specifically to procurement policy.
The Inuit Nunangat policy identifies the Inuit treaties, the Inuit collective rights holders of Canada, which are Inuit treaty organizations, and Inuit as members of those organizations. In the context of procurement, this is an essential element of the policy because it provides a foundation for the federal government to rely on regarding how Inuit identify Inuit businesses.
Each Inuit treaty organization has already developed definitions of an Inuit business. In some cases, the definition of an Inuit business is related to modern treaty rights. Together, the working group developed a definition for Inuit businesses outside of Inuit Nunangat and is in the process of revising procurement guidance and policies to increase Inuit participation in federal procurement.
Canada is an Arctic state, and Canada's Arctic requires substantial investment to be secure. Expanded procurement opportunities, including defence procurement opportunities, will provide a basis to develop a robust private sector to support Inuit Nunangat.
Canada can no longer indulge the imagination or pretense of those who make claims but are unrecognized by Inuit. Supporting false indigenous people serves to undermine the effectiveness, purpose and objectives of Canada's indigenous policies and programs. In an increasingly dangerous world, indulging in fantasies that support indigenous identity fraud will be used by foreign actors to drive wedges between and among Canadians, undermining our shared national unity.
Inuit interests are Canada's interests within Inuit Nunangat. Our shared interests are our strength, and by working together, we can make Canada a stronger, safer and more secure country.
Nakurmiik.