National Defence committee  We consider the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement to be a living document. Too many times treaties are signed, they're put in a file in a filing cabinet, and they're forgotten about. We feel that the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement has to be a living agreement. It has to be implemented

National Defence committee  The explanation is that the second and third generations of people who were relocated there were born up there. They don't know any other place. To them, this is home, as George has said many times now. They have no other place to go, because they were born up there, and it's the

National Defence committee  Yes, you are.

National Defence committee  As I said, there are three regions in Nunavut. The western part covers this area. That's the Kitikmeot Inuit Association region. The Kivalliq region is down here in this region. The region that we represent includes Sanikiluaq, way down at Hudson Bay. It includes the community

National Defence committee  About 51%.

National Defence committee  As to commitments that have not been fulfilled, I think Canada's history is full of examples. Ever since Canada became a nation, the government has signed treaties, signed agreements, and made commitments to the aboriginal people. There's a long history of broken promises and com

National Defence committee  The two oldest people did not survive the first two winters. In Grise Fiord, Dera Elter, the community leader, did not last one year. In the community of Resolute Bay, our matriarch died soon after the move had been made. The graves of those people are there. A number of people

National Defence committee  We do feel that the apology should come from the Prime Minister of Canada. Whether it's done in the House or on a special occasion arranged for the relocatees, we feel that the Prime Minister has to be the person to make this apology.

National Defence committee  We've tried to use every avenue to gain an apology from the Government of Canada. We have appeared before various parliamentary committees to tell our story; we told the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples 10 or 15 years ago; and through our members of Parliament, we've been l

National Defence committee  Mr. Chairman, if I may, I want to talk a bit about what we are attempting to do up there. As George has explained, the families living up there are not there by their choice; they were relocated by the Government of Canada in 1953 and 1955. Most of the adults have returned to nor

National Defence committee  Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My name is John Amagoalik. I'm the policy advisor to the executive of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association, one of three designated Inuit organizations in Nunavut. If you look at the map, Nunavut covers about 40% of the land mass of the whole country. QIA i