Inuit Nunangat Policy gets boost with new federal directive
Canada Announces New Directive to Support Inuit Nunangat
The Canadian government introduced a Cabinet Directive on Thursday aimed at improving the federal government’s responsiveness to the needs of communities in the Inuit homeland.
Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, and Natan Obed, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK), Canada’s national Inuit organization, made the joint announcement saying the directive would assure that government programs were in step with the Inuit Nunangat Policy.
Inuit Nunangat, which includes the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Nunavut, Nunavik, and Nunatsiavut, is home to the majority of Canada’s Inuit population.
The Inuit Nunangat Policy, first introduced in 2022, recognized the distinctiveness of the region and aimed to address the social and economic challenges faced by Inuit communities by shaping federal programs and policies that reflect Inuit priorities.
“The Inuit Nunangat Policy helps create prosperity in Inuit Nunangat by ensuring that Inuit can access programs and policies that are intended to benefit our people,” Obed said in a statement.
“The Cabinet Directive announced [Thursday] is a powerful tool to help public servants implement the Policy, ultimately improving program design and government efficiency and effectiveness.”
Guidance document being developed
In addition to outlining how federal departments and agencies should apply the Inuit Nunangat Policy, it also lays out measures to track the success of these efforts.
“We’ve made significant progress in partnerships with Inuit to develop the Inuit Nunangat Policy, but there’s more to do,” Anandasangaree said.
“This policy is guiding how we design policies and programs, from housing and healthcare, to education and economic development. With a consistent approach, we can be sure that our work is responsive to meet Inuit priorities, across government.”
A recent example is the renewal earlier this week of the Northern Isolated Community Initiatives Fund (NICI), a program that works to support food security and economic projects, that now includes all of Inuit Nunangat, instead of just the parts located in the northern territories.
The government and Inuit organizations are also developing a guidance document to accompany the Cabinet Directive. This document will help federal departments and agencies apply the Inuit Nunangat Policy when creating or updating policies, programs, and services.
Comments, tips or story ideas? Contact Eilís at eilis.quinn(at)cbc.ca
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