Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (Mar 27/02) - Commissioners from the Kivalliq and Kitikmeot were in Rankin Inlet earlier this month for Nunavut's first custom adoption commissioners training workshop.

Forty-two custom adoption commissioners were appointed by the minister of social services to help Nunavummiut have custom adoptions recognized by the court.

The workshop focused on understanding the role of the commissioner and the Aboriginal Custom Adoption Recognition Act, reviewing required forms for custom adoption and the handling of paperwork.

Marie Illnik, who convened the workshop, said Inuit custom adoption is unique because it's done between the families without involving lawyers and social workers.

She said once commissioners decide a custom adoption has taken place, they have to compile all the necessary information on both the birth and adoptive parents.

"Once that's been completed, the commissioner would prepare the documents for court," she said.

"After the court recognizes it, copies go to Vital Statistics and the name of the adoptive parents goes on the birth certificate."

A birth certificate then goes back to the commissioner, who gives it to the adoptive parents.

Sally Aaruaq has been a commissioner in Baker Lake for the past six years.

She has handled 220 cases during that time, the majority of which were started by Social Services workers before custom adoption commissioners were appointed.

"I, more or less, finished the adoptions that were not completed up until that point," said Aaruaq.

While emphasis was placed on getting paperwork through the system as fast as possible, Illnik said the key is having the court recognize past custom adoptions as legitimate.

"Some of our requests come when the person involved needs a social insurance number and realizes they don't have the proper birth certificate. The government doesn't insist on custom adoptions being recognized," Illnik said. "But with our great need for identification, more and more people are having to do the paperwork because an ID is needed that matches the person's name."