NTI president vows action

Paul Kaludjak, president of NTI, said the annual report on the state of Inuit culture and society "will get action." - Kathleen Lippa/NNSL photo

In 1993, the federal government stopped funding social housing for non-aboriginal and Inuit Canadians.

Neither the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs and Northern Development (DIAND) nor the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has built or renovated any new units in Nunavut since 1993.

3,500 units are needed to address Nunavut's housing crisis.

More than half the population of Nunavut - 13,666 residents - live in 3,786 social housing units.

98 per cent of social housing tenants are Inuit.
Type of housing units in Nunavut and percentage of all housing units in Nunavut:

Social housing units: 45.9 per cent.

Privately-owned houses: 27.7 per cent.

Housing provided by employers: 9.6 per cent.

Government of Nunavut staff housing: 9.2 per cent

Private market rentals: 7.7 per cent.
Education and language

72 per cent of Inuit in Nunavut identify Inuktitut or Inuinnaqtun as their first language.

The Canada-Nunavut General Agreement on the Promotion of French and Inuktitut Language is an agreement between the GN and the Government of Canada about money for language services.

In 2002-2003, Inuktitut language received $1.1 million for 23,000 Inuit.

French language services received $1.45 million for about 500 francophone residents in Nunavut.

This equals to less than $50 per capita for Inuit and more than $2,400 for each French-speaking person in Nunavut.

The Government of Nunavut should appoint a minister responsible for Inuktitut language services to implement the Official Languages Act, says NTI.

The Government of Nunavut should expand the role of the Languages Commissioner to give it more power and responsibility, according to NTI.
HEALTH

The average life expectancy at birth for residents of Nunavut is 68 years. Southern Canadians live to an average age of 78.

Infant mortality rate in Nunavut has declined slightly from 18.3 to 16.3 deaths per 1,000 live births. Nunavut's infant mortality rate is still 3.5 times higher than in southern Canada. On a global scale, Nunavut is on par with countries like Belarus, Estonia, Argentina, and Libya.

The suicide rate in Nunavut is 6.8 times the national average. Suicides were expected to drop off with the formation of Nunavut in 1999, but by September 2003, 123 people had taken their lives.

Breast cancer: Mammography diagnosis equipment and technical assistance for conducting mammograms is not available in Nunavut.

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD): 30 per cent of expectant mothers in Nunavut consume alcohol while pregnant; 85 per cent of their children will show symptoms of FASD. There are no medical practitioners in Nunavut trained to diagnose FASD, nor are there any programs available for those who are diagnosed outside the territory.

-- Information courtesy of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.

NTI president vows action

Kathleen Lippa
Northern News Services Iqaluit (May 17/04) - Territorial and federal governments received failing grades for their efforts in dealing with Inuit in Nunavut.

And new Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. president Paul Kaludjak vowed to not let a new report detailing those failures gather dust on the shelf.

"It takes work on NTI to get these things addressed," he said last week.
"We're going to work hard to make sure the report gets heard. The report will get action."

The report, An Annual Report on the State of Inuit Culture and Society, tackles a number of hot-button issues all too familiar to anyone who lives in Nunavut: the housing crisis, state of health care, education, language, Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ), the role of elders and Inuit sign-off on federal transfers.

It was the first report of its kind since 2000.

"As Inuit we are aware that per capita we are at the bottom of the ladder, both for Canada and the North," the report says.

Copies of the detailed report were forwarded to Premier Paul Okalik, MLAs and Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs (DIAND) Andy Mitchell. It's hoped the report will be used to create new formula financing agreements with Ottawa and lead to new legislation.

Compared to First Nations, Inuit of Nunavut are hurting because they are missing out on major transfer payments from the federal government, NTI says in the report, including important money for education and housing.

"The word 'crisis' no longer seems an overstatement," the report states.

As an example, the report says 8,000 Inuit in Nunavik get $50 million for social housing from the federal government through a formula financing agreement. Nunavut gets nothing for its 26,000 Inuit -- A similar commitment from Ottawa would mean $150 million.

NTI says 3,500 new housing units are required to meet demands.

Education shortfalls

In education, the report says DIAND spends more than $1 billion per year on K-12 education for First Nations in Canada, while no DIAND education money goes to the Inuit of Nunavut or to Inuit language education.

Language, "the basis for cultural survival," was a big topic in the report.

Inuktitut is considered one of the three healthiest aboriginal languages in Canada, according to NTI's research, and is currently used by 72 per cent of Nunavummiut.

But the report raises concerns about the lack of funding.

In 2002, a French first-language school was built in Iqaluit for 40 students at a cost of $7 million, while there are still no Inuktitut schools for the 8,200 Inuit students in Nunavut.

NTI supports an Inuktitut Protection Act, something the Language Commissioner has been suggesting since 1999.

"The GN's reluctance to act on the recommendations of the Language Commissioner to date is surprising and disappointing," the report states.

Iglulik a model

The report also suggests that the GN develop an oral history program, like the one in Iglulik, for all Nunavut communities.

Mayor Elijah Evaloarjuk was delighted to hear Iglulik being touted as a model for others.

"That's nice to hear," he said on Tuesday.

"The culture here, and Inuktitut, is very strong."