NUNAVUT - Although its list of transportation infrastructure needs is long, Nunavut's immediate need is ports, says Nunavut Premier Eva Aariak.

Nunavut Premier Eva Aariak speaks at the Symons Lecture in Charlottetown on Nov. 3. - photo courtesy of Louise Vessey

"I talked about the vast roads and railways that connect the rest of Canada and not one thread of this network binds Nunavut to the rest of the country," she told Nunavut News/North in an interview last week. "But what is more important for our short term needs are ports and small harbours."

Aariak was referring to a speech she gave at the Symons Lecture on the State of Confederation in Charlottetown, PEI on Nov. 3. In her speech the premier outlined the challenges facing Nunavut.

"Although the map of Canada was redrawn in 1999 to include Nunavut I think at times Nunavummiut feel that we have been misunderstood and excluded from the wider picture," she said in the interview.

The speech was an opportunity to explain her territory, she said, and outline what it needs.

"We are only 10 years old so we cannot expect to be perfect," Aariak said.

The territory still has many infrastructure needs, she said.

When it comes to offloading the ships which supply much of the territory, "there is a lot of time wasted because you have to wait for the tides," said the premier.

It's also restricting the territory's fishing industry, she said.

"We are limited in the way of offloading and processing ... we have to go to Greenland and southern Canada to offload our fish."

Devolution of power over Nunavut's natural resources from the federal to the territorial government was another issue Aariak addressed in her speech.

"As stewards of the land we feel that we should be able to make decisions as other Canadians do," she said, adding that she believes the territory is up to the challenge.

"We are ready to deal with devolution," she said. "Nunavut is ready to carry out the negotiations, we are just waiting for the federal government to have their side ready."

Mary Simon, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, a national Inuit association, was the key speaker at the forum. She spoke of the social and economic gaps remaining that keep Inuit from feeling they are full members of Confederation.

The event had an Arctic focus this year, according to Wayne Hambly, chair of the Fathers of Confederacy Buildings Trust, which facilitates the annual event.

"The importance of understanding the challenges facing the Inuit people, the challenges of global warming on this part of Canada and the people living there, the importance of the debate over land ownership of this part of the world were all reasons for putting forth this lecture this year," Hambly wrote in an e-mail.