Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. president Cathy Towtongie, centre, signs the out-of-court settlement of the $1 million dollar lawsuit brought against the feds in 2006. Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada Minister Bernard Valcourt and Nunavut Premier Peter Taptuna were present to sign for their respective governments at NTI headquarters in Iqaluit May 4. - photo courtesy Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.

NUNAVUT
Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. is using millions of dollars of lawsuit settlement money to train Inuit to fill jobs inside and outside of government.

The federal government agreed to compensate NTI with $255.5 million as part of an out-of-court settlement package that ended a $1-billion lawsuit the Inuit beneficiary organization launched against Ottawa in 2006.

NTI president Cathy Towtongie called the agreement-signing ceremony, which took place May 4 at the organization's headquarters in Iqaluit, an historic moment for Inuit. Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada Minister Bernard Valcourt and Nunavut Premier Peter Taptuna were present to sign.

Towtongie said NTI is to create the Nunavut Inuit Training Corporation, which will use $175 million for initiatives to provide Inuit with the skills and qualifications needed for employment.

"The NTI board of directors will decide where to invest the remaining $80.5 million," she added.

"Through the settlement agreement, the Government of Canada also commits an additional $50 million over the next eight years to fund training initiatives and programs to enhance Inuit government employment and advancement under Article 23 (of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement)."

In the lawsuit, NTI alleged the government failed to meet requirements under the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement, mainly that it failed to adequately fund education and training in the territory. As a result, the land claim's promise of meeting an 85 per cent Inuit employment rate with the government of Nunavut, a proportion equal to the population, has never been met as set out in article 23 of the agreement.

In addition to investments in training, the settlement agreement requires the Government of Canada to complete a new Nunavut Inuit Labour Force Analysis in close consultation with NTI and the GN, explained Towtongie.

"This will help in the development of effective Inuit employment and pre-employment training plans."

Towtongie also clarified the funds and activities of the Nunavut Inuit Training Corporation are intended to complement and supplement, not replace, the federal government and the GN's training and employment obligations under Article 23 of the land claims agreement. Finally, the federal government will develop a mandatory Nunavut-specific contracting policy in close consultation with NTI.

Valcourt said the agreement would "ultimately result in more opportunities and growth in Nunavut."

"This agreement represents a significant step forward in our relationship, and it should not be taken for granted," he said.

Valcourt went on to say that since signing the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement in 1993, and the first 10-year implementation contract, "the government dropped the ball."

"This milestone today reflects, I believe, the fact that the relationship between (the federal government) and Nunavummiut, the Government of Nunavut and NTI has reached a new phase, characterized by mutual respect, trust and recognition," Valcourt said.

He also recognized negotiators who developed the deal after "Cathy and I, two years ago, said we were going to give it a good try."

Over the years, NTI tried 17 times to initiate a dispute resolution process and were turned away each time by the federal government, said Towtongie.

That won't happen again in future, because an important aspect of the out-of-court settlement includes a new process, she said.

"A new dispute resolution process will replace NLCA article 38. It allows NTI to trigger arbitration without the consent of the Government of Canada or the GN," she said.

As previously announced in March, after news of the tentative out-of-court settlement was announced, the federal government also committed to new funding levels for institutions of public government, hunters and trappers organizations and regional wildlife organizations.

Those new funding levels are retroactive to 2013.

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