Iqaluit (May 03/04) - With Prime Minister Paul Martin appearing ready to have Canada sign onto America's missile defence shield, Inuit leader Paul Kaludjak has reminded Ottawa that Nunavut should be consulted before commitments are made.

"Canada should be actively interested in engaging the Inuit of Nunavut on this issue," said Kaludjak. "It is in their interest, as well as ours, to have Canada's Arctic people in the picture before proceeding with this kind of agreement."

Kaludjak said so far the Canadian government has failed to consult with Inuit, and released a series of letters dating back two years.

In 2002, NTI wrote Foreign Affairs minister Bill Graham, calling on Canada to consult with Inuit regarding missile defence.

Graham responded saying talks of missile defence were "hypothetical" and "premature," and he promised "close consultation" with Inuit leaders.

As talks resurfaced in March 2004 regarding missile defence in the Canadian Arctic, NTI wrote Graham and defence minister David Pratt asking to renew talks on the issue. So far, NTI has received no response from either government leader.

Nunavut Premier Paul Okalik raised the Inuit case for consultation in an April 16 speech at Duke University Durham, North Carolina.

"What we are seeking is a positive role in projects that are undertaken in Nunavut," Okalik said. "What we want is a true partnership so that the predicaments of the past are transformed into possibilities for the future."