Kent Driscoll
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (Sep 19/05) - There's a new umbrella organization that will try to get funding for Inuit groups.

The Qaujisaqtiit Society opened its doors in Ottawa earlier this month, with Udloriak Hanson Comeau as the executive director.

Groups that are members of the Qaujisaqtiit Society: Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated Qikiqtani Inuit Association Kivaliq Inuit Association Kitikmeot Inuit Association Inuit Heritage Trust Nunavut Sivuniksavut Atuqtuavik Corporation Source: Qaujisaqtiit Society

There is a five-member board of directors calling the shots, consisting of the presidents of the three regional Inuit associations, the president of NTI and the chairman of the Inuit Heritage Trust.

"We have members that are non-profit Inuit organizations, that cannot access funding from foundations here in the south because they do not have charitable status," said Comeau.

Her group has charitable status, and will act as a "portal" for charitable money. The society will then redistribute the money to its non-charitable, non-profit partners, she said.

To pay the bills for the society's two employees, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. will provide money for three years, "until we become self-sufficient and find funding for the society itself," said Comeau.

The group is sharing office space with NTI in Ottawa to save on overhead and for easy access to southern foundations and government, she said.

Comeau will not reveal how much money the Qaujisaqtiit Society received from NTI - not until the society's board of directors has its first meeting later this month and approves the budget.

She did describe it as a small amount.

"It's just operations, maintenance and salary, and a large amount of in-kind contribution."

The board will approve the budget in Arviat later this month, as the group is trying to "piggyback NTI's board of directors meetings, because it is made up of the same board," said Comeau.