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New ITK president highlights social problems

Chris Windeyer
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Aug 07/06) - Mary Simon, the new president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, is hoping to help guide Inuit through a time of unprecedented economic opportunities and self-determination.

"At the centre of all these priorities or issues that are identified are the people who live in the communities," Simon said. "I always look to see what conditions they"re facing."

Simon said ITK"s job is to draw the federal government"s attention towards the problems facing Inuit everywhere.

She tried to do that with a broadside fired at the federal Conservative government at the International Circumpolar Conference"s recent meeting in Barrow, Alaska.

She criticized Stephen Harper"s government for abandoning the Kelowna Accord, downplaying the problem of climate change and for voting against a United Nations" draft declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples.

Last month Simon attended a meeting of Canadian premiers in St. John"s, Nfld., to try to revive the Kelowna Accord, which pledged billions to address aboriginal social problems.

The deal was agreed to by all 13 premiers and the federal government in 2005, during the waning days of Liberal rule in Ottawa.

Since then, the Conservative Party took power and has opted not to move forward with the accord.

"The federal government, whether it"s a Conservative government or a Liberal government, should not pick and choose what it likes," Simon said.