IQALUIT - Inuit welcome development as long as they're involved. That was the message the president of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association wanted to convey during a conference held earlier this month in Iqaluit.

Okalik Eegeesiak spoke at the Canada-United Kingdom. Colloquium, a three-day event focused on Arctic and Northern issues, from Nov. 4 to 6.

In her speech, she said Inuit have a right to say no to development, but that's not the same as a veto. She said they will give an informed consent to economic development, a consent which will require more than community meetings. She added Inuit expect benefits, reflecting their status as land owners.

"We need to be involved about possible impacts. We want to negotiate agreements and how they will benefit our communities. We want to

be involved," said Eegeesiak. "Everything is an opportunity with balance.

"We look forward to being involved in the stuff that happens up here with a lot of consideration to how it will impact our land and how it will impact our waters."

But Eegeesiak said economic development won't happen in Nunavut unless

education and training are stronger.

The territory can't compete while it lacks banking and accounting capacity, for instance, as well as managerial expertise in communities, she said in her speech.

She added that by investing in Inuit communities, the United Kingdom could influence things. Eegeesiak said good investment opportunities exist in harbours, education training, hydro and shipping, for example.

"We're so under-resourced up here, everything is an opportunity," she said. "Investing in Nunavut, to me, just adds to the sovereignty assertion. We're Canadian. Invest in Canadians."

In his speech, Dougal Goodman, chief executive of the Foundation for Science and Technology in London, England., said his country should invest in Nunavut.

Goodman said he wanted to convey that any investment in Nunavut is a partnership.

"I think there's no black-and-white answers. It's a very complex issue," he said.

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