Tootoo brings sealskin tie for U.S. president
Nunavut MP part of Canadian delegation in Washington
Michele LeTourneau
Northern News Services
Monday, March 14, 2016
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Nunavut MP and cabinet minister Hunter Tootoo made headlines March 10 when he wore his trademark sealskin tie to a state dinner with U.S. President Barack Obama. And Tootoo even brought another tie to present to Obama as a gift.
Nunavut MP and cabinet minister Hunter Tootoo meets U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington, D.C., March 10. - Adam Scotti/Prime Minister's Office photo |
"At the White House this morning the president came by and we were introduced to him, I was wearing a sealskin tie and he said, 'I've got to get one of those.' So I'm going to be presenting him one tonight at the dinner," Tootoo told Nunavut News/North from Washington prior to the dinner March 10
Asked if that's legal in the States, Tootoo replied, "I'm sure he can get away with it," adding, "It's legal for me to bring it here."
According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website, items made from the fur of seals remain prohibited. Tootoo, as an Inuk, is exempt.
Tootoo was part of a Canadian delegation on a three-day visit with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau which included joint U.S.-Canada statement on climate, energy and Arctic leadership.
"As a Canadian, and as an Inuk, what's come out of this agreement between the Canada and the U.S. is recognizing the importance of the struggles and the challenges facing the North ... and recognizing the social, cultural and economic potential that is there," said Tootoo in his capacity as minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard .
"One of the main purposes of this is to revitalize the relationship that we have with our American neighbours, friends," he said. "It's long overdue."
The five-page statement addresses implementing the Paris Agreement, co-ordinated domestic climate action, advancing climate action globally, co-operation on clean energy and shared Arctic leadership.
"We have common interests and issues we can work jointly on. That's what came out of this meeting - friends working together on common goals in the best interest of both countries."
Tootoo outlined some of the main highlights, from his perspective.
"For me, this is an historic achievement for the North, for the Arctic. I'm particularly pleased with the shared leadership model in the agreement that we came up with. I think it's safe to say that it signals a real turning point in our efforts to properly define a vision for Northern communities and Inuit and other aboriginal people in the North," he said.
Along with a host of technical commitments, such as regulating existing sources of methane emissions in the oil and gas sector, facilitating the integration of renewables on interconnected grids, accelerating clean energy and clean technology innovation and other clean energy items, the statement addresses the need to work in partnership with indigenous and Northern peoples.
Asked what the statement actually means for Nunavummiut, Tootoo said "it means many different things, at many different levels."
Top of the list, he says, is it "shows that the prime minister and the Government of Canada recognize the importance of the North and the issues facing the North, the Arctic and a starting point for the U.S. and Canada to be able to move forward on some of these great issues."
These include conserving Arctic biodiversity through science-based decision making and building a sustainable Arctic economy. Details such as the need for low-impact shipping corridors are included.
"What's really important, and what I'm really pleased to see in here, is incorporating indigenous science and traditional knowledge into decision making," Tootoo said.
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami president Natan Obed also travelled to Washington March 10 for a lunch hosted by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.
"I am highly encouraged by the pointed recognition today by the governments of Canada and the United States that Arctic leadership must embody at its core a new and substantive partnership with Inuit and other indigenous peoples of the Arctic," Obed said in a news release.
Tootoo also pointed to the special attention given to strong Arctic communities.
According to the joint statement, this includes "greater action to address the serious challenges of mental wellness, education, indigenous language, and skill development, particularly among indigenous youth."
Further, the statement supports communities.
"With partners, we will develop and share a plan and timeline for deploying innovative renewable energy and efficiency alternatives to diesel and advance community climate change adaptation. We will do this through closer co-ordination among indigenous, state, provincial, and territorial governments and the development of innovative options for housing and infrastructure."
