Fisheries minister pushes for seal harvest
Nunavut MP dons sealskin and emphasizes importance of the hunt
Stewart Burnett
Northern News Services
Monday, May 30, 2016
NUNAVUT
Sealskin was worn proudly in Ottawa by the Fisheries and Oceans minister and the president of the National Inuit Youth Council May 12.
Nunavut MP Hunter Tootoo emphasized how important the seal industry is to the traditional way of life in the North.
"It is a valuable source of food and income for thousands of indigenous and non-indigenous families in remote coastal communities in the Arctic, Quebec and Atlantic Canada," said Tootoo in a joint statement with Indigenous and Northern Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett and Labrador MP Yvonne Jones.
"A vibrant Inuit cultural industry supporting the production and sale of clothing, fashion, art and other products is also deeply linked to sealing. Sealing is also about health; in addition to the high nutritional value of seal meat, Inuit have been using seal oil to treat ailments for centuries. Seal oil, a rich source of omega-3, has also been sold in Europe, Asia and Canada for a decade."
Maatalii Okalik, president of the National Inuit Youth Council, stated in an e-mail the seal harvest is integral to Inuit culture, practices, food security, language and education in Inuit ways of knowledge and economy.
