NUNAVUT
The party’s over
BY JACKIE PRICE
I AM GOING TO LET YOU IN ON A little secret: the party is over.
The party I am talking about is the celebration phase that came with the signing of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement. Inuit and Canadians alike have kept this party going for as long as politically feasible, and after seven years it’s time to call it quits.
The “creation” of Nunavut was an internationally recognized event. Not only were people celebrating the new boundary on the Canadian map; oddly enough, people were celebrating the establishment of more government. People figured that a newly established government would increase Inuit access to government, which would increase the likelihood that government would learn from Inuit culture. People thought government would be different in Nunavut, and this got people excited.
All the hoopla is really over power and control. The popular hypothesis is that the Government of Nunavut empowers Inuit because it provides the necessary tools for Inuit to control their future.
Government is understood as the site of power and control, so having a power site based in Nunavut and supported by Inuit would ensure that Inuit were in control.
We in Nunavut believed this logic because right away, Nunavut and its government addressed the two big questions: who had the power? and where would the power rest? Although Inuit understood that they had other needs that would have to be supported in different ways, these needs were put aside in order to focus on the two questions of power.
TWO QUESTIONS
Politically, our wildest dreams came true with the creation of Nunavut. Wouldn’t that mean Inuit could focus on addressing Inuit needs in the Inuit way? Unfortunately the manner and means of public debate in Nunavut have not changed. The two questions of power still provide the framework for addressing our issues.
For example, language and culture are important foundations for Inuit. Inuit have ideas on how to support these foundations, yet Nunavut politics determines the debate. For example, to support Inuktitut, the language of Inuit, the government focuses on the need for language legislation. Or in discussions about preserving Inuit culture, a culture that is based on respect for diversity in practice and experience, the government debates where Nunavut’s ten million dollar cultural centre will be located.
In our seven-year experience, we in Nunavut have not recognized that power and control function in a mindset that is not rooted in Inuit principles. Power and control involve management — management of money, buildings and people. Inuit culture, particularly Inuit governance, was never a tool for managing people; rather, it supports people who have the freedom and strength of mind to do what is best for them and their families.
Inuit governance also ensured that everyone’s physical needs, particularly food and shelter, were collectively met. We have forgotten both these responsibilities because we have been too busy celebrating the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement. We have been too busy celebrating power and control.
Inuit in Nunavut must move beyond this mindset. This will not be an easy task because Nunavut’s political environment is racist and paternalistic, and the relationship Inuit have with the land and with each other has weakened. These realities are the result of colonialism. But they are also being exacerbated by the priorities set by the Government of Nunavut, like the focus on government
housing over public housing; or the emphasis on a cultural centre and language legislation over support systems for communities in securing healthy, quality food in an affordable manner.
To move beyond this reality, Inuit will have to think strategically. Strength comes from strong minds, disciplined emotions and an internal logic based on intellect, personal experience and collective teachings. Inuit focus must be directed to supporting strong Inuit families and communities, not power and control.
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Jackie Price is Inuk from Nunavut, and considers both Rankin Inlet and Iqaluit her home. Jackie is finishing up her Master’s degree with the Indigenous Governance Programs at the University of Victoria. She currently lives in Ottawa where she works with young Inuit interested in learning about their political and cultural history.
