July 17, 2025, Ottawa, Ontario
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami has declined an invitation from the Council of the Federation to attend a meeting of Premiers and National Indigenous Leaders next week as we have been unable to reach agreement on the composition of the meeting.
ITK welcomes opportunities to share Inuit priorities with Canada’s Premiers. However, the upcoming meeting in Huntsville, Ontario, follows a pattern of the Council of the Federation to include organizations that represent fraudulent collectives that falsely claim to represent Inuit. Outcomes from the meeting will perpetuate confusion and uncertainty at a time when the opposite is needed.
Canada is facing an unprecedented crisis that requires unprecedented coordination. This means providing time and space for meaningful cooperation between Inuit, federal, provincial and territorial representatives. Inuit are seeking partnerships to build a safe, secure and sustainable future for Inuit and all Canadians.
We continue to encourage Canada’s Premiers to respect Inuit democratic governance, our Constitutional rights and our right to self-determination. And we look forward to working with Premiers, and all other partners interested in development in our homeland, toward achieving our common goal of building a strong and sovereign nation.
