Kitikmeot Inuit Association Acting President’s Speech to Prime Minister Mark Carney
March 18, 2025: Earlier this morning, Nunavut leaders met with Prime Minister Mark Carney via a Zoom meeting. Originally scheduled to be an in-person meeting in Iqaluit, the typical March Nunavut weather stranded scheduled attendees across the Territory. Prime Minister Carney, pictured at the Iqaluit Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI) office listened to the concerns of Inuit leadership, including Acting Kitikmeot Inuit Association (KIA) President James Eetoolook who outlined the KIA’s vision of a more productive and safer Nunavut and Canada. For the speaker notes of what James shared with the Prime Minister from his hotel in Yellowknife, please see below.
Media Inquiries: James Kaylor, Manager of Communications, Kitikmeot Inuit Association Cell: 867.983.5340 Email: jkaylor@kitia.ca
Below are the speaker’ notes for a speech that Acting KIA President gave to Prime Minister Mark Carney (born in Fort Smith, NWT).
Good day to you Mr. Prime Minister, and thanks for taking the time to meet with us today. I am James Eetoolook, Vice President of Lands, Environment & Resources, and currently the acting President of the Kitikmeot Inuit Association. The following are priorities of our KitIA Board.
We are a big supporter of the Grays Bay Road and Port Project, we believe this project can open vast mineral deposits, including base metals and critical minerals. Having access to a road and port will allow projects in that area to become economically viable. With the possibility of the Northwest Territories changing its current ice road to an all-season road, that would link with Grays Bay Road, would see another needed all-season road to Canada’s arctic coast. This would then allow for earlier shipping of goods to our communities. The location of this project will also assist Canada in supporting sovereignty and security, due to its location along the Northwest Passage, as it could be a staging location for both Navy and Coast Guard assets.
We see mining as an opportunity to increase employment and contracting opportunities for Inuit, as well as an area where we can receive royalties that we can use to benefit our people through the creation of additional programs and services. In saying this we must also ensure that the processes established under the Nunavut Agreement are followed so that any projects that are approved follow the guidelines and conditions that are established by our Institutes of Public Government. This will help to ensure that our lands and waters remain pristine, our animals continue to flourish, and our traditional pursuits are protected. The Government of Canada can also do its part by ensuring that the systems that are in place for the selection of crown lands is a more robust system, rather than what is currently in place: which is simply clicking areas on a map and submitting the associated fee.
Another priority area is the creation of more conservation areas within the western portion of Nunavut, we will be developing a Strategy to oversee the development of these areas, both land and marine based. Having a mix of areas for conservation will help to balance out the areas that have been selected for future development.
For our people to live a good life we need to see the costs of goods lowered, more employment opportunities, and we need to see more infrastructure to allow our communities to flourish. Some of this is in progress but more needs to be done. These are not just our priorities, but they should be ones of the Government of Canada as well.
In closing, we support development that is well planned and has systems in place to protect the environment and wildlife. We want more resources that we can use to develop more programs for our people, and we want to see areas that Inuit can use to continue our traditional lifestyles. We also want to live within a safe and secure Canada, and we can be a part of ensuring this happens. We are willing to be a key partner to work for a better future for the North, our people, and to work towards a safer country.
Koana. James Eetoolook
