Women’s participation in decision making - Environmental and Human Security in the Arctic - page 227

14 This is an observation drawn from interviews with individuals (Hicks, Merritt and Kenn
Harper) associated with the NIC conducted by Wilson Rowe in Iqaluit, autumn 2003.
15 At the time of interviews with Wilson Rowe (August and September 2003), Veronica
Dewar was President of Pauktuutit, the Inuit Women's Organization, Jennifer Dickson
was Executive Director of Pauktuutit and Maureen Doherty was Executive Director of
Qullit (Status of Women Council, Nunavut).
16 Articles and commentary in Nunatsiaq News , an English-Inuktitut weekly newspaper
that has the largest circulation of any newspaper in Nunavut, were the primary texts
analysed for this chapter and supplement the interviews I conducted with politicians and
policymakers in Nunavut from July to December 2003.
17 Observation also drawn from an interview (October 2003) with Natsiq Alainga-Kango,
who served as Secretary of Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, the Inuit land claims
organization, during the gender parity plebiscite.
18 For example, Article 23 of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement 'Inuit Employment in
Government' represents a legal obligation placed on political institutions and Inuit to
work within the colonial system.
19 This five book series, published by Nunavut Arctic College, is available in English and
Inuktitut and covers a range of topics, including health, child care, law and cosmology.
This series is complemented by other series, including Inuit Perspectives on the 20th
Century , Memory & History and Life Histories of Northern Leaders . Online. Available at:
http://arcticcollege.ca/en/shop-on-line/books/life-stories-of-northern-leaders-series
(accessed 4 June 2013).
20 Although this equation is experiencing creative additions, and success stories, such as the
consultation surrounding the Nunavut Wildlife Act , its reality does not stray far from this
description, and time will tell what, if any, legacy results from this wide-ranging and
expensive consultation tour.
21 Organizations that fulfil these requirements already exist in Nunavut communities. For
example, in Clyde River, the Ilisaqsivik Centre filled gaps in social services programmes
delivered in their community by creating their own wellness centre which provides
healing sessions, addictions counselling, suicide prevention and prenatal care; in Iglulik,
the Inullariit society is an active presence in the community, with this Elder's society
not only supporting youth camps, but also supporting community language activities
that are communicated over the community radio. Finally, in Arviat, the Arviat Youth
Piliriqatiqiit is a strong force that is working towards establishing a youth centre in the
community, and has initiated various suicide prevention campaigns.
22 Funding stresses is a recognized reality. In an article by Nunatisaq News , the director of
the Clyde River Ilisaqsivik Centre, Tracey Thompson, was quoted as stating: 'As the
coordinator, now I spend all my time scrambling for money. We have great projects, but
they could be greater. I don't have time for quality control' (George 2004).
23 Logistical difficulties include the time and energy required for simultaneous translation
and dialogue. Timelines for consultation often only allot one community meeting within a
three-day visit, and often public meetings go on past five hours in duration. The patterns
associated with the political consultation process is based on my own personal interaction
with consultation growing up in Nunavut, as a former employee of the GN, and in my
discussions with Nunavummiut on their own experiences with consultation.
24 While all communities have the potential to support their own consultation, some
communities may not be prepared to take on this responsibility immediately. I strongly
believe that experiences from communities will inspire communities Nunavut wide. To
support this mobilization, lessons learnt from the Iglulik Oral Histories Project, as well
as the methodology used in the 'Interviewing Inuit Elders' book series, will be utilized.
Prior to the initiation of a consultation process, it would be recommended that potential
consultation organizations first establish themselves in the community by interviewing