The Indigenous World 2026: Inuit Nunangat

Written on 22 April 2026. Posted in Canada

Inuit Nunangat, the Inuit homeland, includes the Inuvialuit Settlement Region in the Northwest Territories, the territory of Nunavut, Nunavik in northern Quebec and Nunatsiavut in northern Labrador. The majority of the 70,545 Inuit (69%) in Canada live in 51 mostly coastal communities spread over an area of over 3.3 million square kilometres.

Economic and social disparities continue to exist between Inuit and other Canadians. This includes much lower mean annual incomes, more people living in crowded homes, lower rates of education, food insecurity, higher unemployment, less access to medical services, lower life expectancy and an infant mortality rate three times the national average.^[1]

Comprehensive Inuit-Crown land claims agreements shape the political contours of each of the four Inuit regions. Through these constitutionally protected agreements, Inuit representative organizations and governments co-manage, with the federal government, 40% of Canada’s land area and 72% of its coastline. Inuit are represented at the national level by Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK) and internationally by the Inuit Circumpolar Council-Canada. ITK’s board of directors includes the leaders of the four regional Inuit representational organizations and governments: Inuvialuit Regional Corp., Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., Makivvik and the Nunatsiavut government. In addition to voting members, the presidents of the Inuit Circumpolar Council-Canada, Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada, and the National Inuit Youth Council sit on the board as non-voting permanent participant representatives.

This article is part of the 40^th edition of The Indigenous World, a yearly overview produced by IWGIA that serves to document and report on the developments Indigenous Peoples have experienced. Find The Indigenous World 2026 in full here

As the year began, Inuit and other Indigenous Peoples, along with other Canadians, were anticipating an election that would bring the Conservative Party to power after 10 years of Liberal government. The Prime Minister at the time, Justin Trudeau, had announced his resignation and a leadership race was on. For Indigenous Peoples, the prospect of a Conservative government led by populist Pierre Poilievre brought memories of the last time that party was in power, when the challenges they faced received very little attention.

It turned out there was a major shift in Canadian politics, albeit not the one that was expected. The Liberals chose former central banker, Mark Carney, as their new leader and went on to win an election against all expectations. With US President Donald Trump’s threats to make Canada the “51^st state” and the imposition of economic tariffs, Carney rode a rising wave of nationalism and anger as the Liberals pulled off a stunning electoral victory – their fourth in a row – and continued in power with a minority government a few seats shy of a majority. The victory of the Carney government came as the party moved to the right and at the same time captured voters on the left who abandoned their traditional voting habits to stave off a Conservative victory.

All of this signalled that the new government would not conduct business as usual and the implications for Inuit and other Indigenous Peoples were still being weighed as the year closed.

Canada/Inuit relations

Major policy changes included the passage in late spring of Bill C-5, the Building Canada Act, designed to fast-track mega-developments, such as oil pipelines and mines, seen to be “in the national interest”. Inuit, First Nations, and Metis leaders criticized the act for appearing to ignore the rights of Indigenous Peoples, enshrined in the Canadian Constitution and contained in modern treaty settlements, including the four land claims agreements in Inuit Nunangat.

“’It has been Canada’s weakness that it pats itself on the back for being a great champion of Indigenous Peoples and an upholder of the rule of law and respect for Indigenous Peoples’ rights, while at the same time acting very differently through its legislation and through its practice,” said Natan Obed, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK).^[2] The government expended considerable capital assuring Indigenous Peoples that the act respects their rights.

This message was reiterated in a July meeting of the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee (ICPC), co-chaired by Prime Minister Carney and Natan Obed.^[3] At the July meeting, “The leaders discussed the Building Canada Act and how to implement it effectively and consistently with Inuit Modern Treaties and in partnership with Inuit.”^[4] They also talked about other issues affecting the people of Inuit Nunangat, including infrastructure needs, housing, Arctic security and Canada’s Arctic Foreign Policy. The Prime Minister used the occasion to announce the appointment of Virginia Mearns, an Inuk who has had numerous leadership roles in Nunavut, as Canada’s new Arctic Ambassador.

The Carney government’s first budget was received with “cautious optimism” by ITK.^[5] The budget included support for the proposed Inuit Nunangat University, and CAD $1 Billion (approx. EUR 615 million) over four years for a new Arctic Infrastructure Fund. Prior to the budget announcement, the new Prime Minister ordered all government departments to cut 15% from their spending. In the budget, however, that cut was reduced to 2% for departments directly related to Indigenous Peoples.

Despite the government’s previous public commitment, the budget did not include renewed funding to eliminate tuberculosis (TB) in Inuit Nunangat by 2030. Rates of TB in Inuit communities are 300 times higher than among non-indigenous Canadians and TB cases in Nunavik, in the Arctic region of Quebec, hit record numbers in 2025. ITK also expressed concern over an emphasis on increasing Arctic security that failed to mention the Inuit.

In concluding a news release on the budget, ITK wrote: “Federal budgets since 2015 have been progressive in respecting Inuit rights holders as essential components of Canadian fiscal construction. This budget is a notable departure from this shared path.”

Geopolitical threats

Inuit have long argued that Canadian Arctic sovereignty rests on their millennia-long occupation and use of the region,^{[6], [7]} a reality acknowledged by Canadian governments for 40 years. The question of “who owns the Arctic” was front and centre in 2025 thanks to statements by US President Donald Trump about his country’s interest in “owning” Greenland. That a member of the Arctic Council and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization would even suggest annexing part of the Kingdom of Denmark caused the Canadian government to scramble in order to deal with the threat. Prior to the April election, Carney and several cabinet ministers met Inuit leaders in Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut. The government announced plans to spend more than CAD $6 Billion (approx. EUR 3.7 billion) on a new “over-the-horizon” radar system. At the same time, it committed CAD $420 million (approx. EUR 258 million) to upgrade power plants in several communities, build and repair new housing, and partner with an Inuit-owned company to create a renewable energy facility. For Inuit, improved infrastructure, better health outcomes, and adequate housing have long formed part of the sovereignty and security equation.

In June, ITK released a report entitled An Inuit Vision for Arctic Sovereignty, Security and Defence that reinforced the importance of Inuit occupation and their role in security. It pointed out that the US does not recognize Canadian sovereignty over the Northwest Passage, arguing that, as shipping becomes more frequent, the potential for tension with the US over its regulation will increase. The document also refers to increased shipping activity on the part of Russia and China, among other things. Its recommendations include dealing with regional inequities, supporting the Inuit Nunangat economy, ensuring defence expenditure benefits Inuit, and prioritizing partnerships with Inuit organizations.

Direct federal investments in Inuit Treaty Organizations, coupled with new legislative and policy approaches supporting greater Inuit self-determination over areas such as education, healthcare, food security and housing, is the most efficient and effective means for improving prosperity in the region at a time of increased vulnerability.^[8]

The Government of Nunavut and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. released a joint Nunavut Arctic Sovereignty and Security Strategy in August. The first line of the strategy makes its intent clear, especially in light of increasing foreign interest in the Arctic: “The Arctic is not a frontier to be claimed – it is a homeland.”^[9] It also sends a message to the rest of Canada that “there can be no Arctic sovereignty without Inuit security and Nunavut Inuit and Nunavummiut must lead on the polices and decisions that affect our Arctic region.”^[10]

While the geopolitical discussion swirled, the Department of National Defence (DND) revealed it would be replacing the rifles of the Canadian Rangers, an army reserve comprising mostly Indigenous volunteers in Canada’s three territories. In Inuit Nunangat, the Rangers have been held up as frontline defenders of the country’s Arctic sovereignty. Unfortunately, it was discovered that their rifles, issued in 2017, need replacing because they do not function properly in the Arctic cold.^[11]

Climate threats

The Arctic continues to warm at more than twice the rate of the rest of the planet, a reality that poses an existential threat to Inuit lives and culture. Nevertheless, 2025 saw efforts to deal with these rapid changes fall behind internationally and, in Canada, nationally. There was nevertheless some positive news in Inuit Nunangat. In March, the Nunatsiavut government released Sungiutisannik Nunatsiavummi (Adapt Nunatsiavut): An Inuit Approach to Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation in Nunatsiavut, its first climate plan.^[12] Nunatsiavut is the Labrador Inuit Land Claim Settlement Area on the eastern coast of Canada and it comprises small, isolated coastal communities with a total population of 2,000. Warming in the region is leading to thawing permafrost, altered precipitation, plus sea ice and sea level changes, and it is having an impact on fishing, hunting and traditional Inuit ways of life. The strategy enhances Inuit self-determination, decolonization and climate justice. The Nunatsiavut government is the third Inuit representative organization to release a regional climate change strategy after the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation and Makivvik.

Artifacts returning

Following three years of negotiations, last year saw an important and emotional return of 62 Indigenous artifacts from Vatican vaults and museums to Canada. A century ago, the church asked missionaries in Canada to send artifacts to Rome for the Vatican’s collections. On a trip to the Arctic in 2022, the late Pope Francis promised to return them.

Fourteen of the artifacts are of Inuit origin, including an Inuvialuit sealskin kayak. “’It's a part of our history, our culture and what it means to the Inuvialuit,’” said Duane Smith, chair and chief executive officer of the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation. Smith led repatriation efforts on behalf of the Inuvialuit.

The artifacts are at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec, where they will be studied and some eventually displayed. At the moment, there are no plans to repatriate the kayak or other objects to Inuit Nunangat since there are no proper facilities to house them.

John Crump spent three decades in Arctic policy work, most recently as ICC Canada Senior Policy Advisor. He also worked for GRID-Arendal, a Norwegian foundation that supports UN Environment, and served as Executive Secretary of the Indigenous Peoples’ Secretariat based in Copenhagen. He was a policy analyst with Canada’s Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (RCAP), Government Relations Manager for the Nunavut Planning Commission, and Executive Director of the Canadian Arctic Resources Committee. John’s academic background is in journalism, communications, history and political economy. He has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in journalism, public administration and Arctic policy in Canada and Germany.

This article is part of the 40^th edition of The Indigenous World, a yearly overview produced by IWGIA that serves to document and report on the developments Indigenous Peoples have experienced. Find The Indigenous World 2026 in full here

Notes and references

^[1] Based on statistics compiled by Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK). “Social and Economic Inequality in Inuit Nunangat” (2018). https://www.itk.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Social_Inequity_Infographic_English.pdf

^[2] Karyn Pugliese, “’The honour of the Crown is not being upheld’: Indigenous leaders tell prime minister to start again with Bill C-5”. APTN News, 16 June 2025. https://www.aptnnews.ca/national-news/the-honour-of-the-crown-is-not-being-upheld-indigenous-leaders-tell-prime-minister-to-start-again-with-bill-c-5/

^[3] Created in 2017, the ICPC meets three times a year and is chaired by the President of ITK and the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Canada. It is made up of leaders of Inuit representative organizations and members of the federal Cabinet and the Prime Minister usually attends once a year.

^[4] Press Release from the Office of the Prime Minister of Canada. “Prime Minister Carney and Inuit leadership meet as the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee”. Inuvik, 24 July 2025. https://www.pm.gc.ca/en/news/news-releases/2025/07/24/prime-minister-carney-and-inuit-leadership-meet-inuit-crown

^[5] ITK Press Release. “ITK receives new government’s first budget with cautious optimism”. Ottawa, 4 November 2025. https://www.itk.ca/itk-receives-new-governments-first-budget-with-cautious-optimism/

^[6] ITK 2025. An Inuit Vision for Arctic Sovereignty, Security and Defence. https://www.itk.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/An-Inuit-Vision-for-Arctic-Sovereignty-Security-Defence.pdf;

^[7] Inuit Circumpolar Council Canada. “Inuit and Canada Share Northwest Passage Sovereignty – ICC Canada President. 8 May 2019. https://www.inuitcircumpolar.com/press-releases/inuit-and-canada-share-northwest-passage-sovereignty-icc-canada-president/

^[8] ITK 2025, page 9, op. cit.

^[9] Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. and the Government of Nunavut 2025. Nunavut Arctic Sovereignty and Security Strategy, page 2. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/68360308dfc21b315e2f51e6/t/68c44f3289bc385315362067/1757695794184/19334+Arctic+Security+Summit+Strategy_EN+%2814x8.5in%29+FINAL+%281%29.pdf

^[10] Ibid, page 7.

^[11] Daron Letts. “Rifles issued to Canadian Rangers can’t stand up to the Arctic cold.” Nunatsiaq News, 26 May 2025. https://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/rifles-issued-to-canadian-rangers-cant-stand-up-to-the-arctic-cold/

^[12] Nunatsiavut Government 2025. Sungiutisannik Nunatsiavummi (Adapt Nunatsiavut): An Inuit Approach to Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation in Nunatsiavut, Nain, Newfoundland and Labrador. https://nunatsiavut.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/ADAPT-NUNATSIAVUT.pdf

Tags: Global governance