Indigeneity in
Academic Institutions
Securing NunatuKavut Inuit Rights and Recognition at Academic Institutions
NunatuKavut Inuit possess extensive evidence of our Indigeneity, including genealogical, anthropological, and archaeological research. Like other Indigenous peoples in Canada, we have faced the traumas of colonialism, including residential schools and forced displacement.
We are also the beneficiaries of the British–Inuit Treaty of 1765, signed by our ancestors at Chateau Bay, which affirms our historic and ongoing presence in our territory and recognizes our status as a distinct Indigenous people.
We categorically reject any attempt by academic institutions to dictate or adjudicate our identity based on colonial frameworks that ignore our history, traditions, and relationships.
As recognized by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, NunatuKavut Inuit have the inherent right to define our own identity – and to have that identity respected by academic institutions across Canada.
False narratives, misinformation, and institutional discrimination cannot be allowed to dictate who we are. The erasure of our Indigeneity in academic spaces is not a neutral act – it threatens the wellbeing of our communities and the aspirations of future generations.
NCC is taking decisive action, including legal and political steps, to defend the rights of NunatuKavut Inuit in academic institutions and beyond. We call on Canadians, educators, and decision-makers to stand with us — to affirm our rights, respect our story, and build a more inclusive future together.