Ullukut – good day my friends.
Today is National Indigenous Peoples Day. It is a time to recognize and lift up our people, the Inuit of NunatuKavut, and all Indigenous peoples for their strength and resilience. For Indigenous peoples, it allows us to speak our truth, tell our story, and celebrate our connection to place.
NunatuKavut Inuit have a longstanding relationship with our territory and the land, ice and waters that surrounds us. As we fish in our waters, harvest on our lands, trap on our traplines and provide for our families, we can take pride in the fact that we are standing in the footsteps of those who have stood strong for generations.
Today I am observing this special day across the Atlantic Ocean in the Basque Country in Spain. I was invited to speak and learn about Basque-Inuit relations in the southern part of our territory centuries ago. It was our ancestors that the Basque met when they first sailed our waters and landed on our shores.
Today, I shared the story of NunatuKavut Inuit and I spoke about our determination, belonging and strength, at home in our place, on our homeland, in Inuit Nunangat. This is not unlike the story of so many Indigenous peoples in this country and around the world.
I also shared what we know about our early relationship with the Basque. While there were periods of conflict and periods of peace, they are part of our story and we are part of theirs. I believe this is just the beginning of the rekindling of relations between the Inuit of NunatuKavut and the Basque. The NunatuKavut Community Council (NCC) is invited to be part of the planning around the sailing of the Nao San Juan back to our territory in 2026 and I hope many of you will join us in welcoming them.
As President of NCC, I am immensely proud of our people, our families and communities, particularly as we navigate some very “troubled waters.” Our people continue to persevere and demonstrate so much pride in our culture and our rich heritage.
We are on a good path together in reclaiming our Inuttitut language and our drum, protecting and preserving our husky dog teams, lifting up our own stories and working to ensure that modern education systems reflect our history and culture. Our youth and Elders are engaged and eager to share their skills and knowledge. I encourage each of you to continue taking action to affirm your identity, your place and your rights as NunatuKavut Inuit.
At NCC, we continue to focus on the work we need to do that helps ensure our people are safe, healthy and well. Our recent win in the Federal Court on our rights and recognition Memorandum of Understanding must set the stage now for Canada to work meaningfully with us on addressing the important priorities of our people.
Over the coming weeks, NCC will be releasing more information that showcases our history and our culture. We want people to learn and share in the beautiful stories of our ancient land, our land, our families and communities. We have always been here. This is our home.
On behalf of NCC, I wish you all a happy, safe and enjoyable National Indigenous Peoples Day.
Nakummek.
President Todd Russell