HAPPY VALLEY – GOOSE BAY – The NunatuKavut Community Council (NCC) today issued the following statement after receiving a letter about a recent decision made by the Government of Canada on the status of NCC’s Recognition of Indigenous Rights and Self-Determination (RIRSD) process:
“On Friday, September 4, NCC received a letter from the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations stating that a decision was made to terminate our RIRSD process, including our Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). We were not provided with any substantive reasons or explanation for this decision. This decision flies in the face of the recent findings of the Laurier Group Report, an independent report commissioned by Canada which positively affirmed NunatuKavut Inuit rights. Despite the Government’s own report validating the extensive research and evidence that NCC has provided to Canada, the department rejected the report and has now made the decision to refuse to negotiate our section 35 rights.
We are also aware of a news release that the Nunatsiavut Government issued today supporting Canada’s decision. It was shocking to learn that confidential information about the department’s decision regarding NCC and our people was released to another Indigenous group. NCC has had no time to adequately review the letter and understand its implications. This alone demonstrates the degree of complicity between the Government of Canada and other Indigenous groups in Labrador around our negotiations. It is appalling that the Minster of Crown-Indigenous Relations would bend to pressure from other Indigenous groups on the denial of our claim. NCC has not been treated fairly throughout this process, and the honour of the Crown has not been upheld.
The evidence and facts have not changed: we are a Treaty people having entered into a Treaty with the British in 1765. We have an unbroken connection to the land, ice and waters of NunatuKavut. We have made significant progress toward self-governance. We have achieved recognition with the Courts and various commissions over the last 20 years. We won in the Supreme Court in 2005, and again in 2007 at the NL Court of Appeal, on the duty to consult, stating we have a credible claim. We won on an injunction case in 2014. And in 2024, we won a judicial review case which upheld our RIRSD MOU. The Federal Court decision, at that time, stated that NCC had previously established a credible claim that we are an Aboriginal people under section 35 of the Constitution based upon Inuit ancestry.
NCC is a strong and modern Inuit government that remains committed to the recognition of our rights and the advancement of our people’s well-being. We have our own Constitution and have developed a number of our own laws and policies, all based on our Inuit values and way of life. NCC will continue its important work and will pursue all avenues, including legal action, to ensure that NunatuKavut Inuit are seen, heard and respected. We are Inuit. We come from Inuit. That will never change.”
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About: The NunatuKavut Community Council (NCC) is a governing organization that represents the rights and interests of Inuit who come from south and central Labrador. NCC is committed to advancing section 35 rights, and the interests and priorities of NunatuKavut Inuit. Rooted in the rich traditions and culture of NunatuKavut Inuit, NCC works diligently towards self-government and self-determination, while fostering community growth and sustainability.
To learn more about NCC and NunatuKavut Inuit, please visit our website at www.nunatukavut.ca and we invite you to check out our “Our Story” page which helps tell our story. Please also join in the conversation at facebook.com/nunatukavut, Instagram @nunatukavutinuit and LinkedIn on our NunatuKavut Community Council page.
NCC Media Contact:
Kelly Broomfield
Chief Communications Officer
T. 709-280-5965
E. communications@nunatukavut.ca