Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami will have say in how some federal money for Inuit is spent

With the federal government promising hundreds of millions of dollarsfor Inuit priorities, the head of thenational organization, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, says it's time for Inuit aspirations forself-determination to mature into adulthood.

The federal budget promised $509.5 million over the next five to 10 years forthree initiatives eliminating tuberculosis in Inuit Nunangat, launching a comprehensive Inuit health survey, and tackling the housing crisis in Nunavik, Nunatsiavut and the Inuvialuit settlement area.

The bulk of that money, $400 million, is being is earmarked forhousing and will flow to the respective regional organizations.

The remaining $27.5 million that will go toward eliminating tuberculosisand $82million for an Inuit health survey will be allocated based on directionfrom ITK's board of directors.

This is the first time the organization, which represents 65,000 Inuitacross Canada, will be involved in the distribution of federal funds on this scale.

"In the past [money] flowed through public government entities andoften those decisions were made by public governments and not by Inuit," said ITK president Natan Obed.

"The fact that we now have a say in how we allocate those funds is astep forward."

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'Who is in charge of the territory?'

But not everyone is sold on the idea.

Former N.W.T. cabinet minister and former Nunavut MLA Manitok Thompsonsays inserting ITK into the decision making process for federal funds, as opposed to them going directly to regional governments, like the Government of Nunavut, represents a shift of political power out of the territory and a return to the days when Ottawa called all theshots.

"It's a major change in how we get the funding from the federalgovernment to the Inuit," Thompson said.

"Who is in charge of the territory, the premier of Nunavut or ITK? I'mnot sure I really think the federal government is treating us like areserve."

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Premier not worried

For his part, Nunavut Premier Paul Quassa said he isn't worried aboutITK's expanded role potentially undermining the territorial government'srelationship withthe federal government.

"It's not our budget. It's the federal budget and it's theirprerogative on how they will deliver that money," Quassa said.

Quassa highlighted that the GN works with the federal government onmany files, and in the grand scheme of things, the money laid out inthe Inuit priorities section of the budget will end up benefitingNunavummiut.

"At the end of the day we are going to benefit from this because themajority of our population is Inuit," Quassa said.

The premier said he has not seen any indication that ITK will continueto play a role in future federal budgets, while Obed expects ITK's role to grow, saying he plans to advocate to secure funding for an Inuit Nunangat university, reconciliation measures and addictions and mental health treatment centres.

Obed said the relationship between the Government of Nunavut and Inuitorganizations is "still evolving."

The prime minister's office declined a request for an interview.

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