Transcript
Transcript: A Conversation with Valerie Gideon About the Inuit Nunangat Policy
[00:00:00 A series of video clips: An aerial view of an Inuit community; children running down a hill beside a frozen body of water; a herd of caribou grazing; a view of the northern landscape; a boat travelling towards huge icebergs. Upbeat, gentle music plays throughout the video.]
[00:00:18 Title page. Text on screen: A Conversation with Valerie Gideon About the Inuit Nunangat Policy.]
[00:00:25 A photo of Valerie Gideon, with her bio. Text on screen: Dr. Valerie Gideon, the President of the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario and Deputy Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs, is deeply committed to fostering inclusivity and support for Indigenous federal employees. She leads the Indigenous Federal Employees Chairs and Champions Circle and champions the important work of the Knowledge Circle for Indigenous Inclusion, focusing on enhancing accessibility for Indigenous employees. Her passion for these initiatives reflects her dedication to creating meaningful change and empowering Indigenous voices within the federal workforce.]
[00:00:54 Valerie Gideon appears full screen.]
Valerie Gideon: Hello, I'm Valerie Gideon. I'm the Deputy Minister of Crown Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs. I'm also the President of one of the seven regional economic development agencies in Canada, so FedNor, the one for Northern Ontario. I'm a member of the Gesgapegiag First Nation, which is in the beautiful Gaspé region of Quebec.
[00:01:13 Overlaid text on screen: What is the Inuit Nunangat Policy and why is it needed?]
Valerie Gideon: The policy was really intended to be able to frame the core elements that would make the relationship between federal public servants and Inuit more successful, more effective, more responsive to the needs and priorities of Inuit.
For many years, there was a lack of understanding and recognition by federal public servants about Inuit and the Inuit homeland, so the policy is an educational tool. But it also provides very clear advice to public servants about what they need to do to make sure that they are adapting their policies and programs and implementing it in a way that will achieve successful outcomes for Inuit across Inuit Nunangat.
[00:02:06 Overlaid text on screen: What are some examples of transformative change brought about by the principles of INP?]
Valerie Gideon: It's really very impressive for someone like me who has been in the public service for over 17 years. However, most of my career has been spent advocating for Indigenous rights across Canada. It is impressive to me to see how there is now recognition of the needs, priorities, and distinct context of Inuit peoples across Canada. This was really not the case.
In the past, federal organizations tried various models. We had secretariats for Inuit affairs. For example, we had a secretariat for Inuit health at Health Canada. However, these models did not work because they essentially created a marginalization of the issue. Therefore, there was no power, and there was no funding for the public servants who worked in those offices.
Whereas now, what politics does is that it is horizontal. It creates cooperation between several departments, several federal agencies and it creates a sense of belonging in the implementation of the policy. Thus, now there are many more public servants who are aware of the Inuit context and the needs of Inuit peoples, compared to other Indigenous peoples, for example other Canadians. There is a real enthusiasm to support Inuit communities, Inuit peoples, that we have not seen before.
[00:03:48 Overlaid text on screen: What have some of the barriers been to successful implementation?]
Valerie Gideon: I think that we've overwhelmingly seen positive reception and acceleration, in terms of the ability to develop the policy, to secure the Prime Minister and cabinet's approval of it, including very recently, we announced a cabinet directive for the implementation of the Inuit Nunangat Policy. That was an extraordinarily quick initiative advancement, so we've had a lot of support.
I would say barriers will be more in the implementation, in terms of a continued momentum, continued positive momentum, making sure that it is sustained as a priority for the public service, making sure that even with leadership changes, both at the federal side, with ITK, for example, or the Inuit Treaty organizations, that we can continue to work collaboratively, and that we can continue to secure the resources that will be required to train public servants, such as through this initiative with the School, but also that we maintain that consistent voice in central agencies, for example, in preparation of various cabinet documents or treasury board submissions. That's where, really, the rubber will hit the road in terms of making sure that we can achieve those successful outcomes directly related to the policy and to the cabinet directive.
[00:05:22 Overlaid text on screen: What were some of the challenges to the creation of the INP?]
Valerie Gideon: However, I think we have not encountered any major challenges, certainly nothing that I have seen in other initiatives in my career. I think it demonstrates the fact that there was a real openness and a need within the public service to better understand and recognize the context, the needs, and the priorities of the Inuit. Many public servants have never had the opportunity to work directly with the Inuit peoples of Canada, but they have a very deep interest and commitment to this initiative.
This helped us a lot to have positive advice for ministers, the Prime Minister, and central agencies. Therefore, all the partners who were really critical to securing the approval and implementation of the policy.
I would say that compared to many other things that I have seen in my career, really, we have been able to handle the small challenges relatively quickly. Also, I am very happy because we have been able to really continue to have a positive momentum and an acceleration in the adoption of the initiative.
[00:06:42 Overlaid text on screen: What are some of the risks of not implementing the INP?]
Valerie Gideon: Well, I'd say what I've seen in the past have been announcements of funding initiatives, for example, where there aren't sufficient resources to be able to make those initiatives successful in an Inuit Nunangat context. Lots of assumptions being made on pan-Indigenous approaches, or even Canadian mainstream programming that doesn't take into account the very unique context of the Inuit homeland.
And so, that means that those resources are just not effective. The results are not achieved. And ultimately, it can become, I would say, a lack of encouragement for people to think about, Well, how can I ensure that my program or my initiative will reach Inuit in Canada, can become deflating. People will say, Well, we tried, and it didn't work. We don't really know how to do this successfully, and then people give up.
I think that that's the risk of not having this policy is to go back to that type of status quo approach and for Inuit to become increasingly frustrated by not seeing themselves in a Canadian democratic system, not seeing their governments being recognized.
The other major risk is, honestly, litigation. If the federal government does not honor its legal obligations, which are in the treaties that have been negotiated with Inuit across Canada, we will be in the courts. We will be in dispute resolution. We will be paying compensation for breaches of those treaties. And those treaties that are [such] an incredible asset for Canada as a country, they were reached in an amicable way. They were reached in a transformative way. For those treaties to then not be successful in terms of their implementation, who wants that for Canada? Who wants that for Inuit? No one. No one in the public service.
[00:08:45 Overlaid text on screen: Final thoughts?]
Valerie Gideon: I think one thing people might be wondering is why are we doing this for the Inuit peoples, and not the First Nations or the Métis nations, for example? I just want to make one point: there has been a tremendous amount of support for this approach from First Nations and Inuit nations. There is a recognition that Inuit lands and Inuit treaties are truly distinct and it is important for us to use an approach that will truly meet their needs.
Therefore, this does not take away from the initiatives that are underway with First Nations and the treaties we are negotiating with some of the Métis nations in the Prairies, for example. Thus, it is not really a question of why them and why not others; it is a question of here is what they need, we meet their needs, and we work with other Indigenous peoples with models or initiatives that will meet their distinct needs as well.
[00:09:56 The animated CSPS logo appears. Text on screen: canada.ca/school.]
[00:10:02 The Canada wordmark appears.]
