McKenna Centre Distinguished Speaker Series – Natan Obed, President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
7:30 PM
Kinsella Auditorium
Natan Obed, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, which represents the more than 60,000 Inuit people living in Canada, will deliver a public lecture on Thursday, October 10 at 7:30 pm in the Kinsella Auditorium as part of the McKenna Centre Distinguished Speaker Series.
In his talk, "Advancing Inuit self-determination amidst growing international interest and activity in our homeland," Obed will address the links between Inuit rights and governance and growing international interest and activity in Inuit Nunangat, the Inuit homeland. The talk will focus on the partnership role Inuit must play in shaping Arctic policy as well as the strategic value Inuit-Crown partnership creates for all Canadians.
Obed has devoted his career to working with Inuit representational organizations to improve the well-being of Inuit in Canada. After graduating university, he returned to Canada to work at ITK in Ottawa before returning to Labrador to work for the Labrador Inuit Association. For 10 years, he lived in Iqaluit, Nunavut, and worked as the Director of Social and Cultural Development for Nunavut Tunngavik, the organization that represents the rights of Nunavut Inuit. He also served on the board of Tumikuluit Siapaaqivik, an Inuktitut-language daycare in Iqaluit.
About Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK)
ITK is the national representational organization protecting and advancing the rights and interests of Inuit in Canada. It works to improve the health and wellbeing of Inuit and its activities include research, advocacy, public outreach, and education. It works with the four Inuit regions to present unified priorities in Ottawa. Most Inuit live in 53 communities spread across the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (Northwest Territories), Nunavut, Nunavik (Northern Quebec), and Nunatsiavut (Northern Labrador) in an area called Inuit Nunangat. This area encompasses roughly 35 percent of Canada’s landmass and 50 percent of its coastline.
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami means “Inuit are united in Canada”.
Please visit https://www.itk.ca/