December 6, 2024

Check against delivery

I am very happy to be part of this final annual meeting of the CINUK Programme, here on the traditional, unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg Nation.

I grew up in a small community in Nunavik, in Northern Canada.

We were unaware of climate change. We had clear, defined seasons, with temperatures that remained the same, almost to the date, every year.

My father owned a fishing lodge on George River, one of Canada’s most renowned Atlantic salmon rivers. For many months each year, my family lived off the land there, in tune with nature.

Years later, however, people in Inuit communities were among the first on the planet to start noticing changes in their environment.

Thinning sea ice. Unpredictable weather patterns and shifts in the behavior of wildlife. More and more ocean pollution. The thawing permafrost causing the decay of homes, nursing stations and roads.

The impacts of industrial development and climate change have been huge in the North.

I've met many Inuit from different Arctic regions over the course of my career.

Many times, I saw despair in the eyes of those who could no longer travel safely to hunt and fish, and who no longer knew how to feed their families.

For too long, the voices of Inuit and other Indigenous people were overlooked by science and governments – the very entities making decisions that directly impacted their environment.

I am thankful to scientists, scholars, policymakers, and advocates like all of you – who have recognized the importance of Inuit environmental knowledge over the years.

The Arctic is changing more quickly than most regions of the world.

If we want to fully grasp the climate crisis, and if we want to develop sustainable solutions for future generations, it's crucial that Inuit knowledge strengthens Western science.

It's also vital to engage with Inuit youth. They will be the ones most impacted by climate change.

CINUK has made a major contribution in that regard.

Research projects conducted by Inuit communities, to address Inuit concerns, across Inuit Nunangat.

That’s the best way to build resilient communities.

You have helped people adapt to climate change, from building sustainable food systems to developing renewable energy solutions.

You have fostered successful partnerships. You have built trust between cultures, each bringing valuable knowledge to the table.

Thank you all for your very important work.

Your work gives me hope that in the future, people can continue to enjoy healthy, fulfilling lives in a sustainable Arctic environment.

Just like I used to do with my family – and like my brothers and sisters still do to this day – salmon fishing on George River.

Thank you. Merci. Nakurmiik.