Makivvik held its Annual General meeting in Akulivik last week, from April 26-30.
The AGM was scheduled to be in Akulivik for last year’s 2020 AGM, but due to the pandemic, was held virtually. This year it was held in person, and it was great to see familiar faces again. Despite it being an in-person meeting, capacity inside the gym was limited to 50 participants and to minimize the risk of bringing COVID-19 into the region, the decision was also made to have Makivvik’s southern staff join via teleconference.
This year’s AGM was an important one for Nunavik’s Youth. A resolution was passed that will now give them a voting seat on the Makivvik Board of Directors. Prior to this, the Qarjuit Youth Council President sat on the board as an observer. Qarjuit President Aleashia Echalook will remain on the board with voting powers and will maintain her position until the next Makivvik AGM, when it will be determined if a new Youth Representative is to be named.
Another notable resolution that was passed was the reinstatement of the exception that allows Chisasibi Inuit who are not fluent Inuktitut speakers to be nominated for the Makivvik Director position of Chisasibi. This exception is effective for the period between 2021 to 2027.
To see the other resolutions passed at the 2021 Makivvik AGM you can refer to the sidebar on the right, or at the bottom of this page on mobile devices.
Executive Presentations
President’s Department
This was Makivvik President Pita Aatami’s first AGM since his election in February, and as usual, a broad range of topics were covered during the yearly gathering. During his presentation, President Aatami spoke about the various meetings he has held since his election with both federal and provincial governments. He also spoke of a more unified approach where Makivvik would work closely with our regional and community organizations to support their efforts in meeting their mandates and responsibilities.
The Nunavik Self-Determination process will also continue with a renewed approach under his leadership. He emphasised that the work moving forward will be focused on ensuring the process is fully transparent and inclusive of all Nunavik Inuit and Nunavik organizations. He also stated that negotiations with Canada will continue, while also reaching out to Quebec to begin discussions at the provincial level. Mary Simon has returned to the Self-Determination team as the Senior Negotiator, with Lisa Koperqualuk taking the role of Deputy Negotiator. To support the renewed process, the Inuit Advisory Committee has been established. This group is composed of six Inuit whose role will be to provide the negotiation teams with guidance and strategic advice on the development of negotiation priorities and positions. Nunavik organizations will continue to play an important role in the process through the Self-Determination Committee, which is made up of representatives of each organization.
President Aatami also touched on the topic of Youth Protection during his report. He spoke of the work that Sukait is doing and acknowledged Makivvik’s support towards Sukait and its approach based on Inuit values, needs, and knowledge. He mentioned how this work towards culturally adapted services are important steps that we can take today to work towards positive change within our communities.
The Makivvik Justice Department was also discussed during his report. He spoke about how it is one of the fastest-growing departments within the corporation and that he looks forward to supporting the efforts to deliver culturally-adapted services to our fellow Inuit who are unfortunately in the justice system.
In addition, President Aatami also spoke about the Dog Slaughter file, the role Makivvik plays in the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee, and the current state of the Nunavik Inuit Housing file. He also spoke about the Makivvik Construction Division and the effects that the pandemic had on the 2020 construction season.
More detailed information on the Presidents report can be found by Clicking Here
Economic Development Department
The President’s Report was followed by the Vice president of Economic Development, Maggie Emudluk. Her report covered a wide range of topics and objectives that her team has accomplished since the last AGM.
She presented The Subsidiary Governance Policy during her report, which is a policy that was established to create oversight of the Makivvik subsidiaries and joint venture corporations. It also determines the decision-making process regarding new development.
The various active mining files handled by the Economic Development Department were also discussed during her presentation, including talks on Nunavik Nickel, The Makivvik Mining Strategy Development and Conference, and the Land Use and Traditional Knowledge Study (that has been postponed due to the pandemic).
She also shared information on the Nunavik Inuit Business (NIB) Policy. This policy aims to establish and maintain a unified and standardized list of Nunavik Inuit Businesses (NIBs) for the purpose of contract procurement in Nunavik. This will be administered through a Nunavik Inuit Business registry that is currently under development and is scheduled to be launched in May 2021. The presentation also covered the mandate of the NIB Coordinator, along with listing the eligibility criteria to be considered a NIB.
Tarquti, the Joint Venture between Makivvik and Ilagiisaq (FCNQ), was also a topic of discussion. This venture’s mission is to carry out renewable energy projects in Nunavik and contribute to the carbon emissions reduction and actions on climate change. The first project implemented by Tarquti is the installation of weather masts in five Nunavik communities. This project will collect wind data relevant to the development of renewable energy. In conjunction with this work, Tarquti is also collaborating with research centres like Nergica and Hydro Quebec to assess the feasibility of clean energy solutions in Nunavik.
VP Emudluk also discussed the successful Pirusiivik Project. In October 2020, the project marked an important and exciting milestone with the delivery of a hydroponic container to Inukjuak. The team also travelled to other Nunavik communities to support their local greenhouse initiatives.
In addition to these files, a presentation on the status of Pan Arctic Inuit Logistics / Nassittuq was made, and an update on the fisheries venture between Makivvik and Newfound Resources Limited was also provided. The Economic Development report wrapped up with an overview of the Ivakkak 2021 race that concluded in March.
A detailed report of the Economic Development Department can be found by Clicking Here
Department of Environment, Wildlife and Research (DEWR)
Day two of the AGM began with a presentation from the Vice President of the Department of Environment, Wildlife and Research (DEWR), Adamie Delisle Alaku.
He started his presentation with an overview of his staff and their roles within his department, continuing on to list the various land claims boards and institutions that DEWR supports to various degrees, before moving into his department’s long list of active files. He began by speaking about food security, which is a discussion that has grown in recent years due to the obvious overlaps between food security in Nunavik and subsistence harvesting. This was followed by a presentation on the various files related to harvesting, research and management of beluga, caribou, and polar bears.
An update was also provided on the Mobile Camps Clean-up Project, which was announced in 2018 by the Quebec government for the clean-up of nearly 300 mobile hunting camps that were left behind after the closure of the caribou sport hunt.
The topic of climate change is another area where DEWR is very active and the department has a seat at many tables including, The National Inuit Committee on Climate Change (NICCC), Climate Change Preparedness in the North Program (CCCPN), Nunavik Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, and the Inuit Guardians Program.
VP Alaku also spoke on topics, such as the Nunavik Regional Research Authority, fisheries management issues, Cartographic Services, the Nunavik Research Centre, and a magnitude of other files and reports that fall under DEWR.
The full report can be found by Clicking Here
Treasurer’s Department
Makivvik’s Executive Treasurer George Berthe covered the activities of his department and the corporation’s financial situation on Thursday, April 29. He spoke about the cybersecurity risk assessment his team has been undertaking to ensure that their data is kept safe from potential security issues like ransomware attacks.
The Income Tax Program was also discussed. Despite the pandemic, the volunteer tax program was able to continue and complete successful returns for the 2020 tax season. A procedure which aided in collecting the necessary documentation and information in a manner the was safe for both the agents and clients was put in place to keep the program in operation last year. This led to the successful filing of more than 5,700 income tax returns.
In order to ensure that the volunteer income tax program improves further, some changes were made for the 2020-2021 tax season. The team will continue to advance their training program for both the new and returning agents and there are now permanent year-round employees in Kuujjuaq, Inukjuak and Puvirnituq to help Nunavimmiut with income tax related questions.
In addition, an income tax program was developed in partnership with Kativik Ilisarniliriniq, aiming to help promote financial literacy while giving Nunavimmiut the knowledge they need to complete their own income tax return.
Another program, Gun Cleaning and Maintenance, is being developed in partnership with Kativik Ilisarniliriniq. This program teaches individuals the knowledge they need to clean and maintain their personal firearms in a safe manner. The program provided the materials needed, and included items like gun cleaning kits, solvents and grips.
Treasurer Berthe went on to present the employee statistics at Makivvik, including the breakdown of staff who reside in the north and south separated by department. The breakdown of job classes was given, comparing the number of Beneficiaries and Non-Beneficiaries who occupy these jobs. This was followed by a discussion on the training programs offered at Makivvik, which aim to increase the number of Inuit in professional/management roles, one of Makivvik’s crucial objectives.
The activity report with the statistics can be found by Clicking Here
While Makivvik’s Finances can be found in its 2020 Annual Report by Clicking Here
Corporate Secretary Department
Rita Novalinga rounded off the Executive presentations with an activity report from the Corporate Secretary Department. She spoke about the role that the department plays in organizing and supporting Makivvik’s meetings. For large meetings like the AGM, it handles the travel and accommodations, rental of cars, equipment, the assembling of the agenda and documentation, along with ensuring that interpretation and minute taking is handled.
Rita spoke about Makivvik’s shift to a digital travel management system (TMS), a new endeavor for the corporation. Travel will now be managed via a computer-based system, where requests and authorizations will all be centralized. In tandem with the implementation of the system, her team has also been busy training staff on how to efficiently use it. Once fully implemented, the system will make managing travel more efficient and will give instant access to the budgets available for travel.
Over the course of the pandemic, the Corporate Secretary Department has played an important role advocating for less fortunate Inuit, like the homeless who reside in the south. During this period, many of our partners such as Open Door, Chez Doris, PAQ 1 and 2, Resilience, and Native Women Shelter, were forced to close their doors. This took away much-needed resources from already vulnerable populations. With the closure of these services, some homeless Inuit made the decision to return north. Rita’s department helped make this happen and provided travel back to Nunavik for approximately 70 homeless Inuit and continues to do so.
Rita also explained the support that the Southern Quebec Inuit Association provided to Urban Inuit households as well as going through the funding that the Reaching Home Project will receive from the federal government.
The Archiving Project is another big file overseen by the Corporate Secretary Department. This project aims to implement a robust archiving structure within Makivvik, while eventually having documentation easily referenceable in a digital system. Prior to the pandemic, Makivvik’s archivist, Sarah Nantel, began travelling back and forth between the Saint Laurent and Kuujjuaq office to begin the digitization of documentation, but since pandemic travel restrictions were implemented, she has not returned north. But the archiving process has continued at the Saint Laurent office. Most recently, effort has been put into cataloguing all the artwork and carvings that Makivvik owns with the goal to have it all appraised by FCNQ.
The Enrolment Office also falls under the Corporate Secretary Department. For quite some time, there has been only one enrollment officer working in Kuujjuaq, but under Rita’s direction, a second officer was hired for the Saint Laurent office. She explained that this was to fill the need of individuals needing copies of beneficiary cards while in the city, a request that was made frequently in the past.
Rita also spoke about the work that the Information Technology Department has undertaken over the course of the pandemic. With a big shift to staff working from home, combined with the slowdown in travel, much of the work moved toward teleconference and video conferencing. She thanked her IT team for working tirelessly in providing solutions to employee’s new and evolving challenges.
Makivvik infrastructure and housing was also discussed during her presentation. The construction of new staff housing was scheduled to begin in Kuujjuaq last summer, but due to the pandemic and its restrictions, construction was halted. Rita happily announced construction will finally begin this year. She also mentioned that with the archiving being done, it would be critical to come up with a solution for a temperature-controlled warehouse space in Kuujjuaq. With nothing presently being available, her team is looking at potential solutions to try and fill this need.
On a related subject, she also mentioned that the Saint Laurent office is finally receiving a facelift, a project that is long overdue as little to no work has been being done on the office space for 20 years. She said the Saint Laurent and Kuujjuaq reception areas will now have a similar appearance and feel, and that she looks forward to everyone getting to see the space once travel begins again.
The full activity report can be read by Clicking Here
Resolutions Passed
- By-Law Amendment - Nunavik Youth Rep
- By-law Amendment - Chisasibi language Exemption
- By-Law Amendment - Elections
- Nunavik Youth Rep Resolution
- Self-Determination Declaration
- Hunter Support Program Resolution
- Appointment of Auditors