An Inuit Vision for Arctic Sovereignty, Security and Defence

June 16, 2025

Canada would not be an Arctic State without Inuit. Inuit sovereignty is Canada’s sovereignty.

Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami welcomes Canada’s renewed intentions to strengthen and protect Inuit Nunangat, our Arctic homeland, in the face of international interests and threats.

To ensure Inuit perspectives are primary in this national work, ITK today released a position paper, An Inuit Vision for Arctic Sovereignty, Security and Defence, which highlights the costly mistakes of the past, the strengths and knowledge that Inuit bring to this nation-building discussion, and the need to recognize the importance of human security to national security.

“Canada has an opportunity to become a prosperous and powerful Arctic state, with access to critical minerals, energy resources and geopolitically important shipping routes all located in Inuit Nunangat,” the paper says.

“But the welfare of our people and communities has always been and continues to be secondary to Canada’s security interests. This must change.”

Inuit Nunangat is comprised of four treaty regions – Nunatsiavut in Labrador, Nunavik in Quebec, Nunavut and the Inuvialuit Settlement Region in the Northwest Territories. It is a distinct geographic, cultural and political space which makes up 40 percent of Canada’s land area, 72 percent of its coastline and contains 35 percent of its surface freshwater.

It is also an underserviced and neglected region that is warming under climate change and vulnerable to foreign powers like the United States, Russia and China who seek to exert greater control over our waterways and resources.

ITK’s position paper offers key perspectives to achieve equity and prosperity for Inuit and sovereignty and defence for all Canadians.

“Inuit are proud Canadians. We share our fellow citizens’ concerns about threats to Canada’s sovereignty and security,” the paper says. “While we welcome recent pledges made by national political leaders to prioritize the region, a more ambitious vision for developing and bringing Inuit Nunangat into the rest of Canada is the only long-term solution for securing the Arctic.”

On June 13, 2025, ITK hosted a live conversation on Arctic Sovereignty, Security and Defence between ITK President Natan Obed and Rob Russo, Canada correspondent for The Economist. You can watch that conversation here.

Media inquiries: media@itk.ca

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