Agreement upsets Inuit

Iqaluit, NWT.

Many Inuit say they are unhappy over an agreement Canada and the United States will sign on the movement of marine traffic in the High Arctic because it does not ensure Canadian sovereignty.

The Inuit have also complained over their lack of involvement in the negotiation process saying it was ironic that the Canadian Government sent Inuit from northern Quebec to Resolute Bay and Grise Fiord in the early 1950s to assert sovereignty, but would not allow Inuit to sit in on the talks with the United States.

The new agreement requires that U.S. vessels must seek permission from the government before using waters claimed by Canada. However, the agreement does not cover sub-surface vessels such as U.S. submarines.

Iola Metug, a former member of the Tungavik Federation of Nunavit ? a political organization, says the government has made a mistake by not using the Inuit to assert sovereignty.

"No one has to tell us who this area belongs to," he said. "We're already here for a long time protecting this land and water for Canada by living on it."