Nunatsiavut Government welcomes independent report recommending ending parks agreement with NCC
The Nunatsiavut Government has received a copy of an independent report that examines the Government of Canada’s engagement and partnership processes related to the establishment and management of Akami-Uapishkᵁ-KakKasuak–Mealy Mountains National Park Reserve.
Commissioned by Parks Canada in 2024, the report was authored by Montreal lawyer and political advisor Eric Maldoff.
As the only Inuit Treaty Organization in Atlantic Canada, the Nunatsiavut Government affirms that programs, rights, resources, and opportunities intended for Inuit must benefit Inuit and should not be diverted to unrecognized groups. Unfounded claims of Indigeneity undermine Inuit self-determination, create confusion about Inuit rights and governance, and cause
tangible harm to Inuit communities and institutions.
The “Maldoff Report” echoes long-standing Inuit concerns, emphasizing “the importance of presenting authentic Indigenous histories and narratives, and (the) concern that current practices dilute Inuit representation and perpetuate harm.” It further concludes that the existing Shared Understanding Agreement (SUA) “is predicated on an obligation to consult NCC at the
same level and with the same breath as applicable to (the Nunatsiavut Government and the Innu Nation) under their respective agreements, which is a misunderstanding.”
The Nunatsiavut Government supports the report’s recommendations to terminate the SUA using its notice provisions, to issue clear directives consistent with Federal Court findings that NCC members are not capable of holding section 35 rights, and to discontinue the use of NCC-provided information as Indigenous knowledge.
The Nunatsiavut Government also calls on the federal government to address broader concerns identified in the report, including unclear engagement mandates with NCC, and to take this opportunity to end federal funding, programs and services provided to NCC.