Building Sovereignty Together: Inuit Leadership and Canada’s Arctic Future

“Help us help you build up Canada.”

With those words, Paul Irngaut, Vice-President of Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (NTI), set the tone for a pivotal conversation on Arctic sovereignty and self-determination. His message was simple and profound: Canada’s strength in the North depends on Inuit leadership, security, and prosperity.

That principle was at the heart of The Pearson Centre’s Arctic Dialogue Series: Advancing Arctic Sovereignty and Security for Canada and Nunavut, held on October 29 at the Château Laurier. Co-hosted by NTI and the Pearson Centre, the session gathered leaders, policymakers, and northern project partners to discuss a renewed vision for the Arctic — one in which Inuit-led infrastructure is recognized as central to both Nunavut’s future and Canada’s national security.

As Irngaut told the audience, “We have an opportunity to build Canada together, in Nunavut.”

Inuit Sovereignty Is Canadian Sovereignty

Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (NTI) ensures that the promises made under the Nunavut Agreement are carried out. Inuit exchanged Aboriginal title to their traditional lands in the Nunavut Settlement Area for the rights and benefits set out in that agreement — including shared management of land, water, and wildlife. NTI coordinates and manages Inuit responsibilities while ensuring that federal and territorial governments fulfill theirs.

This governance model, born of partnership, reflects a broader truth: Inuit sovereignty is Canada’s sovereignty. As the world’s attention shifts northward — toward critical minerals, shipping lanes, and climate impacts — the wellbeing and self-determination of Inuit communities are inseparable from Canada’s ability to project presence and authority in the Arctic.

That was the focus of NTI’s call to federal leaders in Ottawa: to make Inuit-led infrastructure a national priority, essential to both Nunavut’s development and Canada’s Arctic sovereignty.

Four Projects of National Interest

At the heart of NTI’s message were four shovel-ready, Inuit-led infrastructure projects that embody the principle of sovereignty through self-determination. Together, they form a blueprint for how Canada can build an inclusive, resilient Arctic future — one that strengthens local communities while advancing national security.

Qikiqtarjuaq Deep-Sea Port

Positioned strategically along the Northwest Passage, the Qikiqtarjuaq Deep-Sea Port will transform maritime access across Nunavut’s eastern coast. Today, nearly all of Nunavut’s fisheries must offload in Greenland — taking jobs, value, and sovereignty with them. This project will change that. Once completed, the port will reduce sealift costs, anchor local fisheries at home, and serve as a critical refueling and resupply point for the Canadian Coast Guard and Arctic shipping. More than a port, it represents a foothold of economic independence and Canadian presence in the eastern Arctic.

Iqaluit Nukkiksautiit Hydroelectric Project

The Iqaluit Nukkiksautiit Hydroelectric Project will bring clean, renewable energy from the Kuugaluk River to Nunavut’s capital. Replacing diesel with stable hydro power means more than lower emissions — it means affordable, reliable electricity that enables telehealth, distance learning, and emergency infrastructure to function year-round. For Iqaluit, it marks a path toward energy sovereignty; for Canada, it strengthens national resilience in a region where reliable power is essential to both community well-being and strategic security.

Kivalliq Hydro-Fibre Link

Connecting Nunavut to southern Canada for the first time, the Kivalliq Hydro-Fibre Link pairs renewable electricity from Manitoba with terrestrial fibre-optic lines reaching Nunavut’s western communities. This project will dramatically reduce emissions, lower energy costs, and unlock new opportunities for business, education, and healthcare delivery. By linking Nunavut to the continental grid, it delivers both economic and digital sovereignty — a tangible step toward closing the gap between the Arctic and the rest of Canada.

Grays Bay Road and Port Corridor

Stretching across the western Arctic, the Grays Bay Road and Port Corridor will open access to vital critical mineral belts needed for Canada’s clean energy transition. The project also provides another essential refueling and staging point along the Northwest Passage — infrastructure that will strengthen Arctic logistics, enhance community access, and reinforce Canada’s ability to sustain a permanent northern presence. When complete, it will serve as both a commercial artery and a symbol of partnership, linking Inuit-led development with Canada’s national interest.

Each project strengthens community resilience, expands Inuit employment, and reinforces Canada’s strategic presence across its Arctic territories.

Infrastructure as Security

These projects are not simply about economics or development — they are about security in its fullest sense. As Irngaut told federal leaders, “Canada’s Arctic strength is only as strong as Inuit security, mobility, and self-reliance.”

Inuit security means reliable energy, affordable transportation, and access to modern communications. It means communities that can sustain themselves in the face of climate change and global competition. And it means governance that empowers Inuit to lead on policies and projects that shape their homeland.

Each initiative presented by NTI and its partners also embodies Article 23 of the Nunavut Agreement, which calls for representative Inuit participation in employment and training. By embedding paid apprenticeships and Inuit hiring targets in every project, NTI’s model ensures that capacity stays in the Territory and benefits flow to Inuit families for generations.

From Symbolism to Action

For decades, discussions about Arctic sovereignty have too often centred on flags, flights, and military outposts. But as Inuit leaders reminded us, sovereignty cannot be asserted by surveillance alone — it must be lived through thriving communities.

As one participant noted, “Infrastructure is not value-neutral. It either isolates or connects.”

Through its Infrastructure and Housing Advisory Committee, NTI is translating Inuit priorities into real, lasting projects — from renewable microgrids and training spaces to the newly established Igluvut Corporation, which supports Inuit-owned infrastructure design and construction. These efforts prove that when infrastructure is designed by Inuit, for Inuit, benefits stay local, costs drop across the system, and longevity is attainable.

This is not just smart policy — it is nation-building in the truest sense.

From Food Insecurity to National Insecurity

True Arctic security cannot be measured only in radar stations or patrol aircraft. It begins with people’s ability to live safely, feed their families, and participate fully in their communities. The reality today is sobering.

As of 2021, 76 per cent of Inuit in Nunavut over the age of 15 reported living in food-insecure households, compared to less than 16 per cent across Canada. According to the 2020 Canadian Community Health Survey, nearly half (49.5 per cent) of Nunavut households are food insecure, and three-quarters of Nunavut’s children live in food-insecure homes.

In such a context, infrastructure is not abstract policy — it is survival. Reliable ports ensure supply ships can dock safely and affordably. Energy projects stabilize heating and power costs in winter. Fibre connectivity supports telehealth and education. Roads reduce isolation and expand opportunity. Every one of these investments strengthens both community well-being and national sovereignty.

A Call to Canada

NTI issued a clear invitation to the federal government: partner with Inuit to build a stronger, safer Arctic. Under the Building Canada Plan, NTI is urging the Government of Canada to formally invest in these four Projects of National Interest with three key recommendations:

1. Centre Inuit ownership and ensure that long-term revenues support housing, training, and community services.
2. Build in paid apprenticeships and Article 23 hiring targets within all infrastructure contracts.
3. Fund full life-cycle operations and maintenance, ensuring reliability and sustainability for decades.

“The cost of waiting is higher than the cost of building now,” Irngaut emphasized. “By investing today, Canada will secure safer communities, stronger families, and a more resilient Arctic for generations to come.”

A Broader Vision

Following the project presentations, a panel discussion moderated by award-winning journalist Hannah Thibedeau explored the deeper interconnections between sovereignty and human security.

Panelists included Natan Obed, President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK); Christy Sinclair, Infrastructure Advisor with NTI and member of the Indigenous Advisory Council for the new Major Projects Office; and Jørgen Wæver Johansen, CEO of Greenland Invest and former Greenlandic Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Mineral Resources.

Together, they explored how Inuit-led governance, cross-border cooperation, and dual-use infrastructure can strengthen both local resilience and national defence.

Obed framed it succinctly: “Human security — food, housing, connectivity — must come before militarization. Without that, sovereignty is an empty word.”

Sinclair added that closing Nunavut’s infrastructure gap is not a regional issue but a national imperative. Johansen noted that cooperation between Inuit in Greenland and Canada could serve as a model for circumpolar solidarity, ensuring that Arctic development reflects Indigenous leadership and shared values rather than external agendas.

The Path Ahead

In her closing remarks, Pam Damoff, CEO of the Pearson Centre, commended the unity of purpose evident in the discussions. “Canada’s strength in the Arctic,” she said, “will always reflect the strength of its northern communities.”

For The Pearson Centre, this dialogue reaffirmed a central truth: reconciliation and sovereignty are not competing goals — they are one and the same.

The message from Inuit leadership is clear and forward-looking: Canada must not only defend its Arctic; it must build it — with Inuit, not for Inuit.

As NTI Vice-President Paul Irngaut reminded policymakers, the time to act is now. “Ports, clean water, fibre, roads — these are not luxuries,” he said. “They are the foundation of a secure, sustainable Arctic, built in partnership with Inuit.”

And perhaps most importantly: “Help us help you build up Canada.”