CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY

My name is Okalik Eegeesiak and I am the President of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association. I am extremely proud of you for reaching this milestone and I encourage you to keep fulfilling your dreams. I feel very privileged to be here with you today, the beginning of an exciting new chapter!

QIA’s mandate is to represent Inuit on matters ranging from managing Inuit Owned Lands, negotiating and implementing Inuit Impact Benefit Agreements, setting social and cultural policy and promoting sustainable economic development – whatever it takes to improve the lives of Inuit in our region.

As land owners and stewards of our natural resources, QIA has a particular set of responsibilities in relation to the environment, to the people and to our culture. We take this responsibility seriously and must have professional, educated individuals to take on the roles. We continue to ask ourselves the tough questions and identify the real challenges and the real obstacles that Inuit face and talk about how we can work together to overcome them.

QIA believes that people need resources and skills to improve their physical and social environments and live in prosperous healthy communities. In order to take up the opportunities associated with economic development and to manage the wealth it can create we need a healthier, more educated population confident in their language and traditions. With your help, we will achieve this. We fully understand that such development is a necessary part of our future. This is central to the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement and is central to the role of QIA.

If we read the pages in the chapter of your time at NS, I’m sure we would see that you learned a lesson or two about becoming leaders of your own lives whether it’s in or out of class. For some of you, this may have been the first time living away from your family or your hometown. I am grateful that you guys got up on your own (and on time!), cooked your own meals and studied for the big exams by yourself. I know too that you guys helped each other out at times of need or hardships. Going through these events in your life and getting an education is a path to self-determination.

By taking the step towards higher education you are living the spirit and intent of our Land Claims Agreement. We need to multiply your enthusiasm and dedication to encourage other Inuit to continue pursuing post-secondary education so that you may take over the roles and responsibilities that make our regions, our territory, our country, our world a better place to live and grow.

It is clear to all of us that closing the education gap between Inuit and the rest of Canada must become a priority. We have to educate ourselves to prosperity. This is where NS does such an amazing job – Nowhere else can you learn so much about the history, current issues and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement as well as topics relating to Inuit and Nunavut all in one place. Each year, another group of charged, educated young Inuit come out of the program ready to make their mark on Nunavut and the rest of the world.

This is why QIA is a proud supporter of NS along with the other RIAs and NTI. Not enough can be said about the purposefulness and impact that NS has on students and on the territory. We invested to the purchase of the NS building and are seeing the returns of this investment.

On behalf of QIA, I would also like to extend our gratitude to the excellent support staff, instructors, and board of directors – Thank you for all your hard work and determination.

To all the graduates, I look forward to seeing your resumes for exciting work opportunities where you can continue developing your skills, your knowledge and your motivation. Come visit a few of your alumni at our office including David Joanasie, Anguti Johnston, Becky Kilabuk and Megan Pizzo-Lyall and who knows – you may one day find a job opening and join our team!

Again, I congratulate each and every one of you. You truly are our best ambassadors!

Aingai