Immediate Investment Towards Handwashing made by NTI

Press Release

(March 26, 2020 Iqaluit, Nunavut) NTI is immediately investing $1.25 million of the Indigenous Community Support Fund to Nunavut municipalities to ensure Inuit have a steady supply of clean water to wash hands.

“Water is a basic human right,” said NTI President Aluki Kotierk. “We are taking this emergency measure to ensure Inuit are able to wash their hands frequently to prevent COVID-19.”

NTI is working with the Nunavut Association of Municipalities (NAM). Municipalities will use the funds to ensure all households get daily water and sewer deliveries for the month of April, which may include hiring new drivers, extending delivery hours, paying overtime for drivers or ordering parts for trucks.

“Municipalities are the front line in the fight to prevent this pandemic,” said Kenny Bell, President of NAM. We appreciate the extra support from NTI to help our members increase their local prevention efforts in the next few weeks.”

Many Inuit are unable to take the most basic preventative measure of handwashing and cleaning hard surfaces due to the need to conserve water as a result of overcrowded houses, shared water and sewer tanks in multi-plexes, blizzards and inadequate municipal infrastructure. The COVID-19 global pandemic underscores the need for long-term sustainable investments to address the long-standing social and economic inequities faced by Nunavut Inuit.

NTI encourages Nunavummiut to practice social distancing and frequent hand-washing. Now is the time to be liberal with our water usage.

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Backgrounder

On March 25, the Government of Canada’s $82 billion emergency coronavirus support package received Royal Assent. It included a $305 million Indigenous Community Support Fund (ICSF) for Indigenous peoples to address urgent community needs.

Nationally, the Inuit allocation of the ICSF is $45 million.

On March 25, the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK) Board agreed that this $45 million would be divided among the four Canadian Inuit regions: Nunavut, Nunavik, Nunatsiavut and the Inuvialuit settlement region, in accordance with a previously agreed ITK funding formula. These monies will be paid directly by the Government of Canada to the four Inuit organizations.

Nunavut’s allocation is 52% or $22.5 million.

On March 25, the NTI Board divided Nunavut’s portion of the Indigenous Community Support Fund (ICSF), as follows:

Urban Inuit	$2,505,000
Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.	$6,012,000
Qikiqtani Inuit Association	$6,132,544
Kivalliq Inuit Association	$4,341,223
Kitikmeot Inuit Association	$3,554,233

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For more information, please contact:

Malaya Mikijuk
Acting Director of Communications
Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated
Tel: (867) 975-4900 Toll-free: 1-888-646-0006
mmikijuk@tunngavik.com
www.tunngavik.com

Qajaaq Ellsworth
Senior Communications Advisor
Office of President Aluki Kotierk
Tel: (867-975-4900 Toll-free: 1-888-646-0006

qellsworth@tunngavik.com
www.tunngavik.com

IHT5