Media Release – Yvonne Jones court comments

The Nunatsiavut Government is deeply concerned by the inaccurate comments made on social media by Liberal Member of Parliament Yvonne Jones regarding the federal court decision involving the Nunatukavut Community Council in which she states that the court’s decision “defines and recognizes the right” of the Nunatukavut Community Council (NCC).

We wish to make it abundantly clear that the federal court very explicitly states that the NCC’s section 35 status has not been established in law in this case, or in previous court cases, and that NCC has been consistently found by the Government of Canada to not meet the legal criteria to be recognized as sec 35 peoples. Furthermore, the Nunatsiavut Government, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and other Inuit regions, and the Innu Nation, do not recognize NCC as an entity capable of asserting Inuit rights and titles.

We demand that Yvonne Jones be removed as parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Northern Affairs and to the Minister of National Defence (Northern Defence). Ms. Jones, a member of the NCC, has consistently voiced public support for NCC’s pursuit of a land claim with federal and provincial governments.

Public officials are entrusted with the responsibility of acting with accountability, impartiality and within the rule of law. Nunatsiavut believes that Ms. Jones has not met these standards in her role as a member of parliament and a parliamentary secretary due to her public comments and actions to advance the agenda of the NCC.

As one of the founding peoples of this land, we have the inherent right and duty to safeguard our territories, protect our communities, and uphold our right to self-determination. Canada must heed the unified voice of the Inuit and reject claims made by entities that do not authentically represent Inuit identity.