Government of Canada and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK) announce new research network to address health priorities of Inuit in Canada

There are approximately 70,000 Inuit in Canada living in 51 communities spread across the Inuit homeland known as Inuit Nunangat. For Inuit, health is intrinsically linked to wildlife, the environment, culture, and other social determinants of health. Inuit are best positioned to define research priorities and carry out research activities that address the needs of their communities and respect their rights.

The Government of Canada is fully committed to advancing reconciliation, strengthening the Inuit-Crown partnership, implementing the Inuit Nunangat Policy, and creating a more prosperous Inuit homeland through meaningful collaboration. Since 2017, we have been working closely with Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK) and other Inuit organizations through the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee to make important steps toward Inuit self-determination and support Inuit-led solutions to the distinct issues and challenges faced by Inuit.

Today, the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, and Natan Obed, President of ITK, announced funding of $6.4 million to establish an Inuit Research Network. The grant, provided through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), will strengthen capacity for Inuit-led research and support existing and new research initiatives that address Inuit needs and foster inter-disciplinary connections.

The Inuit Research Network grant will support the implementation of ITK’s National Inuit Strategy on Research, which aims to enhance Inuit capacity, knowledge and self-determination in research, with an emphasis on improving Inuit health and well-being, within and beyond Inuit Nunangat.

This funding invests in the four Inuit regions and their respective land claims organizations, Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, Makivik Corporation and the Nunatsiavut Government, to guide research that strengthens Inuit health.