Statement made on 01 April 2009 by Senator Charlie Watt
Please note that Senator Charlie Watt spoke in Inuktitut and English. Click play to listen to the audio of this speech.
Hon. Charlie Watt:
Honourable senators, I will switch to English. I did not make a deal with His Honour, so I have to cut down what I say in my mother tongue. Hopefully, next time I will be able to speak entirely in Inuktitut. That capability is not yet in place but it is coming.
Today Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada, the voice of Inuit women from across the Inuit Nunaat, celebrates its twenty-fifth anniversary. Since 1984, Pauktuutit has worked tirelessly to address a broad range of health and social issues of concern to our Inuit communities.
Priority issues have included housing, education, economic development, elimination of violence and abuse against Inuit women and children, the administration of justice in Inuit communities and achieving social and political equality in Canada.
Honourable senators, with input from the communities and the Inuit experts, some of this work resulted in the 2006 National Strategy to Prevent Abuse in Inuit Communities, as well as a National Inuit Residential Schools Healing Strategy. Elimination of abuse against Inuit women and children continues to be an ongoing priority.
Honourable senators, I, for one, congratulate Pauktuutit on their success, and encourage our government to continue to work with them as a respected and much-needed partner in improving living conditions in the Arctic.