The Oceans That We Share - INUIT NUNANGAT MARINE POLICY PRIORITIES AND

The sea ice and marine waters of Inuit Nunangat connect our 51 communities across the entirety of Canada’s Arctic, and unite us to our circumpolar Inuit family in Chukotka (Russian Federation), Alaska (United States), and Greenland (Kingdom of Denmark).5 Most of Canada’s coastline is located in the Arctic, and Inuit Nunangat includes the entirety of that coastline. [...] Inuit rely on marine wildlife for physical sustenance and cultural renewal and in turn Inuit are the stewards of the marine environment dedicated to ensuring its long-term health and sustainability.8 Our knowledge systems emphasize the connectivity between land, water, and ice, and this way of thinking is integrally linked to Inuit culture, our way of life, and our resource use and management prac. [...] The extent of the continental shelf lying under the marine areas of Inuit Nunangat is 3.2 million km², almost three times the size of Europe, not counting the islands of the Arctic Archipelago, which consists of 94 large and more than 36,000 small islands.11 Inuit use and occupancy studies reveal the tremendous breadth and depth of our relationships with our coastal and marine areas including mobi. [...] Our connection to our marine environment is key to the protection and promotion of our current and future well- being.28 Our constitutionally protected LCAs are rooted in the legacy of the use and occupancy of our lands and waters, placing primary importance on the protection and conservation of Arctic wildlife, our environment, and its biological productivity including a range of marine managemen. [...] 48 www.itk.ca - 15 The Government of Canada and Inuit leaders have worked closely together through the high-level discussions of the Inuit–Crown Partnership Committee (ICPC) since the signing of the Inuit Nunangat Declaration in 2017.49 The ICPC is founded on the principle that an equal partnership between Inuit and the Crown is essential to the reconciliation process.