Is Canada sidelining Inuit in its Arctic offshore sovereignty claims? – Nunatsiaq News
Lawyers commissioned by Sen. Charlie Watt study Canada’s UNCLOS bids
The federal government must respect any Inuit rights that might overlap with Canada’s offshore sovereignty claims, two lawyers commissioned by Sen. Charlie Watt say in a recent paper.
“Inuit rights to these areas must be respected. If Canada wishes to claim sovereignty over areas covered by these rights, it must engage with Inuit for the purpose of obtaining their free, prior and informed consent,” their paper says.
The authors, Peter Hutchins and Robin Campbell, work for a Montreal firm called Hutchins Legal Inc., which specializes in aboriginal, constitutional and environmental law.
They’re visiting Iqaluit this week to attend the Canadian Bar Association’s aboriginal law conference June 19 and June 20.
