Controversy Over $74M Federal Funding to Self-Identifying Inuit Group

Inuit leaders challenge the legitimacy of NunatuKavut's Indigenous identity claims, urging the government to reassess funding allocations.

The NunatuKavut Community Council in Labrador has received nearly $74 million in federal funding since 2010, based on self-declared Inuit identity.
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami President Natan Obed has expressed concerns to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about the implications of these funding decisions on Indigenous rights.
The group, representing around 6,000 self-identifying Inuit, is not recognized by other federally acknowledged Inuit organizations, including the Nunatsiavut government.
A 2019 memorandum with the federal government labeled NunatuKavut as an Indigenous collective, but a Federal Court ruling stated it does not confer legal rights.
Critics, including the Métis National Council, argue that NunatuKavut's claims are fraudulent and have urged the government to halt its support.