Canada to Deliver Apology to Inuit Families for Dundas Harbour Relocations
Ottawa, ON – The Government of Canada has announced that it will deliver an apology to Inuit families who were forcibly relocated from their homes in Dundas Harbour, Nunavut, in the 1950s and 1960s.
The apology will be delivered by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on February 24, 2025, at the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami National Gathering in Ottawa.
The relocation of Inuit families from Dundas Harbour was part of a government policy known as the “High Arctic Relocation Program.” The program was designed to move Inuit families from remote areas of the Arctic to larger communities where they would have access to better services and infrastructure.
However, the relocation program was not voluntary, and many Inuit families were forced to leave their homes and communities. The relocations caused significant hardship and trauma for the affected families.
In 2018, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) recommended that the Government of Canada apologize to the Inuit families who were forcibly relocated from Dundas Harbour. The TRC also recommended that the government provide compensation to the affected families.
The Government of Canada has accepted the TRC’s recommendations, and the apology to be delivered by Prime Minister Trudeau is a step towards fulfilling those recommendations.
The apology is expected to be a significant event for the Inuit families who were affected by the Dundas Harbour relocations. It is a recognition of the suffering that they endured and a step towards healing the wounds of the past.
Background:
The Dundas Harbour relocations took place between 1953 and 1968. During this time, over 100 Inuit families were forcibly relocated from their homes in Dundas Harbour to other communities in Nunavut, including Grise Fiord, Resolute, and Arctic Bay.
The relocations were part of the government’s High Arctic Relocation Program, which was designed to move Inuit families from remote areas of the Arctic to larger communities where they would have access to better services and infrastructure.
However, the relocations were not voluntary, and many Inuit families were forced to leave their homes and communities. The relocations caused significant hardship and trauma for the affected families.
Many of the Inuit families who were relocated to Grise Fiord faced difficult living conditions. The community was small and isolated, and there were few opportunities for employment or education. The families also struggled to adapt to the new environment and culture.
The relocations also had a negative impact on the Inuit families’ traditional way of life. Many of the families relied on hunting and fishing for their food and livelihood. However, the new communities to which they were relocated did not have the same resources.
The Inuit families who were relocated to Grise Fiord eventually established a new community, but the scars of the relocations remain. Many of the families still feel a sense of loss and displacement.
The apology to be delivered by Prime Minister Trudeau is a step towards healing the wounds of the past. It is a recognition of the suffering that the Inuit families endured and a step towards building a better future for the Inuit people.
Canada to deliver apology to Inuit Families for Dundas Harbour relocations
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