NunatuKavut Community Council pushes back against Memorial verification policy

The NunatuKavut Community Council is pushing back against Memorial University’s draft Indigenous verification policy, which excludes the council from Memorial’s consultations with Indigenous groups. Memorial VP Indigenous Catharyn Andersen told CBC that the NunatuKavut Community Council would not meet the policy’s criteria of an Indigenous collective that is recognized either under Section 35 of the Canadian Constitution Act or by its federally recognized Indigenous neighbours. While the organization is not recognized by Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, it currently has an MOU with the Government of Canada that NunatuKavut President Todd Russell says is part of the process of obtaining Section 35 rights.