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The Relocation of Inuit in Canada

The relocation of the Inuit in Canada provides us with an insight into the negative impacts of government’s action or misdeed. The Inuit people underwent a lot of suffering after being relocated to the High Arctic islands. From the video, I think the government violated the basic human rights of the Inuk people during relocation by exposing them to inhuman treatment, discrimination, and slavery.

The relocation of Inuit took place between 1953 and 1955 (Madwar, 2018). It estimated that 92 Inuit and Mittimatalik individuals were relocated and settled in two locations on the High Arctic islands. One factor that motivated the relocation of the Inuit was the desire by the Canadian government to establish Canadian sovereignty in Artic. Moreover, the declining fur trade increased the risk of Inuit people depending on government assistance. The relocation of was carried by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), who were acting as representatives of the Department of Resources and Development. The recruitment of Inuit families for relocation was done using coercion. For instance, the families were told that they resettlement was aimed at improving their living conditions as the northern locations were abundant of wildlife for hunting. However, on arrival, the, families found that their hunting practices were restricted. Additionally, some families were misled into believing that they will return after two years while others were made to believe that other family members were also moving to the new location. The relocated families found many challenges in the new location. Accordingly, the families found it difficult to adjust with the conditions of the new surroundings. For instance, the continuous darkness of the High Arctic winter disrupted their daily lives, as they were not used to it. Moreover, it was difficult for them to construct their igloos in the new location due to lack of thawing of froze. Due to difficulties in construction in igloos, the Inuit families were forced to spend their first winter in canvas tents. Other challenges they faced in the new locations including lack of source of fuel and problems finding food.

The challenges faced by the relocated Inuit families are as a result of violation of their basic human rights. This violation of basic human rights of the Inuit people by the Canadian government is manifested in different ways. First, the Canadian government violated the basic human rights of the Inuit people by exposing them to inhuman treatment. In the video, we can identify several incidences in which the Inuit people were exposed to inhuman treatment. For instance, the separation of individuals from family members is inhuman as it exposed them to severe physical and emotional suffering (Tassinari, 1995). According to Madwar (2018), Inuit families suffered from depression when they realize that they would not be permitted to go back to their original homes after two years. Probably, their depression is an indication of the mental suffering that they were facing. In response to their depression, some individuals from the Inuit families resolved to alcohol use (Madwar, 2018). Another indication of the inhuman treatment of Inuit families was the refusal by the government to facilitate the return of Inuit to their original homes (Tassinari, 1995). Accordingly, the Inuit had been resettled about 2,000 Km away from their original homes. The initial promise was that the government would allow them to return to their homes after two years. However, the refusal by the government to facilitate their return can be considered as inhuman. This is because it was difficult for the Inuit people to facilitate their return due to the distance that they had been moved. In other words, the government knew that it was difficult for them to return to their original homes, yet they refused to facilitate their return (Tassinari, 1995). By refusing to facilitate the return of these people, the government was letting them to continue suffering.

Government also violated the basic human rights of the Inuit people by discriminating against them. One incidence of discrimination against Inuit people was on the decision to relocate them. Accordingly, the government decided to relocate the Inuit people despite the presence of other communities. If the government observed equality in the relocation, then it should have relocated families from different ethnic communities. Looking into the lifestyles of the Inuit people, it is clear why they were easy target of government action. For instance, Inuit people depended hunting and fishing (Madwar, 2018). As a result, it was easier for the government to lure them into moving to the North using the promise of more hunting and fishing opportunities. Discrimination of the Inuit people was facilitate through lack of involvement in decision making. According to Madwar (2018), the decision to resettle the Inuit was carried out without involving them. The fact that other groups were involved in the decision making process and Inuit people were not involved is another indication of discrimination. The Inuit people were also discriminated against in employment. According to Madwar (2018), the employment of individuals at RCMP post was exclusive to non-Inuit. By discriminating against the Inuit people, the government was laying the ground for the violation of their basic human rights.

The basic human rights of the Inuit people were also violated by exposing them to slavery. Accordingly, the Canadian government used the Inuit people to achieve some interest including reducing government dependence and establishing Canadian sovereignty in the Artic. However, the use of Inuit people amounts to slavery in different ways. For instance, the relocation of the Inuit people was not out of free will, but rather through coercion and threats (Tassinari, 1995; Madwar, 2018). Additionally, the Inuit people were denied many rights that free people during the relocation. For instance, their movement were restricted in the new area. This explains why some of them had to leave High Artic only when they were send for medication in the south (Madwar, 2018). Other evidence of slavery includes the forced living conditions and the level of control that they were subjected to in the Artic by the RCMP.

In conclusion, the relocation of the Inuit people by the Canadian government greatly violated their basic human rights. The government violated the rights of Inuit by subjecting to inhuman treatment, discriminating against them and exposing them to slavery conditions. The action by the Canadian government to apologize to the Inuit people is an indication that it had recognized its violation of human rights in the relocation of the Inuit people.

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