Ottawa might refuse to give any compensation to the High Arctic exiles because it doesn’t want to set a precedent for dozens of other First Nations claims.
“Too generous a solution to the High Arctic relocation issue will immediately create highly inflated expectations for lucrative settlements on the part of other aboriginal groups and individuals who were relocated in the past,” says a briefing document prepared for Indian Affairs Minister Ron Irwin.
In the 1950s, about 95 Inuit from Inukjuak were moved more than 1,000 kilometres north to Resolute and Grise Fiord. Inuit leaders have requested an apology and $10 million in reparations. So far, the Liberal government has refused, Indian Affairs documents obtained by journalists outline six options for responding to the demand. Only one would see Ottawa offer both the compensation and an apology. Three other options would see Ottawa reject both demands, while offering scholarships or other small aid programs to descendants of the relocated people.
The documents say Ottawa must consider the fact that the Royal Commission’s final report might discuss other relocations, “and it could be imprudent to react at all favourably to the Inukjuak Inuit demands before learning details of the (commission’s) treatment of other relocations.” The final report is due out in December.
Dozens of Native relocations have occurred across Canada. The Algonquin community of Winneway was relocated twice this last century, the first time because it was flooded out by a hydroelectric project.
In Nova Scotia, 2,000 people were moved from 11 communities to Shubenacadie and Eskasoni as part of a centralization policy in the 1940s and 50s.
