Nunavik leaders join other Indigenous communities eyeing banishment for bootleggers and drug traffickers – CBC

Apr 27, 2026

‘We are welcoming, but we’re not welcoming people that are there to destroy people’s lives’

Leaders in Nunavik are exploring the idea of banishment as a way to stop the flow of drugs and alcohol into their communities.

Banishment is a historical practice that a growing number of Indigenous communities have been bringing back.

Pita Aatami, president of Makivvik which represents Inuit in Nunavik, says the policy, if implemented, would largely target non-Nunavik residents bringing in contrabands. He says substance use is “killing our people.”

Read More: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/banishment-nunavik-drug-trafficking-bootleggers-9.7176944