Speech — UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

Press Release

April 20, 2026

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The last time I spoke at the United Nations was around 40 years ago, as president of the Inuit Circumpolar Council.

At that time, my work was guided by a clear purpose: to affirm that Indigenous Peoples have a legitimate and necessary place within the international system.

We needed a voice at the table of nations to defend the very foundations that have allowed Indigenous Peoples to live healthy lives for generations.

We spoke of self‑determination, essential to caring responsibly for our environments and sustaining our food systems.

We spoke of culture, inseparable from our deep relationship with the land, and central to who we are.

These foundations have been eroded by the legacy of colonialism—the root of many of the health challenges Indigenous Peoples face today.

The health of Indigenous Peoples is rooted in their culture and their self-determination.

I am filled with hope as I see our voices continue to be heard through this forum and through the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

By committing to the Declaration, countries like Canada made a promise.

That life for Indigenous Peoples would improve.

And in Canada, in many ways, it is improving.

I have witnessed progress and a growing awareness among Canadians through national and regional efforts toward reconciliation.

Reconciliation is transforming our understanding of history and building new relationships within our society.

But when it comes to health, lasting change does not come only from investments in safe drinking water infrastructure, food security or livelihoods—essential as these are.

Nor does it come solely from sending non‑Indigenous professionals into communities, or from addressing racism and language barriers within existing health care systems.

Enduring healing begins when support comes from within Indigenous communities.

Through culture.

Through belonging.

Physical and mental health begin at home.

All of this has to be supported by adequate infrastructure and services.

In Iqaluit, Nunavut, I sat with mental health practitioners, community workers, cultural healers and caretakers doing remarkable work with limited resources.

They spoke of how powerful healing is when help comes from a peer—someone who speaks Inuktitut, understands Inuit culture, and knows the realities of life in the Arctic.

Someone who understands that Inuit do not always work by appointment—that approaches like drop‑in counselling or mobile mental health teams are often what work best.

Someone who understands trauma, and the enduring harm caused by residential schools and other colonial policies.

In other words, healing is strongest when people connect with someone who understands who they are.

Distinguished delegates,

As you discuss Indigenous health in the days ahead, the question before you speaks to the very essence of decolonization.

Beyond improving basic services, how can we support Indigenous Peoples in leading the transformation of health care systems to reflect Indigenous perspectives?

How can we support the decolonization of health care systems?

I met a young Inuk medical student who is already contributing to that transformation.

Her name is Madeline Yaaka, from my home region of Nunavik, in Canada’s Arctic.

She had to leave her community at a young age because the science prerequisites required for university were not available at home.

Despite the challenges of training in Montréal, Quebec, far from home, what drives her are the gaps she witnessed growing up.

Gaps in access to care, and gaps in cultural and linguistic understanding.

She remembers being 15 years old, sitting with a doctor who did not speak her language, nor did he speak English. There was no way to communicate.

In that moment, she experienced more than an ineffective medical appointment—she experienced a system that could not fully see her.

Today, Madeline is working to change that.

She is promoting stronger connections between medical education and the realities of Nunavik.

She is advocating for more Inuit to become doctors, not only to serve their communities, but also to transform the system from within.

She returns home whenever she can, visiting schools and youth programs, sharing her story.

And she hopes that when young people see her, they will think: “This is possible.”

That is the heart of it: possibility.

If we are serious about supporting Indigenous leadership in health systems—and ensuring care is rooted in culture—we must open the door to those possibilities.

Beginning with education.

Education is the key that unlocks all possibilities.

Education designed by Indigenous Peoples, for Indigenous students, grounded in Indigenous languages, knowledge and realities.

I am proud of the progress underway in Canada—from the First Nations University of Canada in Regina, Saskatchewan, to the development of Inuit Nunangat University in the Arctic. It will be Canada’s first university rooted in Inuit culture and language.

These are major steps forward.

They allow Indigenous youth to imagine and build meaningful futures without giving up who they are.

They are also foundations of health.

Progress on Indigenous rights is neither fast nor even—but it is real.

And it is happening in part because Indigenous voices are being heard within these walls—as Peoples, and rights holders.

Those voices educate the world about Indigenous realities.

They guide nations.

And they change lives.

As we approach the 20th anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, we must ensure that Indigenous have their own seat at the table within the United Nations.

Merci. Nakurmiik. Thank you.

I wish you fruitful discussions.

ILR5