b'CHAMPIONING INUIT RIGHTSIt was at Baker Lake that Kudloo began to get more involved inwithin Canada and beyond. This includes moving forward with her community. She sat on numerous committees ranging fromMMIWG initiatives and taking action on the National Inuit Action town planning to the local arts centre, among others. In 1987 shePlan, a roadmap developed by Pauktuutit and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami accepted a job with the Government of Nunavuts Department of(ITK) with the intent of ending violence against women, girls and Education, where she worked for 30 years. One of Kudloosgender-diverse people.most significant contributions came in 1989, when sheToday, Kudloo is calling on federal party leaders in co-founded Mianiqsijit, a community-based childadvance of the Canadian election to ensure Inuit sexual abuse and family violence counsellingwomen are included in discussions on the issues service in Baker Lake. related to them, such as the UNDRIP.We had an unfortunate incident where aIn a recent statement to the media, Kudloo priest came here from Iglulik, my hometown,said: Pauktuutit expects that Inuit women and abused 20 children, recalls Kudloo.will be full participants in the development Thats when a volunteer board comprisedof the Action Plan to implement the United Nations of community members decided to provideDeclaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples counselling for those families for over a year,(UNDRIP) Act in the coming months.but soon found there were a lot of other people who needed that same support. A Mianiqsijit committee was formed to address thisON LEADERSHIPneed. Since its formation, it has gone into all areas of familyWhile leadership comes naturally to Kudloo, it is nonethe-violence and now also counsels offenders referred by the courts. Inless a skill she has been honing for many years. One of her role addition to chairing the committee for over 35 years, Kudloo has alsomodels has been Mary Simon, the current Governor General of shared her experience with other women leaders who sought guid- Canada. I was in Ottawa for training when Mary was asked to speak ance with launching similar initiatives. to [the training group], says Kudloo. She said she became a leader when she was no longer afraid to speak, and I think thats the same Kudloo has also become a familiar name on the international stage.for me. As a residential school survivor, I didnt have much confi-She advised at the Preparatory Meeting in Norway before the Uniteddence for a long time because I couldnt make decisions for myself. Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), sharedEverything was dictated for me from the moment I woke up, and I her education sector experience with colleagues in Greenland, andwas always questioning myself. I learned that once you get over advised the United Nations on Canadas relationship with Inuitthat fear, thats when you can become an advocate for your people.women. Additionally, Kudloo serves on a trilateral committeeHaving the support of family and friends has also been a source of consisting of representatives from Canada, the United States andinspiration. For Kudloo, that has included strong, loving parents and Mexico, who meet annually to discuss Indigenous issues. an equally supportive husband who enabled her to pursue her advo-No matter where you go in this world, youll find that Aboriginalcacy work before he passed away in 2005. Having a strong support people have similar issues, says Kudloo. Weve all gone throughsystem has been very helpful, but Ive also had to do my own work similar experiences, weve all experienced racism and discrimination,to become mentally healthy and resolve many things from the past in and were all still dealing with issues like family violence. order to do what I do now, notes Kudloo. As for advice to other women hoping to follow in her footsteps, A WELCOME VOICE Kudloo says: When you have a passion, go for it. It can be hard. Through many roles and countless initiatives, Kudloo has becomeTherell be times when you feel like people will always be there to a respected and vocal champion for Inuit womens causes acrossput you down or say youre not doing enough. But just push on, Canada. In addition to serving as Vice President of the NWT Statusbe professional, and be open to people telling what they believe is of Women Council for numerous terms, she also sat on the Nationalimportant to them.Crime Prevention Council, the Sexual Abuse Coalition of the NWT,Rebecca Kudloo may call Baker Lake, Nunavut her home, but her and the Qulliit Nunavut Status of Women Council, where she waslong-running advocacy and support of Inuit women has made, and the first interim President. continues to make, an impact across the globe. In 2014, she took on her current role as President of Pauktuutit: Inuit Women of Canada, a non-profit organization representing Canadas Inuit women, where she continues to build supports and resources for families within her community.One of the things Im proud of is that we were able to get fundingSNDI/SSC partners and works proactively to build relationships with Indigenous for five new shelters, which Pauktuutit has been fighting for for overCommunities; to develop programs that consistently focus on building transferable skills 35 years, says Kudloo. After the Missing and Murdered Indigenousin the workplace leading to Career Opportunities and continued quality of life for years to Women and Girls (MMIWG) crisis started gaining attention, thecome.These partnerships will continue to focus on building transferable skills for gainful employment and establish trust relationships within Indigenous Communities.government finally realized that we need these shelters because a lotSNDI can also assist with Apprenticeship Programs through work placements.of times women who experience violence in the home have nowhereSNDI is recognized as an Indigenous Company and has been proudly placed on the to go. It will take time to build the shelters, but were very happy toIndigenous Procurement List. This in turn has allowed us to develop relationships with now have that support.First Nations and Indigenous communities across Canada. Looking ahead, Kudloo plans to continue working with her teamLinda Stella647-620-3416 at Pauktuutit in representing Inuit people on important issues, bothwww.sndi.cawww.smartskillsconnect.caOntario Native Womens Association19'