IRC’s Answers to FAQs

A. What is the rationale behind giving dividends to beneficiaries?

An individual share of profits from the resources of the Inuvialuit Land Claim Settlement is a fundamental objective of the IFA. The IFA provides two guiding principles:

1. “the Inuvialuit enrolled in the Inuvialuit Land Rights Settlement shall share equally in the benefits received by the various Inuvialuit corporations and distributed through the Inuvialuit trust;” [section 6.(4)(a)] and

2. “restrictions shall be placed by the IRC from time to time on any financial distributions from the Inuvialuit corporations to encourage the preservation of the financial compensation for the benefit of future generations of Inuvialuit.”[section 6.(4)(d)]

The board of directors of the IRC first adopted the Distribution Policy (Policy) in May, 1997. Until that time IRC had no policy governing the financial criteria, time or consistency upon which payments to beneficiaries were made. Distribution had been made without regard to the profit earned in the year or the future of the business institutions of the claim.

B. The objectives of the board in adopting this policy were:

1. The elimination of political motivation in the payment. Distributions are made at a fixed rate, declared upon the approval of the annual consolidated financial statements and paid out immediately thereafter.

2. Beneficiaries have been encouraged to gain an increased understanding of the claim and its institutions. The performance of the business corporations directly relates to the financial compensation with beneficiaries receive.

3. Beneficiaries know when they can expect to receive a distribution.

4. Distributions are budgeted by the business corporations responsible for payment so the cash reserves necessary to pay the dividend are available when required.

C. Are beneficiaries living in the ISR entitled to more benefits than those living outside the region?

The simple answer is ‘no’. All beneficiaries are entitled to an equal share of distributions under the Distribution Policy and have access to all programs for beneficiaries such as the financial assistance provided by Inuvialuit Education Foundation or the Harvesters’ Assistance Program. The level of assistance may vary depending on an assessment of need but access is available to all Inuvialuit.

D. Why are only 42 directors allowed to vote in elections for the chairperson of IRC rather than an election by all beneficiaries of the claim?

Series of photos (right): Nellie and her mother Maggie share the same good sense of humor.

The rules for the election of the IRC Chairperson are contained in the IRC bylaws. The bylaws are based on 2 provisions of the IFA [6.(1)(b) and 6,(4)(c)] which provide for a community corporation for each community “together to control IRC” and “[c]ontrol of each community corporation shall be vested in the Inuvialuit resident in that community”. The communities control IRC and the beneficiaries resident in the community control the community corporation.

The 42 directors are all 7 directors of the six community corporations. They are elected by the beneficiaries resident in their respective communities. The chairs of each of the six communities are members of the IRC board and the 7th member is the chairperson of IRC chosen by the 42. In this way, the community corporations “control” IRC consistent with the direction contained in the IFA.

Any change in the bylaws must be approved by at least 4 of the 6 communities. From time to time, changes to the method of electing the IRC Chairperson have been suggested, such as allowing all beneficiaries resident in the six communities to vote directly to elect the Chairperson. This proposal has so far failed to win support from enough communities to be adopted. The smaller communities in particular have believed that because of the very large differences in population among the six communities, control of IRC would be effectively exercised by one or two larger communities.

NNellie oqaqtoq uummatiminin Inuvialuit sivuniksainik sapujiniaqtuatigun, suangatiptalu ikayuutilu tutqiqsautiksait sivuniptigun.

Inuvialuili tajva inuuniaqpaktut sangiqsuklutik pitqusiqtik, ijusiqtik, inuusiqtiklu olapitqunagu. Taimani nunaningniarsimagamik Inuvialuit pingasunik ilitarsiyuat sivuniurutinik.

Tajva okuat nalunaitkutiksat:

(a) Inuvialuit pitqusiit suangatailu olapitqunagit;

(b) Inuvialuit ajigiiklutik ilauyuksat nunaptingni inuusiptingnilu: ovalu

(c) Monarilugulu olapitaililugulu niryutit,nuna,sila, imaq, nautchiallu.

Tungagivigilugit taapkuat pingasut Inuvialuit Corporate Group savaktuksauyut. Taapkuat sivuniurutit pingasut malirutkuptigit tajva illuriniarungnaqtugut.

Inugiaktut notaqavut inuusiqput malirujaigait, aglaan pitqusivulu suangativulu suli ikayuutauvialuktut qangma- okuatigun: illuaqtukun inuuniarniq, pimaaringniq, piqpakutikun, inmiguarniq, illisarnirlu, qoviasuknirlu.

Allanguqtuaq qangma inugiaktunik olapiqusiqpalaaqluni. Ingilraan illagiit kisiani inuuniaqatigiikpaktuat anguniluklutik niqiksamingnik. Illagiit avingasuitut illurilutik taimani, avanmun illisautiblutik, angayuqaamingnin. Allanik ataniruangitugut qaichiyuksanik otaqisuitugut, qoyanavialuktuq tajva suangayunik sivuliruarapta.

NNellie: Kinaliqa nuitayuq, nutaqanik monaqsiyuat tajva ajigiituq angalachiyuanin ataniqpangnin. Ikayuqsimayutin sivuniksa notaqam apqusiurapku. Iluatun inuuniarniq amalu ilisarniq nuitaniqsauyut.

IIsumayuksaungitutin imana ataniqpaugavit tajva nuitaviktutin alanin. Qanoq itilaan atorupku tajva suqpak.

Arviqsiukiramik taimani inuusqput tutqiingasiyuaq allanguqluni. Aniarutim inuklivialugait- aglaan Inuvialuit sangivailutik yarailutiklu tajva makitayugut qangma suli.

Pitqusivulu suangativulu qanorliqaa qangiqsivagaat, illangit inuit nuna aturamijung suksarisuitkaat, imana issumabluni, tajva nunagiyara qanoqliqaa atolagiga, suqpasungituq. Nakuungitkaluaqtuq monaqiriktuanun pimaariktuanun- pitqusivut suangativulu sanayuatun itut sivuliptingnin, pinguaqsimangitkaat, nunalu imarlu silalu piuyariyaksaungitut. Inirnivut maani itut oqautilagaangatigut, tusaamalugit. Ilaani inirnirit ikayuqtigisukpakaluarivut aglaan tusaamasungitugut, iluangituq taimana.

Inuvialuit ayupsangaitut, notqayuitut suli. Ikayuutiksautit inuuniarun alanguqpan (Mackenzie Gas Project) toqlukuaq issagutikpan takunaqiniaqtuaq qanikun. Inuusiqput nakurualaqublugu, taamna oqariyauvaktuaq sivituyumik.

Nellie-m kangoq sanaiyaqsimaga, niriqpaktuksat tajvani (Inuvialuit Day).

Sivulirmik notaqavut illisaqtuksauyut- niriukitka tamatkuat ikayuutit qiiliktavut.

Sigaaqlukunlu imikunlu illisaujiyuat tutqiumanikun savaaksat ikayuutit aulaqiniaqtut tamatkuat (money) qaikpata.

IRC tajva sanaiyainiaraluaqtuq tamatkuatigun, aglaan inuit inmingnik atoqaaratigit illurilaituq. Okpirigitka aglaan, piniarungnagaat.