March 18, 2022
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Hello,
I would also like to offer you a greeting in Inuktitut, my mother tongue.
Before we begin, I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge the heartbreaking conflict in Ukraine. As we speak, Ukrainians are fighting for their freedom, and inspiring us with their bravery. Canada is home to more than a million people of Ukrainian descent who are worried for their family and friends. Canada stands united with them and with all the people of Ukraine.
I encourage all of us to reflect on the events that brought the world to this point of uncertainty and to ask ourselves what we can do to help.
This brings me to a question of my own. In this time of crisis for the rules-based international order, why am I here? Why is the governor general of Canada undertaking this visit to the United Arab Emirates?
Today, more than ever, we need to strengthen the ties that bind, to lead with understanding and respect.
This is a lesson I have learned throughout my life.
I was born in an Inuit community in Canada’s North. Growing up, my mother and grandmother taught me and my siblings about our culture. We spoke Inuktitut, our language. We heard Inuit legends, slept in tents along the George River. We learned to hunt, fish and gather food. We travelled the land by dog sled in the winter and by canoe during the summer.
I also learned about the other world, the non-Inuit, non-Indigenous world. And I saw the way our people were treated. Many children were sent away to residential schools, where they lost their culture and language. Some never made it home at all.
It was during my childhood that two truths crystalized for me:
- Each of us needs to work towards equality.
- The way forward must involve addressing our past.
There is an Inuktitut word that I often use: ajuinnata. The word has many meanings. It is a vow, a promise to never give up. It is a commitment to action no matter how daunting the cause may be.
The spirit of ajuinnata drove me to get involved in movements to improve the lives of Inuit in Canada’s North.
That was a hard process. It still is.
I was often the only woman in the room, fighting not only for Inuit rights, but also just to be heard.
On one occasion, I had to confront a man who was mistreating me, talking down to me, dismissing what I had to say. I persisted and overcame adversity because I had to, because I could not go back to my community, and those I worked for, without results. The cause was too important for me and my people.
This is a similar story for women across Canada and around the world. We fought to have our voices heard, to get a seat at the table.
When women do succeed, it is to everyone’s benefit. And to the world’s credit, women are becoming more involved in all industries and are taking on more leadership positions.
But full gender equality has not yet been achieved.
We must work together to ensure full parity for women, but also for diverse and minority groups. This will lead to social, economic and cultural benefits for all of us.
One way to create equality is by understanding and acknowledging our history. In Canada, for example, that involves telling people about the history of Indigenous peoples, of their mistreatment at residential schools and the years of colonization. It is not a perfect picture of Canada to deliver to an international audience, but it’s a true picture.
Acknowledging the truth can be a path towards reconciliation between Indigenous peoples in Canada and non-Indigenous peoples. It allows both sides to heal, grow and thrive.
Reconciliation is one of the priorities of my mandate. In Canada, it means building respectful relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.
But on an international stage, reconciliation takes on a secondary meaning: respectful relationships between and among nations, between people across borders, and encompassing the overlapping natural world, which we all share and depend on.
Progress can start with something as simple as getting to know one another, our stories and our past, to improve collaboration between our countries.
There is no excuse for not trying.
I have failed more than once in my life, falling short of my objectives and what I set out to achieve. But I got up, learned from my failures and tried again. That is never giving up. That is ajuinnata.
Let me go back to my original question I posed at the beginning: why am I here?
We cannot give up, now more than ever, on communication, dialogue, partnerships and finding common ground.
Already, we are working together in different spheres. Of course, there is this very institution, which partners with Centennial College to provide a uniquely Canadian experience. I was even delighted to see Inuit art on display from McGill University, a great show of education between my people and yours.
There are also a number of other areas that we can find common ground, including climate change and sustainability, defence and security, and innovation. Here in the UAE, you strive for knowledge and are always looking for future opportunities. Canada is a perfect partner in that regard.
In addition, we are grateful for the UAE’s help in getting our citizens safely home during times of great upheaval in the region.
We have seen how international co-operation is essential to preventing and addressing conflicts and crises. This has been proven time and again, but it bears repeating, particularly in this time of global unrest.
Despite the challenges, there is always hope. There is always a reason to work harder, to go further, to create a better world.
One video out of Ukraine shows Amelia, a young Ukrainian girl, singing “Let it Go” while sheltering in an underground bunker. It’s a video that has been shared millions of times. Here, amidst the chaos, is a child’s voice, yearning to be heard on a grand stage, singing her heart out.
She is a reason to put aside hostility for conversation. She is a reason to have hope for our future. She is the reason we need to reach out with hands of friendship to nations around the world. We cannot wait to do so.
I’m here in the UAE to reach my hand out to you, the next generation of leaders. I ask you to remember this moment in our history. Ask how we will meet the moment to address everything from pandemic recovery to women’s rights to human rights to climate change to international collaboration.
These challenges are not easy. We may disagree and have hard conversations on what to do and the way forward. But they need to take place. It is necessary. Every step we take brings us that much closer to solutions, to consensus, to peace and security.
There is always hope that tomorrow can be better if we work together to achieve it.
Together, in the spirit of ajuinnata, in the spirit of never giving up.
I now look forward to hearing from you, your thoughts and your questions.
Thank you.