February 24, 2026

Check against delivery

Thank you all for being here, and for driving this consortium forward. Over the past decade, it has sparked unprecedented co-operation across the Hudson Bay and James Bay region.

Indigenous knowledge is vital to understanding and protecting the Arctic.

I remember the debate over the Great Whale Hydroelectric Project in the early 1990s.

But more than the debate, I remember the Indigenous Elders who offered calm, precise testimony during the public hearings.

Many in the room were astonished.

Elders spoke of how a change in river flow could harm the small critters on the ocean floor; how that would affect both larger marine mammals and the tiniest crustaceans; and how all of it would ultimately affect the whales their communities relied on.

None of this knowledge came from books or classrooms or data charts.

It came from observation, from lived experience and from wisdom carried across generations through oral tradition.

Many of you in this room work every day to preserve this ancestral, irreplaceable knowledge that spans everything from ice conditions to wildlife migration to the subtle signals of ecosystem change.

Indigenous knowledge is essential because it reveals long-term patterns that short-term scientific data cannot capture. And because it is both practical and deeply cultural.

As harvesters, as parents, as Elders, you are safeguarding this understanding in your communities. And you are passing it on to the next generation —and, more broadly, to all Canadians.

This is an immense and invaluable contribution. Thank you for sharing your ancestral knowledge.

I am also grateful to the scientists, scholars, policymakers and advocates among you.

Over the years, you have recognized the vital importance of Indigenous leadership in scientific research, conservation efforts and innovation.

You have overcome jurisdictional challenges that once slowed investments and stalled momentum.

You have built partnerships that strengthened trust between cultures.

This consortium has proven time and again that co-operation and local leadership are the anchors of national progress.

Because no matter the brilliance of an idea, it can only succeed when guided by the lived experience of the people who know the land best, and who can ensure it is carried out respectfully and effectively.

Today, as Canada strengthens its focus on the Arctic, your leadership is more essential than ever.

Amid growing security pressures and major investments in infrastructure and economic resilience, this consortium can meet the moment.

How? By continuing to work together on shared priorities for Hudson and James Bays and by strengthening your collective voice.

Your exceptional collaboration across jurisdictions and sectors amplifies your influence. And it helps ensure local needs remain part of national decision‑making.

There is also real potential in your commitment to sharing knowledge—scientific, technical, and Indigenous—across sectors.

This consortium’s ability to bridge these knowledge systems gives the region a unique leadership role in shaping responsible development.

This is a moment of new pressures and transformation, but also of opportunity.

National attention on the Arctic brings resources and visibility that—when paired with strong community leadership and regional co‑operation—can translate into lasting benefits for Hudson and James Bays communities.

I am from the community of Kangiqsualujjuaq, in Nunavik.

My mother and grandmother taught me so much about nature and about our traditional Inuit way of life.

My father owned a fishing lodge on George River—one of Canada’s most renowned Atlantic salmon rivers. For many months each year, my family lived off the land, in tune with the environment.

I am deeply moved to see Indigenous knowledge like mine still being passed down to youth throughout the Arctic.

Not only through oral tradition, but now through new networks and new technologies that help circulate that knowledge in our own Indigenous languages.

This is truly impressive.

I am also encouraged to see governments and institutions across Canada giving Indigenous knowledge the respect it has long deserved.

And I am encouraged to see so many Arctic youth taking part in this summit.

All of this gives me hope.

Hope that we continue to build a strong Arctic, not only through heightened security and thriving economies, but also through resilient communities.

Hope that youth will carry this work forward—to protect the land, the waters and the knowledge that defines this region.

And hope that future generations will continue to enjoy healthy, fulfilling lives in a sustainable Arctic environment, just as I once did with my family.

I wish you all fruitful discussions throughout this summit.

Merci. Nakurmiik. Thank you.