A relationship between Inuit Indigenous Peoples and the Government of Canada: Mary May Simon´s contribution

Proceedings of The 14th International Conference on Humanities, Psychology and Social Sciences

Year: 2022

DOI:

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A relationship between Inuit Indigenous Peoples and the Government of Canada: Mary May Simon´s contribution

Céline Rodrigues

 

ABSTRACT: 

Inuit leader Mary May Simon has been doing a long and consistent work in order to establish a good and healthy relationship between Indigenous Peoples and the Government of Canada. A process that is going on since the end of the 1990s in Canada with the truth and reconciliation process, which recommendations were presented in 2015. Since then, the work done by the Inuit leader over 40 years, in different relevant positions, is allowing the acceptance of the past and of the different cultures and languages that are part of a vast and diverse country such as Canada, helpful aspects and of importance in the healing process. Mary Simon´s articles and speeches are the basis for the qualitative research of this work framed in the transitional justice theory, which high moment of recognition and commitment is put in practice and inclusiveness happens with the nomination of an Inuit woman leader for the position of Governor General. It also means that a new image of Canada is expressed in what concerns Indigenous Peoples issue, at local, national, regional and global levels. It is the first work about Mary May Simon through the lens of a reflective and an inductive analysis that intends to fill a gap in research studies about Arctic Indigenous Peoples´ leaders fighting for collective rights.

keywords: Arctic, Inuit, Leader, Mary Simon, Transitional Justice, Truth and Reconciliation.