Communications

Significant accomplishments were realized within the Department of Communications this fiscal year.
During the fall Board of Directors meeting in Cambridge Bay, the new Communications Policy and the new Computer and Network Usage Policy were presented and adopted by the
Board. It is very important that the voice of NTI be coherent, consistent and informational
when we communicate with the Beneficiaries we are mandated to serve.
The Communications Policy clearly sets out the steps and procedures that the Executive Officers, the Board of Directors and employees will follow when communicating on behalf of NTI. The Computer and Network Usage Policy ensures NTI’s computers and networks function to the best of their ability, and that Executive Officers, the Board of Directors and employees use NTI’s computers and networks in a responsible, appropriate and professional manner.
The Department of Communications also spent a great deal of time on NTI Elections. Voter turnout is low at Inuit organization elections, but this was not always the case. During the territorial boundary vote and the NLCA ratification vote, voter turnout was quite high. It
is very important for Inuit to vote in NTI Elections. NTI is an important organization
because it is the main voice of Inuit in Nunavut. It is the main way that Inuit influence government. Participating in NTI Elections allows Inuit to choose the leader they believe will do the best job.
In an effort to determine why the percentage is steadily declining, the Department of Communications organized a voter turnout workshop with the RIAs. During the weeklong workshop, NTI and RIA communications employees considered past elections communications
plans and looked at the history of voter turnout in Inuit organization elections.
Workshop participants also participated in a youth-oriented elections panel, and a panel with the media.
NTI then revamped its communications messages and launched a very comprehensive communications plan in December 2005 for the March 21, 2006 election for the position of 1st Vice-President and Vice-President of Finance.
Many of the initiatives were geared toward youth in Nunavut. Despite the well publicized NTI Elections initiatives, voter turnout came in at 23 per cent. The Department of Communications will reexamine its communications plan for NTI Elections prior to 2008.
Lesson plans for the Plain Language Guide to the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement were completed, but required further formatting. A student in the Nunavut Teachers Education Program (NTEP) was hired and expected to complete all formatting by the end of the
2006 summer. NTI hopes to have the lesson plans and copies of the Plain Language Guide to the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement ready for distribution to all Nunavut schools by September.
Workshops for adults will also be developed based on the information in the lesson plans.
Significant progress was made on the NLCA Oral History Project. In 2003, the NTI Board of Directors approved a resolution supporting the recording of the oral history of the NLCA negotiations.
The NTI Board committed $50,000 in funding for the project. NTI then approached the GN’s Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth for additional funds. The department
responded very positively and contributed another $50,000 toward the initiative.
Phase I of the NLCA Oral History Project dispersed funds to individuals and organizations to record and transcribe the oral history of the development, negotiations and formation of the NLCA. Funds were also made available to individuals wishing to pursue projects devoted to the
photographic history of the NLCA. This phase concluded March 31, 2006. Phase II of the NLCA Oral History Project has also nearly concluded. The intention of this phase was to begin to
archive 13 years of NTI records and photographs.
NTI spent considerable inhouse dollars on the project and requested an additional $50,000 in funding from the GN’s Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth to assist with
Phase II. Again, the government responded positively and contributed the additional dollars.
Phase III of the NLCA Oral History Project will result in the launch of the NLCA Oral History Project. Planning for this launch began this year.
Once again, Communications wrote and helped IBC produce NTI’s second annual Year in Review Television Phonein Program for NTI Executive Officers.
The television program allowed Beneficiaries to phone in and comment on the accomplishments of the Executive Officers.
The new NTI website was also launched in May. It features easily accessible information
in Inuktitut, Inuinnaqtun and English and allows Beneficiaries to access programs and services, a photo contest and most NTI publications.