We Inuit are responsible to teach our children, to tell the stories, to sing and to dance, and to be proud of who we are as a people. The purpose of this conference was to discuss topics of interest with the Elders and Youth, such as closer communication between the two groups and issue of the high rate of suicide. This Conference recommended that the Government place a great emphasis on the areas of language, culture and youth. The Government of Nunavut indicated the importance it placed on the wishes of its Inuit people when it created the new Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth. The government is moving quickly to implement programs and services designed for Inuit Elders and Youth.
Elders have a major role to play in Nunavut, as they do in other Inuit homelands.
The International Year of the Older Person in l999, allowed us, in Nunavut to place more focus on utilizing our Elders. Elders have a lot of wisdom and knowledge that they must pass on to the youth of Nunavut. Many leaders in Nunavut speak publicly about the valuable contribution that our Elders are making in the classrooms. The Legislative Assembly of Nunavut has set aside twelve seats for the Elders inside the chambers in recognition of the need for their contributions to this group. Our Elders are our most valuable resource.