But let me first quickly explain the Inuit view on hunting by using a specific example, the seal hunt. The hunter shows respect for the natural world and for the seal by taking only what is needed. The food which the seal provides is shared within the community, sometimes through a community feast or by giving it to elders and others who cannot hunt. All of the seal is used, and different products are made by different people in the community - be it a pair of sealskin kamiks, seal oil, or misiraq, into which is dipped dry meat, or - ujjaq - fermented seal flippers - a delicacy. Hunting, preparing and sharing animals in this way binds families and communities together, and shows respect for the populations on which Inuit depend.

The Inuit perspective on the hunting of all animals continues to form their approach to harvesting and management issues. This interdependent relationship with living things is reflected in their systems for wildlife management, in the priorities of their political organizations, and in their continued dependence upon the land from which they come. Unfortunately, however, the same values do not appear to guide those who have interfered with the Inuit ability to benefit from arctic animals and coexist with these animals in a sustainable fashion.

The interference has come from a number of sources over the years - be it through laws, policies and regulations that were passed by governments who failed to have a full understanding of the impacts that their actions would have on Inuit, or through the more active interventions of animal rights organizations who, at their worst, have demonstrated a complete disregard for the Inuit way of life.

The first area of impact - the ignorance or disinterest Inuit get from governmental decision-makers - is, thankfully, largely a thing of the past. There are, of course, exceptions to this, but thanks to Inuit land claims, our struggles are now mainly to educate and alert Canadian government officials to their obligations under these agreements.

The second, and major barrier to the Inuit ability to carry on with their way of life, is not one that is as easily surmounted. For there is a segment of southern, or "western" society that does not believe in, nor try to understand, the principle of sustainable use of wildlife. Instead, its members tend to believe that wildlife must be protected, not used, except, perhaps, in a narrow, so-called subsistence sense. In many cases, these people feel that they have the unilateral right to proscribe the limits of subsistence hunting - without regard for our systems of comanagement. They also use this narrow approach to influence decision-makers in government and the general public through their media campaigns - mega dollar media campaigns which we do not have the resources to counteract with our own campaign to educate the public about Inuit sustainable practices.