The Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᑕᐱᕇᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ) is a nonprofit organization in Canada that represents over 50,400 Inuit. It was founded in 1971 by Tagak Curley (b 1944) as the Inuit Tapirisat of Canada (or in English, Inuit Brotherhood). It grew out of the Indian and Eskimo Association that was formed in the 1960s.
The organization represents Inuit living in four regions of Canada: Nunatsiavut (in Labrador), Nunavik (in Northern Quebec), Nunavut, and the Inuvialuit Settlement Region of the Northwest Territories/Yukon. Its headquarters are in Ottawa, Ontario, the capital of Canada. The status vis-à-vis the growing population of Inuit living outside the land claims regions remains unclear.
One aim of the organization is to preserve Inuit culture and Inuktitut (the Inuit language). To this end the ITK publishes a cultural magazine named Inuktitut three times a year with content in Inuktitut, using Inuktitut syllabics, the Inuktitut Latin alphabet, English, and French.
The organization also represents the Inuit in matters with the Government of Canada, and advocates publicly on the population's behalf.
ITK is governed by a board of directors and president. The board of directors consists of the Presidents of the four regional Land Claims Organizations, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (NTI), Makivik Corporation, Nunatsiavut Government and the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation who are all voting members. Non-voting members are the presidents from the National Inuit Youth Council (NIYC) and Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC Canada). Generally, the president of ITK does not vote at board meetings, the exception is in event of a tied vote. Any eligible Inuk can run for president. The board of directors votes for the president.
Rosemary Kuptana, then President of ITK, declared on July 27, 1995 that the Inuit of northern Quebec would boycott the October 30, 1995 referendum on sovereignty which failed to address self-government and land claim issues.
Mary May Simon was appointed President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami on 7 July 2006.