Naujaat Elder Donat Milortok is calling for support and assistance for Pond Inlet and Arctic Bay residents who are protesting against expansion of Baffinland's Mary River mine.
"We have to support our fellow Inuit who are protesting at Nuluujaak (Mary River Mine) while they are struggling to express serious concerns," said Milortok, a former president of the Tunngavik Federation of Nunavut, the Inuit organization that negotiated the Nunavut land claim during the 1970s and 80s.
"Our concern is for the land and for future generations to enjoy the relationship we know with wildlife, animals and the oceans. All Inuit understand this.
"We are all watching the NIRB (Nunavut Impact Review Board) meetings and we do not see Inuit being allowed to participate in these hearings in the way that is correct," Milortok added.
The Elders held a demonstration in support of the hunters Monday afternoon outside the Naujaat hamlet office.
"We want people in Arctic Bay and Pond Inlet to know that they are not alone," Milortok added.