CBC ArchivesThe federal government is trying to dismiss a lawsuit in which Inuit say they had non-consensual medical experiments performed on them in the 1960s and 1970s. Five Inuit filed the lawsuit over six years ago Mah Noor Mubarik · CBC News · Posted: Oct 21, 2025 6:04 PM EDT | Last Updated: October 21Former premier Paul Quassa is one of five Inuit who filed a lawsuit against the federal government over six years ago. (Kieran Oudshoorn/CBC)The federal government wants to dismiss a lawsuit in which Inuit say they had non-consensual medical experiments performed on them in the 1960s and 1970s. A statement of claim says the lawsuit involves pieces of skin that were taken from Inuit and grafted onto others. None of the claims have been proven in court.The federal government filed a motion that says too much time has passed since the incidents occurred, and that the case should be dismissed. The federal government also said there is no evidence to suggest they conducted the research. Paul Quassa, a former Nunavut premier, is one of the plaintiffs and says skin grafts were taken from him, and placed onto his uncle and cousin. “To me that’s kind of degrading in a sense when you’re used as a guinea pig … that’s how I felt afterwards,” he said. Paul Quassa points to a scar left by a skin graft performed on him. (Kieran Oudshoorn/CBC)Steven Cooper is the lawyer that represents the plaintiffs. He said the federal government is trying to escape its responsibilities by using the time limitation defence. “It’s trying to escape explaining its involvement. It says it had no involvement. That’s great, go to court, convince the judge of that, ok, after a full trial” he said, adding that this type of motion does not allow for any live testimony to be given. The plaintiffs are seeking general and punitive damages of just over $1 million. Research Work The International Biological Program was a large-scale project involving research from scientists worldwide. It looked at everything from pest control to pollution and more — including how people adapted to their environments. In a press release the law firm, Cooper Regel, which represents the plaintiffs, claims that a federal committee oversaw the Canadian portion of the program. The initial claim also says experiments were performed on Inuit in Igloolik, and that they involved three Canadian universities. It also said that Inuit were prodded with sharp objects to assess their reaction to pain, and that they were made to stand in the cold, while not being properly dressed. The claim said plaintiffs have suffered irreparable psychological harm, as a result of the experiments. Quassa said the scars serve as a reminder of what happened to him in the past. “I see my scars every day, and as soon as you see them, it comes back,” he said. “Memory doesn’t erase itself, you know you may forgive but you may not forget,” he said. He said what he’s looking for now is an acknowledgment and an apology from the federal government over what happened — and that it would help with reconciliation. “When an apology comes about there’s that healing process. And that’s what we need,” he said. Cooper said a judge will decide whether that the limitation argument stands, but an exact court date for when that will happen has not been confirmed yet. With files from Kieran Oudshoorn and Anaïs Elboujdaïni ABOUT THE AUTHORMah Noor Mubarik is a journalist with CBC Yellowknife. She previously reported for CBC London and CBC Saskatchewan.
Federal government wants lawsuit over medical experiments on Inuit to be dismissed
