Inuit-Owned Sapujjijiit Inc. Emerges as Strategic Player in Canada’s Arctic Defense Industry A newly formed Inuit-owned company, Sapujjijiit Inc. — meaning “defender” in Inuktitut — is positioning itself at the forefront of Canada’s Arctic defense modernization. Based in Nunavut and established in partnership with Ottawa’s ONE9 venture group, the firm integrates local expertise with advanced defense technology to support northern security and sovereignty initiatives. Sapujjijiit aims to develop and manufacture systems such as drones, robotics, and cold-weather sensors adapted to the extreme conditions of the Arctic. Its creation underscores a shift in Canada’s approach to northern defense — prioritizing Indigenous participation, technological self-reliance, and regional capability building. The company is already collaborating with southern defense firms to establish Arctic testing infrastructure and logistics support for military and dual-use technologies. These partnerships represent a move toward Indigenous-led participation in core defense supply chains, beyond traditional service contracts. The development follows Canada’s 2024 Arctic Foreign Policy directive, which calls for an expanded defense presence in the North to counter emerging threats and enhance surveillance, maritime domain awareness, and logistics resilience. The government has concurrently launched major programs to upgrade the North Warning System radar network, expand the Canadian Forces Station Alert, and modernize NORAD’s long-range detection grid in cooperation with the United States. Sapujjijiit’s emergence signals a model of defense-industrial growth that fuses sovereignty, innovation, and Indigenous economic empowerment in one of the world’s most strategically contested regions.
