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HISTORIC AGREEMENT NEARING COMPLETION

MONTRÉAL, QUÉBEC (November 15, 2005) - Representatives for Makivik Corporation, the Government of Nunavut and the Government of Canada gathered today in Montréal, Québec to initial the Nunavik Inuit Land Claims Agreement. The Nunavik Inuit Land Claims Agreement will resolve the outstanding aboriginal claims of Nunavik Inuit to the area offshore Québec (the Nunavik Marine Region) and to Northern Labrador and an area offshore Labrador. This unique and modern treaty will provide the Nunavik Inuit with clearly defined land and resource rights and important overlap arrangements with other aboriginal groups. The Nunavik Inuit must ratify the Agreement with its membership and then the Government of Canada must get Cabinet approval before the Final Agreement is signed.

This initialed agreement makes provisions for the following:

• Nunavik Inuit will own 80% of all the islands in the Nunavik Marine Region.
• Nunavik Inuit will also receive $86 million as capital transfers and funds to assist them in implementing the treaty.
• It establishes co-management (Nunavik Inuit and Government) regimes to address wildlife, land management and environmental issues.
• It confirms and guarantees Nunavik Inuit rights in northern Labrador.
• It guarantees Nunavik Inuit participation in the management and development of the proposed Torngat Mountains National Park.
• It provides for a share for Nunavik Inuit in any resource royalties accruing to government from development activities in the Nunavik Marine Region.
• It confirms important overlap arrangements between Nunavik Inuit and the Crees of Eeyou Istchee, Labrador Inuit and Nunavut Inuit.

“After having negotiated this agreement for over 12 years, the Inuit of Nunavik are pleased to be so close to the conclusion of our land claims agreement pertaining to the offshore area. The water and islands in the offshore have been and will remain important sources of subsistence and shelter during our travels on the waters off our shores as it was for our ancestors. We are glad to finally be able to say that we will now own 80 per cent of our islands, and though we will not own the other 20 per cent of the islands we will still have access to these islands.” said Pita Aatami, President of Makivik Corporation, which represents some 10,000 Nunavik Inuit.

“The Nunavik Inuit Land Claim Agreement represents an opportunity for our fellow Inuit to become full partners in Canada. On behalf of the Government of Nunavut, I offer our congratulations on this significant achievement,” said Nunavut Premier Paul Okalik.

“With this agreement, all the outstanding Inuit land claims in Canada will be concluded,” said the Honourable Jean Lapierre, Minister of Transport on behalf of the Honourable Andy Scott, Minster of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians. “Negotiating and settling land claims is part of the Government of Canada’s commitment to improving the quality of life of Aboriginal people in Canada.”

The Nunavik Inuit Land Claims Agreement is of prime importance because it represents the resolution of outstanding business stemming from the 1975 James Bay and Northern Québec Agreement (JBNQA), of which the Nunavik Inuit are signatories. The JBNQA pertains only to mainland Québec while the area being claimed under this Agreement extends to the islands and waters offshore of Québec within the jurisdiction of Canada and Nunavut. Fittingly, this initialing falls upon the 30th anniversary of the JBNQA.

For further information, contact:

Lisa Koperqualuk
Makivik Corporation
(514) 745-8880

Nino Wischnewski
Director of Communications
Government of Nunavut
(867) 975-6001

Diane Laursen
Media Relations
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
(819) 953-1160

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