Historical, Jurisdictional and Political Context
The word "Inuit" means "the people" in Inuktitut,
the Inuit language, and is the term by which Inuit refer to themselves.
Today’s Inuit are thought to be descendants of people who
came from Asia several millennia ago. They have lived "off
the land", developing and sustaining a unique way of life from
the rich mammal, fish and bird life of the Arctic lands and seas.
Their lifestyle has adapted to the change introduced into the North
by European peoples, but it has not been submerged by those changes.
Nunavut is a term that has been part of the vocabulary of generations
of Inuit and, viewed in this context of their cultural originality
and continuity, Nunavut is not a novel concept.
The Inuit were in the forefront of the political re-awakening of Canada's
aboriginal peoples which took place in the late 1960s and 1970s. For many
years, the Inuit conducted research, negotiations and communication, efforts
that culminated in the enactment of two pieces of legislation in 1993,
the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, and the Nunavut Act. The land claim
settlement, the largest in Canada, gives the Inuit ownership of 355 842
square kilometres of land, including subsurface minerals in 35 257 square
kilometres of that total, and compensation from the federal government
of $1.148 billion over 14 years. All other lands are Crown lands where
Inuit have the right to hunt, trap, fish and participate in the management
of the territory. The Nunavut Act creates the Nunavut territory and its
government and provides an institutional footing as to how laws will be
made, executed and interpreted.
Nunavut will have the same status and powers that the Northwest Territories
and Yukon Territory presently enjoy. Through their new government, Nunavut
residents will be in charge of many services, notably education, health,
social services, language, culture, housing and justice. Government departments
and agencies will be decentralized to ensure access to services and jobs.
A 19 member elected legislative assembly, including cabinet, and a single-level
territorial court are the primary institutions. The legislative assembly
will operate consensus-style without political parties. Federally, residents
will be represented by one member of parliament and one senator. Municipal-level
government remain in place.
Nunavut Module of the Atlas
This module of the Atlas focuses on the Nunavut territory. It is divided
in five subtopics. The first, "Our Land" describes through
a series of maps, the physical features of the territory. The second,
"Our people", portrays the people of the territory. Nunavut
schoolchildren contributed to this module by providing us texts
and images about their communities. The third and fourth subtopics
emphasize important aspects of the economy, the transportation infrastructure
and the mining industry. Finally, the fifth subtopic describes special
land set aside for conservation by the federal government.
References
Footprints in New Snow: A comprehensive Report from the Nunavut
Implementation Commission to the Department of Indian and Northern Development,
Government of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated
Concerning the Establishment of the Nunavut Government, March 31, 1995.
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Nunavut became Canada's third territory April
1, 1999. For the first time since the entry of Newfoundland
into Confederation fifty years ago, the internal boundaries of Canada
have changed. Carved entirely out of the Northwest Territories,
Nunavut covers 2 million square kilometres, or approximately one-fifth
of Canada’s surface. Although the Northwest Territories has
been reduced several times in the course of Canadian history, this
most recent boundary change is unique in that it is the result of
an initiative by the Aboriginal inhabitants of the Territory. Indeed,
eighty-three percent of the 26 000 residents of Nunavut are Inuit.
"Nunavut" is an Inuktitut word meaning "Our Land."
