April, 1999
Inuit Homeland to Have Inuit Government
On April 1, 1999 Canada took a bold step toward acknowledging aboriginal land rights. On that day the new territory of Nunavut was established, to be governed by the native arctic Inuit people (also known as Eskimo, a term given by European visitors). The large degree of autonomy granted to the new territory creates an unusual, long-awaited opportunity for Inuit self-rule. Autonomy also poses substantial challenges. Many people, including other aboriginal peoples and other Canadians, will be watching to see how well Nunavut prospers under its new government. Observers are also interested to see whether an Inuit government will treat the land and resources any differently than a non-aboriginal government might.
Nunavut, which means "homeland" in the Inuktitut language, occupies the eastern half of what was Canada's Northwest Territories. With just 25,000 people in 27 scattered villages, Nunavut occupies about 800,000 square miles, or 20% of all Canadian territory. About 85% of the territory's people are Inuit; most of the rest are Canadians of European origin. Settlement is so sparse and scattered because the region's environment is cold and harsh. Most of Nunavut is tundra, too far north for trees to grow, and cold Arctic coastline. People have traditionally subsisted on hunting caribou, seals, whales, and other game. The transition from a hunting lifestyle to a sedentary wage-earning lifestyle has been difficult for the Inuit, as it has for many aboriginal peoples trying to enter the mainstream capitalist economy. Sparse settlement also compounds the difficulty of communication and economic development: none of the territory's villages are connected by roads, and the arctic ports are iced in much of the year, so most travel is by airplane. The difficulty of distributing food, fuel, and supplies makes life expensive in the far-flung settlements. Because of sparse settlement and limited employment opportunities education has historically been limited, in comparison to the rest of Canada.
On the other hand Nunavut is rich in mineral resources, wildlife, and scenery. Inuit residents hope that mining and ecotourism will support their territory, along with subsistence hunting and fishing. Big game hunting, trophy fishing, and ecotourism activities including hiking, camping, whale-watching, and other tours are also promising sources of income. Adding promise to ecotourism plans are a series of national parks currently being established in northern Canada. Three of these will be in Nunavut, along with a number of new territorial parks.
It is also important to remember that economic prosperity is only one of the Inuit goals for Nunavut. The right to self-determination may spark hope and energy among these people who once lived independent subsistence lifestyles but who have long been dependent on the federal government for support. The Inuit are also proud of their culture and history, and greater independence may help them retain their roots and identity.
The capitol of the new territory is Iqaliut.
For further information, see these related web sites:
Welcome to Nunavut, from Eat the State (Seattle newsletter)
New conservation areas in Nunavut
Nunatsiaq News--news from Nunavut
To read more, see
Environmental Science, A Global Concern, Cunningham and Saigo, 5th ed.
Map of Nunavut: p. 313
Indigenous lands and land rights: pp. 312-13
Environmental Science, Enger and Smith, 6th ed.
Tundra: pp. 184-85
Altitude and latitude: effects on biomes and productivity: pp. 85-86
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