Nunavut Territory Established: Inuit Gain New Homeland April 1

ID:	HARP-289
Title:	Nunavut Territory Established: Inuit Gain New Homeland April 1
Source:	Cultural Survival Quarterly, Issue 23.1, http://www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/csq/print/article_print.cfm?id=D974AAFB-CEFB-4EB2-B70E-04F1729E1130
Parties:
Dispute Resolution Organ:
Year:	2001
Pages:	0
Author(s):
Keywords:	Canada, culture, government, human rights, sovereignty, treaty, treaties, British Columbia, civil and political rights, indigenous people, Inuit, First Nations, minority rights, self-determination
Abstract:	The creation of the Nunavut territory, where 82 percent of the people are Inuit, represents a victory for the political and cultural autonomy of indigenous peoples. While native groups in Canada, known as First Nations, suffer from some of the worst social pathologies and economic hardships in the country, there is a growing trend toward self-determination. For example, the Nisgaa Indians of northern British Columbia signed a treaty last year with the Canadian government that gave them the right of self-government over an area more than half the size of Rhode Island. Holding the reins of power to their own land provides the residents of Nunavut and these other areas the tools necessary for political stability, economic growth, and an increase in the standard living for everyone, as well as a boost in native identity and self-confidence. The establishment of Nunavut is the most ambitious Canadian aboriginal proposal for self-government, and reflects the obstacles and promises of political sovereignty for the native peoples of Canada.
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