Inuit Land Agreements
The following video shares some stunning photographs of Inuit Nunangat. (Disclaimer: A few pictures of tall trees and high mountains are atypical of the far north so please ignore those as being representative of Inuit Tunganat)
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Inuit means ‘the people’ in Inuktitut and they are one of the three Indigenous peoples identified as Aboriginal in the Canadian Constitution, 1982. Inuit inhabit the northern areas of Canada, in 53 communities; their territory encompasses 35% of Canada’s landmass, and 50% of its coastline.(1) The Inuit homeland is referred to as Inuit Nunangat, and includes the land, water and ice. Inuit Nunangat has 4 distinct regions: Nunavut, Nunavik (northern Quebec), Nunatsiavut (northern coastline of Labrador) and Inuvialuit (NWT & Yukon). According to the 2011 National Household Survey, 59,440 individuals identified as being Inuit and 73% resided in Inuit Nunangat.(2)
Learn more about the four regions of Inuit Nunangat:
Inuit Land History
Inuit have been on their territory since time immemorial. There is evidence to suggest that the Norse had contact with Inuit as early as the 11th century.(2) Contact with outsiders continued with explorers, missionaries, traders, whalers and scientists. The result of contact brought irreversible cultural change among Inuit, however components of language, connection to the land and nomadic lifestyles remained strong.
Inuit had been pretty much ignored by the federal government since the creation of Canada as a country, until a court decision in 1939 ruled that Canada was responsible for Inuit.(2) Following the court decision, Canada reluctantly provided services to the Inuit. Although Inuit were never included in the Indian Act, the federal policies still followed the assimilationist agenda. Similar to the creation of reserves, Inuit were relocated, sometimes forcefully, to centralized communities. Furthermore, as a means of government identification, Inuit were issued discs that they were supposed to wear on their person at all times.
Source: Permission: This material has been reproduced in accordance with the University of Saskatchewan interpretation of Sec.30.04 of the Copyright Act.
Because Inuit were never included in the Indian Act or signed treaties, their land base had never been dealt with formally by the federal government, although this did not stop the federal government from placing restrictions on Inuit traditional hunting and harvesting activities. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Inuit began a political fight over the assimilationist policies and settling the land base issue with the federal government.(2)
The federal government entered into negotiations with Inuit in what some call modern day treaties, otherwise known as Comprehensive Land Agreements.
The following video showcases some typical Nunavut landscapes and activities.
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Comprehensive Land Claims
Comprehensive land claims is how the federal government has been dealing with lands and territories not dealt with through treaties, thus they are being called ‘modern day treaties’. The negotiations are between the Indigenous group, the federal government and in many cases the provincial or territorial governments. Legal concepts of land title, Aboriginal rights (as defined in the Canadian Constitution) and treaties are the backbone of the negotiations. Provisions of land agreements usually include land ownership and management, self-government, and revenue sharing from resource development.(3)
Nunavut Land Claim Agreement
The negotiations for the creation of Nunavut, Canada’s third Territory began in 1976. An agreement in principle was signed in 1990 and Nunavut was created with the passing of the Nunavut Act in 1993. The agreement was a tripartite agreement; signed by the Tungavik Federation of Nunavut, the federal government of Canada and the territorial government of Northwest Territories. The transition from under the jurisdiction of the Northwest Territories was completed in 1999.(3)
As part of the Agreement, Inuit had to cede Aboriginal title to the land. Aboriginal title is legally recognized as the collective use and jurisdiction over ancestral lands. Key aspects of the Agreement include: ownership of 18% of the land in Nunavut, mineral rights for 2% of the land, 1.173 billion dollars, and the creation of a new territory with strong Inuit representation since 85% of the population in Nunavut is Inuit. Similar to the treaties, the Agreement protects the rights of Inuit to practice their traditional land-based activities.(4)
As well, being a federally recognized territory, Nunavut holds all the same territorial/provincial responsibilities in relation to health, education, environmental protection and economic development. Nunavut can levy taxes on its’ citizens, but only if the Inuit land is inside a municipality and has businesses, services or buildings present.(4) Individuals will also pay income tax on earnings, similar to other Indigenous groups who live and work outside of First Nations reserves.
- The Tukisittiarniqsaujumaviit? is a plain language version of the Nunavut Land Agreement.
- The connection to the land and its continuing importance to Inuit is showcased in a series of storytelling videos that you can view.
Other Comprehensive Land Agreements
The other three regions of Inuit Nunangat have signed or are in negotiations for Comprehensive Land Agreements. For Nunavik, the Makivik Corporation is working within the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement (JBNQA).(5) The JBNQA was signed in 1978.
Inuvialuit is being represented by the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation and signed an agreement with the federal government and the Northwest Territory government to negotiate a comprehensive land claim including self-government in May 2007.(5)
Nunatsiavut has been self-governing since December 2005, when the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement and the Labrador Inuit Constitution came into being.(6) The Agreement was not a tripartite agreement; the federal government was not a signatory. Included in the settlement area is 72,520 square kilometers in northern Labrador, as well as 48,690 square kilometers of sea; 15,800 square kilometers of the land is owned outright by the Nunatsiavut. The Nunatsiavut government, similar to Nunavut, has jurisdiction over education, health and cultural affairs. Nunatsiavut is still part of Newfoundland and Labrador, therefore Inuit have to pay provincial and federal taxes.(6) The Inuit Organizations and Land Claims website has more detailed information regarding the Nunatsiavut Land Claim.
Learning Activity
Works Cited
(1) Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami. (2017). About Canadian Inuit. Retrieved from: https://www.itk.ca/about-canadian-inuit/#nunangat
(2) Freeman, M. A. (2010). Inuit. Retrieved from: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/inuit/
(3). Crowe, K. (2015). Comprehensive Land Claims: Modern Treaties. Retrieved from: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/comprehensive-land-claims-modern-treaties/
(4). Nunavut Tunngavik. (2004). Tukisittiarniqsaujumaviit? A plain language guide to the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement. Retrieved from: http://www.tunngavik.com/documents/publications/2004-00-00-A-Plain-Language-Guide-to-the-Nunavut-Land-Claims-Agreement-English.pdf
(5). Freeman, M. A. (2010). Inuit. Retrieved from: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/inuit/
(6). Higgins, J. (2008). Inuit Organizations and Land Claims. Retrieved from: Inuit Organizations and Land Claims (heritage.nf.ca)