About Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated

History and Overview

How did Nunavut come about?

Nunavut means our land in Inuktitut, the language of Inuit. Nunavut is the homeland of Inuit in the Eastern Arctic. As the newest territory in Canada, its origins reach back before 1959, the year George Koneak became the first Inuk to address Parliament. The political movement which led to the formation of Nunavut began with the formation of the Committee for Original Peoples Entitlement. This led to the foundation of the Inuit Tapirisat of Canada in 1971. Twenty years later, in June 1993, the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement (NLCA) was ratified in a Nunavut-wide Inuit vote (Inuit were represented by the Tungavik Federation of Nunavut) and by Parliament.

Nunavut Land Claims Agreement

The NLCA is the largest land claim settlement ever reached between a state and its Aboriginal people anywhere in the world and has begun the process of bringing Inuit in Nunavut to their rightful place in Canada. In 1973, the Supreme Court of Canada recognized the existence of Aboriginal Title, thereby casting uncertainty over Canada’s ownership of Northern Canada. The NLCA removed this uncertainty from Canada’s title to one fifth of its landmass.

Canada made two other important gains upon signing the NLCA. First, the Agreement put in place public boards and created a process for obtaining development consent from local people. These boards did not exist before and the potential for endless political and legal conflict over development was removed. Secondly, the NLCA enabled the Government of Canada to harness the knowledge and commitment of local people to manage land and water in Nunavut.

In return for its gains, Canada promised Inuit:

  • A new Territory with its own legislative assembly and public government. The Government of Nunavut came into effect April 1, 1999;
  • Legal title to approximately 351,000 square kilometres of land, of which 37,000 square kilometres include mineral rights, making Inuit the largest landowner in Nunavut next to the Crown;
  • Recognition of the rights of Nunavut Inuit to harvest wildlife on virtually all lands and waters in Nunavut, regardless of land ownership;
  • Equal representation of Inuit on resource and wildlife management boards and institutions;
  • The establishment of three national parks;
  • A representative public service reflecting the 85 per cent Inuit population of Nunavut;
  • Compensation of $1.148 billion paid into a special trust fund over 14 years;
  • A share of the royalties on minerals and oil and gas development on Crown lands;
  • The right to negotiate economic, social and cultural benefits, and environmental protection resulting from non-renewable resource development on Inuit Owned Lands;
  • The right to participate in the development of government’s social and cultural policies in Nunavut.

Although the Agreement was signed in 1993, there are still significant promises in the NLCA which the Government of Canada has yet to implement. While an integrated resource management system was put in place, there is still much work to be done to provide the promised jobs, the economic development, the social and cultural improvements, and the environmental protection which the NLCA was intended to deliver.

Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.

Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI) was formed in 1993 to replace the Tungavik Federation of Nunavut. It is the incorporated organization that represents Inuit under the NLCA. NTI’s mission is to foster Inuit economic, social and cultural well-being through the implementation of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement.

NTI is governed by a 10-member Board of Directors elected by Inuit in Nunavut who are 16 years of age and older. NTI has a staff of 90 people in four offices, including an office in Ottawa.

NTI is responsible for the management of all Inuit-Owned Lands in Nunavut and acts as the advocate of Inuit interests in Nunavut. The organization also provides a number of programs to Inuit, including support to Inuit development corporations and community economic development organizations, an Elders pension plan, a harvester support program, and a bereavement travel program.

How Nunavut is Governed?

The Nunavut Territory came into being April 1, 1999.The Government of Nunavut (GN) is like any other public government in Canada with one important difference. The GN must operate with the framework of the NLCA, a requirement that legally binds the GN to consult with the 85 per cent Inuit population on a wide range of issues which may affect the social and cultural lives of Inuit. NTI and the GN co-operate closely on a wide range of matters under a co-operative agreement called Iqqanaijaqatigiit: Working Together.

The Nunavut Economy

A harsh climate, remote geography, small population base, lack of road or rail access, high costs of labour and materials, and underdeveloped infrastructure systems all combine to create daunting problems for economic development in Nunavut. Consequently, Nunavut is heavily dependent on public sector involvement. This is recognized in Article 24 of the NLCA, which requires government to take measures to assist economic growth.

Nevertheless, Nunavut has significant assets in minerals, an offshore fishery, an arts and cultural sector with great potential, and a population that has demonstrated an ability to master the most forbidding environment in Canada and the political astuteness to negotiate a significant land claims agreement. In 2003, a comprehensive economic development strategy was adopted jointly by key stakeholders in Nunavut’s development.

Inuit Language

Inuktitut is the most widely spoken language in Nunavut. It is the first language of the majority of the population and is widely used across the Arctic. There are many regional and local dialects, but generally speaking, Inuit from Greenland to Siberia can understand one another. The preservation and growth of Inuktitut is a primary objective of NTI.

Inuit Culture

From soapstone carving to the award-winning film Atanarjuat, art in Nunavut has demonstrated for more than 50 years that Inuit cultural activities can form the basis for viable economic activity. Carvings, capturing stories in stone, were the first Inuit export. Inuit knowledge has always supported the traditional economy and today, through the sale of unique forms of art, it generates more than $30 million in annual sales. More than 4,200 persons –one in seven in the territory – identify themselves as active artists. Nunavut’s image in Canada and in the world is strongly influenced by Inuit artists and art is a key element of other economic sectors, such as tourism.

 ©2006 Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated