The Inuit and Their Land: The Story of Nunavut

David R. Hutchinson is a consultant in Saskatchewan’s Indian and
Métis Education Branch.

Donald Purich’s extensive study of the historical events and
contemporary circumstances surrounding the creation of Nunavut (the
proposed Inuit homeland comprising the eastern half of the Northwest
Territories) is required reading for individuals concerned about Native
land claims and their relationship to a comprehensive definition of
Native rights.

Purich notes that the recognition of Inuit title was of little interest
to the federal government until concerns over Arctic resource
development and Canada’s sovereignty arose. In response, the Tungavik
Federation of Nunavut (TFN) formed to articulate and negotiate the
political, economic, social, and cultural structure of Nunavut. However,
as Purich suggests, there appear to be at least three major obstacles to
the creation of Nunavut: (i) the 1982 Constitution requirement for
unanimous provincial consent in the creation of new provinces; (ii) the
failed Meech Lake Accord’s refusal to grant aboriginal people
“distinct society” status; and (iii) the extinguishment of
aboriginal title as a federal government requirement for the
establishment of Nunavut. It is important to note that although
Purich’s text was published prior to the Inuit vote on the November
1992 Nunavut Agreement in Principle, the vote failed to ratify the
agreement in principle, largely because of a general refusal to accept
the extinguishment of aboriginal title.

Despite the obstacles encountered by the TFN, their objective remains a
model for First Nations currently pursuing self-determination through
the establishment of both a homeland and self-government.