Nunavut Land Claims Agreement facts for kids
The Nunavut Land Claim Agreement (also called NLCA) was a very important agreement signed on May 25, 1993. It happened in Iqaluit, which is now the capital of Nunavut. This agreement was signed by leaders from the Inuit people (through the Tunngavik Federation of Nunavut), the Government of Canada, and the Government of the Northwest Territories.
This agreement was a huge step for the Inuit people living in the central and eastern parts of the Northwest Territories. It gave them their own separate territory called Nunavut. It is the biggest land claim agreement ever made in Canadian history with Indigenous peoples.
The NLCA has 42 chapters, which are like different sections. These sections cover many important topics for the Inuit. They include things like how to manage animals, rules for hunting, and how to take care of land, water, and the environment. It also talks about creating parks and protected areas, protecting history, and making sure Inuit people get jobs in the government. The agreement covers the Arctic islands and the eastern mainland Arctic, plus the Belcher Islands.
What the Agreement Did
The Nunavut Land Claim Agreement brought many good things for the Inuit people.
- Working Together: It made sure Inuit people would have an equal say with the government on new groups that manage wildlife, natural resources, and the environment.
- Land Ownership: The Inuit of Nunavut gained ownership of about 350,000 square kilometers of land. That's a huge area! About 35,257 square kilometers of this land also included the rights to minerals found underground.
- Hunting Rights: The agreement gave Inuit the right to hunt and harvest wildlife on lands and waters all across the Nunavut area.
- Sharing Money: The Inuit also get a share of the money the federal government makes from oil, gas, and mineral projects on Crown lands (land owned by the government).
- Negotiating Benefits: They got the right to talk with companies about getting economic and social benefits when non-renewable resources (like oil or minerals) are developed on Inuit-owned lands.
- New Parks: The agreement led to the creation of three new national parks that are funded by the federal government.
- Financial Support: The Inuit received $1.9 billion over 15 years. This money helped set up the new Government of Nunavut. There was also a $13 million fund to help train people for jobs in the new government.
The journey to create Nunavut started many years before the agreement was signed.
- Early Research: In 1973, a group called the Inuit Tapirisat of Canada (ITC) started studying how Inuit people used the land in the Arctic.
- First Idea for Nunavut: Three years later, in 1976, the ITC suggested creating a new territory called Nunavut. Around the same time, a government group recommended splitting the Northwest Territories into two voting areas. One would be the Western Arctic, and the other would be called Nunatsiaq (which is now Nunavut).
- Negotiations Begin: In 1982, the Tunngavik Federation of Nunavut (TFN) began talking with the federal government about the land claims agreement.
- Voting for Nunavut: People in the Northwest Territories voted on whether to create Nunavut. A majority of 56% voted yes!
- Agreement in Principle: In 1990, the TFN and representatives from the federal and territorial governments signed an agreement-in-principle. This was like a strong promise to make the full agreement happen.
- Final Agreement: In 1992, the TFN and federal negotiators agreed on most of the important parts of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement.
- Signing Day: On May 25, 1993, the agreement was officially signed. Important people like Paul Quassa (president of the TFN), Brian Mulroney (Prime Minister of Canada), and Tom Siddon (Minister of Indian & Northern Affairs) were there.
- Becoming Law: Soon after, on July 9, 1993, the Parliament of Canada approved the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement and a law called the Nunavut Act. They both received Royal Assent, which means they became official laws.
- Nunavut is Born: Finally, on April 1, 1999, Nunavut was officially established with its own independent government.
