Hungry Days in Nunavut: The Façade of Inuit Self-Determination

This state of affairs raises the question: Who is actually benefiting from Nunavut? WHO BENEFITS IN NUNAVUT? I think we have to confront the reality that Nunavut is for Southern Canada — for these transient settlers I refer to as “incomers.” In other words, Nunavut is still very much a colony; it is a place for others to generate wealth from our lands and resources and leave the scraps and waste f. [...] Like other land claim agreements, about 11% of our claim area (or the territory of Nunavut) is Inuit-owned, 8% of the subsurface is Inuit-owned, and the rest is above ground. [...] The test to the success of a public government model is not only the state of social conditions but also what they have done to protect Inuit culture, including language and education. [...] The public government model that holds most of the mandate for legislation, programs, and services, and an Inuit organizations’ system that manages pockets of lands and benefits and serves as a lobby organization for “Inuit rights” is actually a perfect scenario for political inertia. [...] The issue of Inuktut education and Inuit employment is a perfect example: You have inaction by the government on Inuit will, and all the Inuit organizations can do is take it to court to try to create action.