Nunatsiavut
—  Autonomous area  —
The sunset in Maaquvik, Labrador
Flag
Country	Canada
Province	Newfoundland and Labrador
Created	23 June 2005
Capital	Hopedale (legislative) Nain (administrative)
Government
• Type	consensus government within the parliamentary system of Canada
• President	Jim Lyall (since 2008)
Area
• Resource rights	72,520 km2 (28,000 sq mi)
• Officially	15,800 km2 (6,100 sq mi)
Population (2006)
• Resource rights	2,160
• Density	0.03/km2 (0.08/sq mi)
Time zone	AST (UTC-04)
Postal code prefix	A0P
ISO 3166 code	NL
Federal riding	Labrador (electoral district)
Provincial riding	Torngat Mountains (electoral district)
Website	nunatsiavut.com

Nunatsiavut is an autonomous area claimed by the Inuit in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The settlement area includes territory in Labrador extending to the Quebec border. In 2002, the Labrador Inuit Association submitted a proposal for limited autonomy to the government of Newfoundland and Labrador. The constitution was ratified on 1 December 2005, at which time the Labrador Inuit Association ceased to exist, and the new Government of Nunatsiavut was established, initially being responsible for health, education and cultural affairs. It is also responsible for setting and conducting elections, the first of which was executed in October 2006. An election for the Ordinary Members of the Nunatsiavut Assembly is scheduled for 4 May 2010.^[1] The Nunatsiavut Assembly was dissolved on 6 April in preparation for the election.^[2] Its incumbent president is James Lyall.

In Inuttut, Nunatsiavut means "Our Beautiful Land". This name was ratified by the Labrador Inuit Constitution and passed by the Labrador Inuit Association in 2002. A primary objective of autonomy is for the preservation of the Inuit culture and language, as well as the environment through environmental stewardship.

Self-governance[link]

The Labrador Inuit Association had filed a land claim for portions of Labradorian land in 1977.^[3] In 1988, the Labrador Inuit Association, the government of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the government of Canada began negotiations based on the land claim.^[4] An agreement-in-principle was achieved in 2001, and on 26 May 2004, the agreement was ratified by over 75% of eligible voters subject to the land claim.^[4]

On 22 January 2005, the Inuit of Nunatsiavut signed the Labrador Inuit Lands Claims Agreement^[5] with the federal and provincial governments covering 72,520 square kilometres (28,000 sq mi) of land,^[3] including the entire northern salient of Labrador north of Nain as well as a portion of the Atlantic coast south of there. The agreement also includes 44,030 square kilometres of sea rights.^[3] Although the Inuit will not own the whole area, they were granted special rights related to traditional land use, and they will own 15,800 square kilometres (6,100 sq mi) designated Labrador Inuit Lands.^[3] The agreement also establishes the Torngat Mountains National Park Reserve in the northern area of the land claim.

The Labrador Inuit Lands Claims Agreement is a treaty between the Inuit of Labrador, the provincial government of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the federal government of Canada, that is constitutionally protected under the aboriginal and treaty rights of Aboriginal peoples in Canada granted by section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982.^[5]

The self-governance agreement included a transfer of $130 million from the federal Government of Canada in compensation for the forced relocation of the Inuit in the 1950s; $120 million to establish self-government; royalty payments from the provincial government for resource extraction; and land, mineral, and marine rights.^[6] Unspecified benefits for Inuit in Labrador not within the settlement area were also part of the agreement.^[3]

The agreement was ratified by the Labrador Inuit, the Legislative Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Parliament of Canada, where it received Royal Assent on 23 June 2005.^[7]

On 1 December 2005, the constitution was formally adopted, and a swearing-in ceremony was held for the first cabinet,^[8] an interim government which consisted of members of the Labrador Inuit Association board of directors.^[8] This day marked the official transfer of power from the provincial government to the newly-formed Government of Nunatsiavut "to make their own laws relating to cultural affairs, education and health".^[9]

In October 2006, Nunatsiavut held its first election to form a nine-member government, which was sworn in on 16 October in Hopedale.^[10]

Nunatsiavut Assembly and Executive Council[link]

The land claim agreement provided for the establishment of the Government of Nunatsiavut to represent the residents of the land claim area and any Labrador Inuit living elsewhere in Canada. Nunatsiavut remained a part of Newfoundland and Labrador, but the Government of Nunatsiavut acquired the jurisdictional authority over health, education, and justice in the land claim area. Nunatsiavut operates under a consensus government within the parliamentary system of Canada.

The legislature of the government is based in Hopedale, and its administrative centre is in Nain. It is subject to the Nunatsiavut Elections Act. The Nunatsiavut Assembly consists of a minimum 16 members, including:

• a president, who chairs the Nunatsiavut Executive Council,^[11]
• ten ordinary members^[11] (one each from Hopedale, Makkovik, Postville and Rigolet;^[12] two each from Nain, the Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Northwest River and Mud Lake area, and all Inuit elsewhere in Canada)
• the AngajukKâk of each of the five Inuit Community Governments (one each in Nain, Hopedale, Postville, Makkovik and Rigolet)
• the Chairs of the Inuit Community Corporations.^[11]

There are currently two Inuit Community Corporations, NunaKatiget Inuit Community Corporation and Sivunivut Inuit Community Corporation,^[13] and 18 members in the Assembly.

From the Assembly, a member will be elected to act as First Minister. The Assembly would act as a forum for discussion of laws, and it will oversee the Executive Council.

The Nunatsiavut Executive Council will be appointed by the First Minister. It will implement laws, develop and implement policy, initiate and prepare legislation, oversee the administration of the government, and be accountable to the Assembly.

Inuit Community Governments were established in Nain, Hopedale, Makkovik, Postville and Rigolet. Each consists of a municipal council, elected from and by both Inuit and non-Inuit residents, and is led by an AngajukKâk, a chief executive officer and mayor, who must be Inuk.

Large settlements of Labrador Inuit outside the settlement area will be represented by Inuit Community Corporations.

The AngajukKâk of each Inuit Community Government and the chairperson of each Inuit Community Corporation will represent his or her community in the Nunatsiavut Assembly.

See also[link]

Newfoundland and Labrador portal

• Proposals for new Canadian provinces and territories
• Nunavut
• Nunavik
• Nunatukavut

References[link]

External links[link]

• Government of Nunatsiavut
• Labrador and Inuit Land Claims Agreement at the Department of Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador
• Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement Implementation Plan at the Department of Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador

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Coordinates: 59°39′36″N 64°16′25″W / 59.6600°N 64.2737°W / 59.6600; -64.2737

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