Nunavut
Native Territories
What are Native Territories?
 Native territories are areas that have
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been given by governments, to first
nations (aboriginals).
These areas are protected by a special
set of laws and are self-governing.
In Canada, Nunavut is considered a
native territory.
Defining Aboriginal
 An Aboriginal refers a person living in
an area before the arrival of
foreigners.
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Aboriginals have a culture and a specific
way of life.
Other words to describe aboriginals;
natives, first nations, or indigenous.
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In Canada there is a small population of
aboriginals in every province.
There are approximately 83 000
aboriginals in Quebec.
This rock statue is called an inuksuk.
 These statues are used by the Inuit
as directional markers and landmarks.
 Inuksuk comes form the Inuit words
“inuk” meaning person and “suk”
meaning substitute.
 The inuksuk is meant to symbolize a
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person pointing travelers in the
right direction.
A Brief History of Nunavut
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Scientists believe that the first people in
North America were the Old World
hunters, who came in search of food
30 000-25 000 BCE.
These hunters hunted mammoths and
mastodons.
Between 30 000 and 12 000 BCE most
of Canada was buried under an ice sheet
4km thick.
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By 9000 BCE the ice sheet was
almost completely melted.
Between the 1570-1820 there were
numerous expeditions by British
explorers.
The British set up many settlements
which primarily served as whaling
stations.
The population of the North continues
to grow in the 20th century.
In 1999 Nunavut becomes Canada’s
official 3rd territory.
The Vikings
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According to Norse sagas, Erik the Red
established settlements if Greenland and
explored the Canadian North from 9861020.
The Viking explored modern day Baffin
Island and Newfoundland.
There is evidence that the Vikings set up a
colony on Newfoundland known as
L’Anse aux Meadows.
Nunavut: Land
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The word Nunavut means “our land” in
Inuktitut.
Most of Nunavut’s size come from the Arctic
Archipelago (cluster of islands).
Nunavut has a very mountainous and
rocky terrain. Some areas are still covered
by ice sheets 2 km thick.
Nunavut has many valleys, frozen lakes,
and costal fjords, caused by past
movements of glaciers.
Nunavut: Climate and
Vegetation
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Nunavut has a very harsh climate making
most of Nunavut inhospitable (not liveable).
Winters are long and cold frequently reaching
-40°C. There are very strong winds.
Summers are short and cool.
Nunavut is a Polar desert due to its lack of
precipitation.
There are no trees in Nunavut. Vegetation is
known as Tundra.
Nunavut: Population
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Nunavut has a total area of 1.9 million km2.
Despite its huge size Nunavut only has a
population of around 30 000 people.
Nunavut’s largest city is its capital, Iqaluit,
Quebec has an area of 1.3 million km2 and
has almost 8 million people.
Over 85% of Nunavut’s population is Inuit.
Nunavut: Government
 Nunavut became
3rd territory on
1999.
 Nunavut
Canada’s
April 1st
also has 1 seat in
the House of Commons and
1 seat in the senate.
Language and Education
 Inuit
children go to school in
their own communities. They
learn their native language
as English or French.
 The Inuit language is called
Inuktitut.
 Inuktitut has only 15
consonants and 3 vowels.
Inuit Clothing
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Traditional Inuit clothing comes from
animal skins, intestines or furs.
The Inuit used these parts because they
retained heat and were waterproof.
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Getting wet in the arctic is very
dangerous, because you will begin to
freeze.
Many people die every year in the arctic
by not wearing the proper clothing.
Shelter and Transportation
Traditionally the Inuit lived in an
animal skin tent or sod (mud/dirt)
house in the summer and an igloo in
the winter.
 Today many Inuit live in wooden
houses. However, some still lead the
traditional lifestyle.
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The Inuit many different modes of
transportation, some are traditional
and others are not.
 Non traditional modes are
snowmobiles, ATV’s (all terrain
vehicle) and trucks.
 Traditional methods include; dogsled, kayak (one person boat), and
umiaq (row boat)
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Sources of Food
 Most
of the Inuit diet is made up
of meat and fish. There are very
few edible plants in Nunavut.
 Most Inuit will hunt or fish for
their food.
 Food sources include: narwhal,
polar bear, seal, caribou,
musk ox, and whale.
The
image above shows
Inuit harpoon heads.
The harpoon was the
traditional weapon of
choice for the Inuit when
hunting large
animals.
Hunting in Nunavut
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Hunting is the main source of
acquiring food in Nunavut.
Today the Inuit can buy food in general
stores, but most still hunt.
Traditionally the main hunt ground for the
Inuit were the pack ice and ice floes.
On the sea ice is where the Inuit would
hunt larger animals, such as whales and
seals.
Polar Bear and Seal hunting
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Polar bear is a traditional food source
for the Inuit.
Inuit will use Polar bear skins to make
clothing and claws and bones are
used to make tools and weapons.
Today many people, other then the Inuit
hunt polar bear.
The Canadian government has set
limits on hunting polar bear, but there
are many illegal hunt that take place
every year.
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Seal are primarily killed for their skin,
blubber, and meat.
Many people other then the Inuit hunt
seals.
This is a big industry that generates close
to 25 million dollars every year.
Many people feel that the government
should do something about the method of
killing seals.
Loss of Territory
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With the arrival of immigrants to Canada,
native land, culture and way of life has
been disappearing.
With the creation of Canada, Native were
subjected to Canadian laws and policies.
They were also forced to live in certain
designated areas.
Today pressure from many Native rights
groups are forcing governments to fix/
apologize for past actions.
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For the Inuit, the Nunavut Land Claims
Agreement was signed in 1993.
This created Nunavut in 1999.
What did the Inuit gain?
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New territory, inhabited mostly by Inuit
A government
The right to hunt and fish
The right to manage resources (oil, gas,
ore, etc.)
Protected national parks.
Recognition on by other governments.
This allows the Inuit to work with other
governments to preserve their way of life.
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A capital city
An official language
Elected members to parliament
Right to pass on native culture and
traditions.
Why did Canada create Nunavut
 By
creating Nunavut the Canadian
government was able to settle
main claims from native groups.
 It showed the willingness of the
government to develop the Inuit
lifestyle along with the rest of
developed Canada.
The image above is a satellite view of
Greenland.
 81% of Greenland’s surface is
covered by an ice sheet.
 The ice sheet is so heavy that it has
pushed the actual surface 300
meters below sea level.
 Greenland is the world’s largest island
and has a population of about 60 000
people.
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What does Greenland and
Nunavut have in common?
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Large native population (Kalaallisut)
Native live similar lifestyle to the Inuit
Many natives rely on hunting or
fishing
Climate and vegetation
Use sea ice and land glaciers to hunt.
Ice melt due to GLOBAL WARMING.
Global Warming: The Basics
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Global warming refers to a period when
average temperatures all over the
Earth increase.
Global warming occurs naturally.
Using large amounts of energy and the
burning of fossil fuels creates
greenhouse gases.
Greenhouse gases speed up the
process of global warming.
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Pollution and deforestation also
increase the rate of global warming.
Effects of Global Warming on
Nunavut
What are some potential effects of
global warming on Nunavut?
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Inuit will not be able to use the sea ice
for hunting.
Marine mammals and animals that use
the ice will disappear.
Inuit will loose valuable food sources.
Inuit communities will disappear.
Some General effects of Global
Warming
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Extreme Weather
Sea level rise
Flooding or Drought
Loss of potable water
Decreased food supplies
Loss of many animal species
Cost for many products (food, electricity,
etc.) will increase.
What can you do to help?
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Use less electricity (fewer lights, etc.)
Waste less water
Reduce, reuse, recycle
Take public transportation, car pool,
walk/bike
Buy energy efficient products
Change your light bulbs
Any others you can think of……………
Other Native Communities
affected by Global Warming
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Nunavut (Canada) and Greenland are
affected.
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Alaska, Norway, Sweden, Finland,
and Russia have native communities that
are affected by global warming.
In 1996 the native groups from these
areas formed the Arctic Council to protect
their way of life.
Native territory throughout the
world
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Throughout history native rights and
native way of life has not always been
respected.
With the arrival of Europeans to North and
South America native populations and
culture started to decline.
In many countries natives were forced to
move onto reserves, abandon their culture,
attend residential schools and adopt a new
way of life.
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Reserve: Is an area set aside for natives.
The land is owned by the federal
government, but administered (run) by
the native community.
With the European expansion (1450-1750
approx), most native land became
European controlled (colonies).
This lack of respect for native rights
continued up until the early 1970’s in
many countries (Canada and USA).
In the 1970’s native rights groups began
to form.
Native claims throughout the
world
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Today there are many native rights
groups are fighting for recognition
and compensation (land, money,
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rights, apology) for past actions against
them.
Every native group has certain claims
that are unique to them. But there
are some major similarities.
Claim: Demand.
Common claims of native groups are:
1. Land claims: Native groups want land
that used to belong to them.
2. Development of natural resources on
their territories.
3. Government funding for cultural projects
and tourism.
4. Preservation of native culture and
language.
5. Political recognition
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Case Study: Oka
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Most of the time native groups
demonstrate peacefully and bring
their claims through the proper
channels.
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In some cases claims are very personal
and get very heated. Ex: Oka, Quebec.
The “Oka Crisis” took place from JuneSeptember 1990 in the town of Oka,
Quebec.
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The Mohawk community had made a claim
for a certain area of land.
This land had been purchased to expand a
local golf course.
The result:
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Military and SQ officers called in.
Two deaths
Numerous arrests
Mohawks surrender
Expansion of the golf course was cancelled
Land is still under dispute
The UN and natives
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Between 1985-1993 the United Nations (UN)
set up the WGIP.
This group was created to look at native
claims and issues.
In 2007 the UN Declaration on the
Rights of Indigenous Peoples was
created.
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This document provides support for native
rights groups.
Canada never signed this document.
Therefore, it does not apply here.
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Recognition and respect
Retribution, get back what used to belong
to them
Religious and ancestral rights
Others......
Remember when answering these
questions:
1. Explain
2. Write a well though out response
3. Realistic/probable answer
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