Public Government and Regulatory Participation in Nunavut: Effective Self-Government for the Inuit

• Main Author: Nowlan-Card, Laureen
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: Schulich Law Scholars 1996
• Subjects: Arctic; Nunavut; inuit
• Online Access: https://digitalcommons.schulichlaw.dal.ca/djls/vol5/iss1/19; https://digitalcommons.schulichlaw.dal.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1114&context=djls

Self-government has been a goal of the Inuit of the Eastern and Central Arctic for decades. In April 1999, the new Nunavut Territory with its own government will become a reality. As the Nunavut government is to be a public government as opposed to an ethnic government, some have argued that what has been created in Nunavut is not truly self-government. This article is a critical analysis of whether the regulatory control and legislative powers derived from the Agreement and the Nunavut Act provide the Inuit in Nunavut with effective self-government. There are three main prerequisites to making self-government a reality: a minimum critical mass of powers, autonomy, and viable implementation mechanisms. This article measures the provisions of the Agreement against the indicia of self-government, paying particular attention to the legislative powers that the Nunavut government will have. The author concludes that despite some weaknesses, the new Nunavut government will mean de facto self-government for the Inuit and provide a precedent showing that self-government can co-exist with Canadian federalism. *** Pendant des décennies, l'autonomie gouvernementale a été un objectif des Inuit de l'est et du centre de l'arctique. En avril de 1999, la nouvelle Territoire du Nunavut avec son propre gouvernement sera établie. Comme le nouveau gouvernement du Nunavut sera un gouvernement public, par opposition à un gouvernement ethnique, quelques personnes ont soutenu que le gouvernement du Nunavut ne donnera pas d'autonomie gouvernementale véritable. Cet article analyse critiquement la question de savoir si les pouvoirs qui découlent de l'Accord et de la Loi sur le Nunavut donnent aux Inuit du Nunavut de l'autonomie gouvernementale efficace. II y a trois critères qui doivent être satisfaits pour qu'on puisse parler de l'autonomie gouvernementale: un niveau minimum de pouvoirs, de l'autonomie, et des mécanismes de réalisation fiables. Cet article compare les dispositions de l'Accord avec les indices de l'autonomie ...