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June 29, 1977

The Yellowknife-based territorial government, the federal government, and most non-aboriginal residents of the western NWT reacted with fear and hostility to Dene and Inuit proposals for self-government. Some aboriginal territorial councilors — as MLAs were then called — tried to bridge the vast gulf that separated the two positions.

Amagoalik responds to Territorial Council's attack on Nunavut

GILDA MEKLER
Nunatsiaq News

IQALUIT — Nunatsiaq News has interviewed the Inuit Tapirisat of Canada's Land Claims Director John Amagoalik on his view of northern development, shortly after the release of the Territorial Council's report "Priorities for the North," which stated that the development of Nunavut would "heighten political tension in native communities."

"The Territorial Council's equation of native people's political ambitions with racially exclusive states or nations is absurd and may even be a conscious effort to deceive your office," Amagoalik wrote in a June 9, 1977 letter to Indian Affairs Minister Warren Allmand.

"The Territorial Council would have you believe that the recommendations in this paper represent the only viable alternative open to native people within the Canadian political tradition the intentions of the native people come well within both the political tradition and the constitutional framework of Canada...We will not, repeat not, abandon our rights to self determination through institutions of our own choosing within the framework of the Canadian constitution."

In defining his idea of "self determination," Amagoalik said, "we've mostly talked about political self determination. Political self-determination means taking over our own government." He added this didn't mean Inuit taking over a government and ignoring other long-term northern residents.

Amagoalik suggested a residency clause of five to 10 years for voting purposes.

Ian Creery, an ITC staff member, said long residency is required because of the "river" of non-Inuit flowing in and out of the area, rarely staying longer than two years, and whose contribution would be small due to their limited understanding of what's happening in the North.

The new political system, Amagoalik said, would be a long process of transition, but added he wouldn't dictate what form it would take.

The first step, he said, would be to elect a new Nunavut Council that would start laying the groundwork for a new government and, in stages, take over responsibilities. This new government would include "the type of changes necessary to ensure that our culture and language survive," he said.

Amagoalik mentioned introducing a language bill — along the lines of Quebec's French Language Charter — to ensure Inuktitut would be used as a working language. That legislation would also make changes within the education system to emphasize teaching Inuit children their own history, language and philosophy.
In outlining what he saw as the difference between the southern Canadian style of government and the Inuit idea of democracy, Amagoalik said elected territorial councillors claiming they will represent the opinion of their constituents go to Council and make all the decisions themselves.

On the other hand, he said, in the Inuit style of democracy, decisions have to be made at the commuity level and then passed on to elected members.

This "grassroots" political system would be awkward and slow, he said, but it has to be that way.

He added that this is the way the Lands Claims Commission works, [to the extent] possible under the time constraints placed on them by outside forces.

Amagoalik said the foundation of land claims work has been with the local elected community land claims committees and he feels that the proposal soon to be presented regarding Nunavut represents the feelings of Inuit as a whole.

Amagoalik commented he was surprised to see the number of people up-to-date on current issues and the growing number of political leaders "coming out of the woodwork."

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