ITC Submits Proposal For The Creation of Nunavut Territory To Government of Canada

On February 27, 1976 ITC president James Arvaluk made a presentation to the Government of Canada that contained the first formal call for the creation of a new territory to be known as Nunavut. From his remarks that day

You will have noticed that our proposal also calls for the creation of a new territory to be known as Nunavut. This is not separatism. We are not calling for the establishment of a sovereign state. We are simply asking you to help us take the first step in the direction of regional self-government ... the kind of self-government that will be responsive to the needs of Inuit who at present make up the majority of the population. We want a stronger voice in such fields as education, housing, health and welfare, social and political development, and the running of our communities. We want to be self-sufficient rather than having to rely on the generosity of southern Canadians. In other words, we are no longer satisfied to be colonial subjects. We want to handle our own affairs, just as the people in southern Canada do.

On April 1st, 1997, after many years of hard work, that dream was realized.

This image appeared in the Oct, 1977 Issue of Inuit Today