Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated
Encyclopedia
Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (NTI; Inuktitut
: Nunavut Tunngavik; Syllabics
: ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᑐᙵᕕᒃ) is the legal representative of the Inuit
of Nunavut
for the purposes of native treaty rights and treaty negotiation and one of the four regional members that make up the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
. NTI continues to play a central role in Nunavut
, even after the creation of the Government of Nunavut. As the successor of the Tunngavik Federation of Nunavut, which was a signatory of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement
on behalf of Inuit, NTI is responsible for ensuring that the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement is implemented fully by the Government of Canada and the Government of Nunavut and that all parties fulfill their obligations.
NTI is governed by a ten member board of directors. Three of the directors, one each of whom also serves as the President, the First-Vice President and Vice-President of Finance, are elected directly by beneficiaries of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement who are 16 years and older. A total of six directors are appointed by the three regional Inuit associations located in Nunavut. One director is appointed by the Nunavut Trust, the body responsible for holding in trust the monies received from the Government of Canada as part of the settlement of the Nunavut land claim in 1993.
NTI’s mission is: “Inuit economic, social and cultural well-being through implementation of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement.”
Organizationally, NTI consists of ten departments:
For NTI, the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement is the central structure for identifying policy priorities and directions. This follows two main paths:
NTI has gone through a transformation from the political activist body it began as to an organization with significant responsibilities for administering the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement. Nevertheless, it continues as an advocate for the rights of Inuit.
Inuktitut
Inuktitut or Eastern Canadian Inuktitut, Eastern Canadian Inuit language is the name of some of the Inuit languages spoken in Canada...
: Nunavut Tunngavik; Syllabics
Inuktitut syllabics
Inuktitut syllabics is a writing system used by the Inuit in Nunavut and in Nunavik, Quebec...
: ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᑐᙵᕕᒃ) is the legal representative of the Inuit
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
of Nunavut
Nunavut
Nunavut is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, though the actual boundaries had been established in 1993...
for the purposes of native treaty rights and treaty negotiation and one of the four regional members that make up the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
The Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami is a nonprofit organization in Canada that represents over 50,400 Inuit. It was founded in 1971 by Tagak Curley as the Inuit Tapirisat of Canada...
. NTI continues to play a central role in Nunavut
Nunavut
Nunavut is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, though the actual boundaries had been established in 1993...
, even after the creation of the Government of Nunavut. As the successor of the Tunngavik Federation of Nunavut, which was a signatory of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement
Nunavut Land Claims Agreement
The Nunavut Land Claims Agreement is a 1993 land claims agreement between the Inuit of the Nunavut Settlement Area and the Government of Canada subject to the Constitution Act of 1982...
on behalf of Inuit, NTI is responsible for ensuring that the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement is implemented fully by the Government of Canada and the Government of Nunavut and that all parties fulfill their obligations.
NTI is governed by a ten member board of directors. Three of the directors, one each of whom also serves as the President, the First-Vice President and Vice-President of Finance, are elected directly by beneficiaries of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement who are 16 years and older. A total of six directors are appointed by the three regional Inuit associations located in Nunavut. One director is appointed by the Nunavut Trust, the body responsible for holding in trust the monies received from the Government of Canada as part of the settlement of the Nunavut land claim in 1993.
NTI’s mission is: “Inuit economic, social and cultural well-being through implementation of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement.”
Organizationally, NTI consists of ten departments:
- Lands & Resources
- Wildlife
- Claim Implementation
- Human Resources
- Business & Economic Development
- Communications
- Legal Services
- Finance
- Administration
- Social & Cultural Development.
For NTI, the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement is the central structure for identifying policy priorities and directions. This follows two main paths:
- First, policy and program priorities are determined by what Claim obligations, either Inuit or government, have yet to be implemented.
- Second, priorities can stem from the necessity of meeting ongoing Inuit obligations.
NTI has gone through a transformation from the political activist body it began as to an organization with significant responsibilities for administering the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement. Nevertheless, it continues as an advocate for the rights of Inuit.