The Establishment of Nunavut - 1999
On April 1st, 1999, Canada's newest, largest, and most northern territory was officially established, based upon land boundaries of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement. The capital of the territory was set to be the city of Iqaluit. The territory was named Nunavut, which means "our land" in Inuktitut, one of the most spoken Inuit languages.
Nunavut was divided from the Northwest Territories for the purpose of establishing systems of self government for Inuit peoples, who make up 83% of the territory's population. As discussed in the previous section, the territory is divided into four main regions, each with its own specific system of government, based on both traditional structures and public government. This has been one of the greatest steps forward in Canada's rehabilitation of its relationships with Aboriginal peoples. Nunavut remains today as one of the most prominent regions of self-government for an Aboriginal people in the Americas.