Self-government recommended for Nunavik

A report released today says the Inuit living in Quebec's arctic region should have their own regional government with broad powers in several key areas.

The Nunavik Commission's final report was tabled today at the Makivik annual meeting in Kuujjuaraapik, Quebec. Makivik is the Inuit development corporation in Nunavik.

The commission spent more than a year meeting with Inuit communities, government and organisations before writing up its recommendations.

The report details a public government that would operate within the Canadian constitution and respect the authority of the Quebec and federal governments. It would be like a separate jurisdiction within the province of Quebec-- a first in Canada.

It would include a Nunavik assembly made up of a minimum of 15 elected representatives from each of Nunavik's Inuit communities... and one for the Naskapi.

The assembly would have law-making powers including exclusive powers over Inuit language and culture. It would share power with the Federal and Quebec governments in areas such as health and education.

Inuit legal issues would be heard in a Nunavik court of justice.

Inuktitut, English and French would all be official languages in the proposed Nunavik government.

People living in Nunavik communities and the Quebec government will now take a closer look at the recommendations