The Innu Nation`s land claim, accepted for negotiation by the federal government in 1978, covers approximately 70% of Labrador. A framework agreement signed in 1996 by Canada, the Netherlands and the Innu Nation establishes the basic rules for the negotiations. The government of Newfoundland and Labrador had little formal contact with the Inuit before the 20th century. Unlike many parts of Canada, trade between Aboriginal and European settlers in Labrador did not develop as it required formal legislation or significant government involvement. Moreover, Labrador was far from being the centre of political activity in St. John`s and providing services to its small, dispersed population would have been both difficult and costly. Instead, government officials delegated the day-to-day management of Labrador`s affairs to local religious groups and trading companies, the most prominent of which were the Moravian Missionaries and the Hudson`s Bay Company (HBC). In 1935, the government commission established the Newfoundland Ranger Force to monitor remote and rural areas, including Labrador. In addition to enforcing wildlife and other laws, rangers distributed government assistance and served as a link between residents and government officials. The arrival of the rangers was well received by many Labrador residents – fur prices plummeted during the Great Depression and the need for aid payments was immense.

Tagak Curley, from the Inuit Tapirisat of Canada, presented the study on Inuit use and occupation to the Canadian government. The study showed where Inuit lived today and where their ancestors lived. He also explained how the land is and has been used. Without this evidence, the federal government would not begin negotiating a land claim with the Inuit. Kangikhiteagumaven: A Plain Language Guide to the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement The Nunatsiavut Government has the authority to establish its own justice system and pass legislation regarding land and resource management, education, health, culture and language. The Legislative Assembly of government is based in Hopedale and its administrative centre is based in Nain. In addition, there are five Inuit municipal governments in Nain, Makkovik, Hopedale, Postville and Rigolet. All adult residents of Nunatsiavut, regardless of ancestry, have the right to vote, and since Nunatsiavut is still part of Newfoundland and Labrador, its citizens must pay provincial and federal taxes. The official path to this historic agreement began in 1973 when an in-depth study was launched to document where Inuit lived at the time, where their ancestors lived, how they lived, and how they traveled and hunted in the Canadian Arctic. 3) The NLCA is the largest Settlement of Indigenous land claims in Canadian history In 1973, the Inuit Tapirisat of Canada (ITC) began researching the use and occupation of Inuit lands in the Arctic. Three years later, in 1976, the ITC proposed the idea of creating a territory of Nunavut and the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission, which recommended dividing the Northwest Territories into two electoral districts: the Western Arctic (now the Northwest Territories) and Nunatsiaq (now Nunavut).

The Tunngavik Federation of Nunavut (TFN) negotiated the Land Claims Agreement with the federal government in 1982. The vote in the Northwest Territories determined the creation of Nunavut with a majority of 56%. The TFN and representatives of the federal and regional governments signed the Basic Land Claims Agreement in 1990. In 1992, the TFN and federal negotiators agreed on the essential elements of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement. On May 25, 1993, Paul Quassa, then President of the Tunngavik Federation of Nunavut, and Brian Mulroney, then Prime Minister of Canada, and Tom Siddon, then Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs, signed the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement. On July 9, 1993, the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement and the Nunavut Act were passed by the Parliament of Canada and received Royal Assent. In 1998, amendments to the Nunavut Act were passed by Parliament and received Royal Assent. In 1999, on April 1, Nunavut became a reality with an independent government. [5] After the HBC withdrew its operations from northern Labrador in the 1940s, the government took control of all the companies` trading posts and placed them in closer contact with the Inuit than ever before.

At that time, unlike in Canada, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador did not have special agencies dealing with Aboriginal affairs, nor had it developed a system of reserves or land claim treaties with the Inuit, Innu, Mi`kmaq or Southern Inuit. In Canada, the Indian Act made the federal government financially responsible for the provision of health, education and other social services to a large portion of the Aboriginal population. The Nunavut Land Claims Agreement was signed in Iqaluit on May 25, 1993 by representatives of the Tunngavik Federation of Nunavut (now Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated), the Government of Canada and the Government of the Northwest Territories .. . . .