The Inuit are the first aboriginal people to create and establish a self-governing territorial government; this was a major key to self-determination and a newer and brighter future for Inuit.
In the early 1950’s, the pressure to change increased dramatically as Inuit were moved into permanent settlements by the federal government. These permanent settlements provided access to schools, health care and the technologies of the modern world. Some families moved to avoid famine and the hardships of life on the land and to take advantage of the benefits that the community life had promised.
The Nunavut Land Claims Agreement in 1993 was an agreement between the Inuit of the Nunavut Settlement Area (then part of the Northwest Territories) and the Government of Canada. It was the largest aboriginal land claim in Canadian history and addressed a large range of aspects like wildlife, land, and water management. This accomplishment is the result of a long, complex process whereby Inuit and federal governments negotiated all of the inclusive land claim agreements. These agreements provide Inuit with a number of benefits including rights to land, cash payments and the establishment of new political and economic entities that ensured these land claim agreements are met. These agreements provided important tools and resources that allowed the Inuit to have a great degree of control over their lives, both in the present and in the