About this episode

The episode discusses the Inuit communities' struggle for autonomy and the creation of Nunavut in 1999.

For generations, Inuit communities lived across the Arctic, travelling with the seasons and relying on the land. But in the mid-20th century, Canadian government policies, including relocations, moved many into permanent settlements, reshaping their way of life. In the 1970s, a new generation of Inuit activists launched a movement to reclaim control over their land and push for greater autonomy. In 1999, the newly created Nunavut territory gained its own government. Inuit politician and activist Paul Quassa tells Sam Gruet about the fight to regain control over their land, the long negotiations with the federal government, and the moment he felt the campaign had succeeded. Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by and curious about the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more. Recent episodes explore everything from how the Excel spreadsheet was developed, the creation of cartoon rabbit Miffy and how the sound…

People in this episode

Host: Sam Gruet

Guest: Paul Quassa

Topics covered

• Inuit communities
• land reclamation
• Canadian history
• autonomy
• government policies

Keywords

• Inuit
• Nunavut
• land control
• activism
• Canadian government

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Canadian government

Places: Nunavut, Arctic

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