The Inuvialuit Self-Government Agreement-in-Principle (AIP) builds upon the Inuvialuit Final Agreement (Western Arctic Claim). When signed in 1984 the Inuvialuit Final Agreement was the first comprehensive land claim agreement signed north of the 60th parallel and only the second in Canada.
There are six (6) Inuvialuit communities in the Western Arctic Region of the NWT. These communities consist of Aklavik, Inuvik, Paulatuk, Sachs Harbour, Tuktoyaktuk and Ulukhaktok with current population estimates of 3,300 in the Western Arctic Region.
In May 2007, the Parties (Inuvialuit, the Government of the Northwest Territories and Canada) signed a Process and Schedule Agreement. This agreement set out the approach and process for the Inuvialuit self-government negotiations. It also identified what was being negotiated and established an agenda and timetable.
In June 2014, the chief negotiators for the Parties initialled the agreement-in-principle and recommended it for approval by the Parties they represent.
The Agreement-in-Principle forms the basis for negotiating and concluding a final self-government agreement for the Inuvialuit. The powers and structure of the future Inuvialuit Government will be further defined in the final self-government agreement and in the Inuvialuit Constitution.
The basic model of the Inuvialuit Government will consist of:
- an Inuvialuit Council governing at the Regional level;
- an Inuvialuit Council to be comprised of an Ataniq (Leader) elected by all eligible Inuvialuit and at least one(1) Councillor elected from each Inuvialuit Community; and,
- law-making authority (jurisdiction) reserved for the Inuvialuit Council.
The Inuvialuit Government will have authority and decision making powers in a variety of areas such as:
- adoption
- child and family services
- culture and language
- early childhood care and education
- health (traditional healing)
- income assistance
- Kindergarten to Grade 12 education
- out of school care and education
- student support services
- trespass on Inuvialuit Lands
- wills and estates
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms applies to all matters within the authority of the Inuvialuit Government.
