Ottawa, Canada.- The Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeausigned this Thursday the transfer of control of the resource-rich Arctic lands to the territory’s government Nunavutmajority Inuit, a decision announced as the largest territorial transfer in the history of Canada.
At more than two million square metres, Nunavut is almost three times larger than the US state of Texas and is believed to be home to some of the country’s richest resource deposits, including gold, diamonds and rare minerals. as well as oil and gas.
Due to global warming, the Arctic territory is increasingly accessible for mining and shipping.
In Iqaluit, his capital, Trudeau signed a transfer agreement with Nunavut Premier PJ Akeeagok.
The measure gives the territorial government of Nunavut responsibility for its lands and resources, and the right to collect royalties that would otherwise end up with the federal government.
“Inuit have hunted, fished and lived on these lands for generations, some long before records were recorded. Today begins a new chapter in Nunavut’s history, a transformative chapter,” Trudeau said at the signing ceremony.
“With this greater control, (the government and people of Nunavut) will be able to have more voice and more prosperity,” he added.
The agreement follows decades of negotiations between Nunavut and the federal government, and will be fully implemented over the next three years.
“It is our land, our resources (now) in the hands of our people,” exalted Akeeagok.
In the 1960s, Ottawa began gradually transferring responsibilities in health, education, social services and other areas to its Arctic territories.
Nunavut, created in 1999, is the last of Canada’s three Arctic territories to assume full control of its lands.
Source: AP
