7. Political and Fiscal Limitations of Inuit Self-Determination in the Canadian Arctic

Our chapter examines the political and fiscal factors of collective capabilities for self-determination in three Inuit-dominated areas in Canada with active self-government regimes: the relatively new territory of Nunavut, the region of Nunavik (in Québec) and the region of Nunatsiavut (in Newfoundland and Labrador). We derive and measure important political and fiscal indicators identified by the literature (institutional independence, representation, local capacity and fiscal ability) that are based on the most recent information from the three regions. Our analysis indicates that most Inuit governments are still quite financially dependent and constrained. In terms of institutional independence, and representation, Nunavik lags behind the other regions due to a fragmented governance system with three separate regional public administration bodies that receive funding through provincial parent departments. In terms of local capacity, as measured by the proportion of Aboriginal people with university degree, the three regions lie well below Canadian and provincial averages. Nunatsiavut has significantly higher education levels than other Inuit regions; however, the percentage of Aboriginal people with university degrees is also higher in Newfoundland and Labrador than in Quebec and in Canada.