"Martha's Timeline"
Though most of the people living in Nunavik are aware of the current negotiations for Nunavik Regional Government, we sometimes forget that the struggle for autonomy in Nunavik began a long time ago. In fact, part of this struggle goes so far back in time that Nunavik youth aren't able to remember it.
The following timeline highlights events that are precursors of the current Nunavik Regional Government negotiations. This "pre-negotiations timeline" was proposed by Martha Berthe of Tasiujaq. She suggested that it would be a good way to show young people like herself the beginnings of the Nunavik Regional Government issue and how it has evolved.
1912 Northern Quebec is carved out of the Northwest Territories and becomes part of the Province of Quebec.
1959 Creation of the first Inuit cooperative in Kangiqsualujjuaq.
1960 Creation of the Carvers Association in Puvirnituq.
1964 First Quebec Government presence in Northern Quebec.
1967 The FCNQ (Coop Federation) is created.
1970 The Neville-Robitaille Commission tours the Inuit communities of Northern Quebec, consulting Inuit communities about Quebec taking over services from the Federal Government.
1971 From its Levis headquarters, the Board of Directors of FCNQ makes the first proposal to create a regional government.
1971 February, Davidee Iqquq Irkumia, Qumaluk Tukalak, Yves Michaud and the late Markusi Qullialuk travel by ski-doo to Quebec City from Ivujivik to deliver a message to the Premier of Quebec requesting to have permission to create a regional government in Northern Quebec as well as having a representative on the National Assembly.
1971 February or early March, a meeting takes place in Puvirnituq with delegates from most communities.
The issue: is it better to create an Inuit Association or a Regional Government?
The decision: the delegates agree to create an Inuit Association but its first mandate is to see to the creation of a Regional Government.
1972 The
NQIA is incorporated.
Quebec announces its plan to develop the James Bay hydro project.
1975 November 15: signing of the
JBNQA, where three institutions KRG, KSB, CRSSS (now NRBHss) are agreed to instead of making one self-government.
1975 December 2: the Dissidents disapprove the JBNQA and create the Inuit Tungavingat Nunamini (ITN).
1978 Makivik is created by way of law as a successor to NQIA. Creation of most of the present organizations: KRG, KSB and the Health Board.
1982 Repatriation of the Canadian Constitution. JBNQA receives Constitutional protection.
1983 November. In a Parliamentary Commission, Premier
René Lévesque agrees to negotiate with the Inuit of Northern Quebec "if the Inuit unify their approaches in the way of an autonomy within Quebec, in order to have a better management of their affairs, to pass laws in fields that concern them directly, to organize their life…"
1984 May 22: meeting in Puvirnituq, the Inuit dissidents as well as signatories to the JBNQA agree to create the Ujjituijiit with the mandate to put together a concrete proposal for the creation of an autonomous government. A report is made by the Ujjituijiit.
1984 Fall: meeting in Ivujivik, Inuit delegates decide to organize a referendum in Nunavik, the question being: how should the members of a Constitutional Committee be chosen? Should they be appointed by the Organizations or should they be elected by the people of Nunavik?
1987 October 1: Referendum in Nunavik: the Inuit decide to elect by vote the members of the
Nunavik Constitutional Committee (NCC) whose mandate is to define the powers and structure of the Assembly and Government for Nunavik.
1989 April 10: the members of the Nunavik Constitutional Committee are elected.
1989 December: the NCC tables its project of a Constitution for Nunavik.
1990 The Nunavik Constitutional Committee presents its proposal for a government in Nunavik to Quebec for the first time.
1990 The Oka Crisis: negative impact on the initial discussion which caused an important delay in the establishment of the negotiation process.
1991 April 10: Referendum in Nunavik: the Nunavik Constitution is approved.
1994 July: Quebec agrees to resume the negotiations with the NCC and appoints Francis Fox as a negotiator.
1995 October: Quebec Referendum on Sovereignty: the negotiation process is sidetracked and left in limbo.
1997 September in Kangiqsualujjuaq: Quebec Premier Bouchard and Inuit leaders approve of the idea of creating a commission whose mandate is to make recommendations on the form of a new government for Nunavik.
1999 November 5: signing of the Political Accord creating the
Nunavik Commission.
2001 April 5 in Kuujjuaraapik: the Nunavik Commission tables its recommendations for the creation of a Nunavik Government.
Next step:
The Political Accord stated that the three parties to the Accord were committed to enter into negotiations for the creation of a government for Nunavik which could be inspired, totally or partly, from the recommendations of the Commission.
2002, Spring, Makivik, Federal Government, Quebec Government name their negotiators.
2002 August, First meeting of the negotiators, start of
Framework Agreement negotiations.
2002 Late fall, Two phase negotiation “issue” entered into the picture.
…………then we get to our
present timeline
- January 8, 2010
- Webmaster
