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.
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You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, like the invention of a stent which has saved lives around the world; the birth of the G7; and the meeting of Maldives’ ministers underwater. We cover everything from World War Two and Cold War stories to Black History Month and our journeys into space.
(Photo: Cambridge Bay. Credit: Arctic Images via Getty Images)
