NunatuKavut

This article is about the unrecognized territory. For the people who claim it, see NunatuKavummiut.

NunatuKavut
Proposed Autonomous area
The village of Mary's Harbour, in Southern Labrador
The village of Mary's Harbour, in Southern Labrador
CountryCanada
ProvinceNewfoundland and Labrador
CapitalVâli, Labrador
Government
 • TypeProposed parliamentary democracy within the parliamentary system of Canada
 • PresidentTodd Russell (since 2012)
Population
 (2007)
 • Total
2,345
DemonymNunatuKavummiut
Time zoneUTC−04:00 (AST)
Postal code prefix
A0P
ISO 3166 codeNL
Federal ridingLabrador
Provincial ridingCartwright-L'Anse au Clair and Lake Melville
WebsiteNunatuKavut.ca
PeopleNunatuKavummiut
LanguageInuttitut;
Inuit Sign Language (Uukturausingit)

NunatuKavut (Inuktitut: ᓄᓇᑐᑲᕗᑦ) is a proposed NunatuKavummiut territory in central and southern Labrador. The region proposed by the NunatuKavut Community Council (NCC) extends from north of the community of Makkovik in Nunatsiavut to south of the community of Blanc-Sablon in Quebec.[1] It also extends to the west as far as the border between Quebec and Labrador.[1] Previous submissions by the predecessor organization to NunatuKavut (Labrador Metis Nation[2]) included a secondary claim as far north as Nain, the northernmost community in Nunatsiavut.[3] The NCC has had its land claim submissions rejected by the Canadian Federal Government multiple times.[4][5] However, both the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples have concluded that the NunatuKavut Community Council represent a people with a credible but unproven claim to Indigenous rights.[6][7][8]

The NunatuKavut Community Council and its approximately 6,000 members have not been recognized by other Indigenous groups.[9][10][11][12][13] The members of NunatuKavut claim to be the direct descendants of Inuit that lived in central and southern Labrador prior to European contact, with the European admixture primarily from English men.[14] According to recent censuses completed by Statistics Canada, the majority of individuals living in communities within the NunatuKavut claims area continue to identify as Métis as opposed to Inuit.[15]

  1. ^ a b "NunatuKavut traditional territory map".
  2. ^ "Labrador's Métis Nation adopts new name".
  3. ^ "The Labrador Metis Nation v. Her Majesty in Right of Newfoundland and Labrador, 2006 NLTD 119 (CanLII)".
  4. ^ Passafiume, Alessia (June 13, 2024). "NunatuKavut Community Council celebrates Federal Court decision in identity case". CityNews Ottawa. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
  5. ^ "Innu Nation Inc. v. Canada (Crown-Indigenous Relations), 2024 FC 896". 2024.
  6. ^ The Canadian Press (June 13, 2024). "Self-identifying Inuit group to negotiate with federal government: court". National Post. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
  7. ^ "Newfoundland and Labrador v. Labrador Métis Nation, 2007 NLCA 75". 2007.
  8. ^ "Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. Volume 4" (PDF). 1996.
  9. ^ "Inuit leader warns of Labrador group's 'illegitimate claims' to Inuit identity". CBC. May 12, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
  10. ^ "Court dismisses Innu Nation challenge against recognition of disputed Labrador group". CBC. March 19, 2024. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
  11. ^ Rogers, Sarah (March 19, 2024). "Inuit and Innu United Against False Claims of Indigenous Identity". Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
  12. ^ "Statement on the Nunatukavut Community Council (NCC)". Inuit Circumpolar Council. November 10, 2023. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
  13. ^ "Inuit". Crown–Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada. June 18, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  14. ^ "Southern Inuit of NunatuKavut History".
  15. ^ "Statistics Canada. Division No. 10, Census division".